Variety is the spice of life, right? The era of e-commerce has also delivered a new level of customer expectation, one in which the customer wants to choose where, when and how they receive their package. In many places, next-day delivery is offered as standard and, in many cases, for free. More than half of retailers (51%) offer same-day delivery and 65% plan to offer it within two years. To add to this stat, 61% of customers are willing to pay more for same day delivery. This proves that speed is essential, even with a hefty price tag attached. The average consumer is also more aware than ever about sustainability and the environmental impact of their delivery choices. Companies like Packaly and Fietskoeriers offer same-day delivery options using e-bikes, which are a far more sustainable choice, and one which many consumers want to have available to them.

As an extension of a localized mindset, more retailers should consider their retail stores as distribution centers. Even former Walmart e-commerce CEO, Neil Ashe, noticed this back in 2016, “We can use our 4000 stores as a physical distribution point. We have stores in the US within 5 miles of about two-third of the population”. By showing the stock of each branch to online customers, and picking the ordered products directly from the store stock, local same-day express delivery not only becomes feasible, it also becomes affordable. This way a bike courier can deliver affordably within the entire ring of Amsterdam for example. This type of cost can absolutely compete with those of the national parcel carriers.