1. Make sure your stock is evenly distributed.
The greatest strategy to maximise the speed at which packages are sent is to fulfil online orders from a number of different locations. For this purpose, you will require e-commerce warehouses located across India in each of the country’s four zones: the north, the east, the south, and the west. You may cut down on shipment times and provide two-day shipping by dividing your inventory and storing it closer to your consumers. This will also help you save a considerable amount of money on shipping prices.
It is not necessary for e-commerce firms to consider the geographic location of their clients in order to take advantage of Zulily’s two-day delivery option since the company makes its dispersed network of fulfilment centres located across India available to them.
2. Automate as much of the order processing as possible and streamline the administration of incoming orders
When you are in possession of an order, it is your responsibility to see to it that it is sent to the picking crew as promptly as is humanly feasible. After that, the pickers will be able to complete the order processing, which includes selecting and packing using safe packaging materials to preserve your items while they are in transit.
The use of cutting-edge technology, such as barcode scanners and conveyor belts, is another method for automating warehouse operations. This might help you cut down on the amount of work that has to be done, as well as save time and money. If you want your purchases to arrive within two days, the most essential thing you can do is make sure they are designated as “ready-to-ship” and that your shipping partner collects them as soon as possible.
Throughout the whole of the order fulfilment process, Zulily’s commitment to adhering to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) guarantees timely order processing. In the event that your purchase needs to be completed in a hurry, you also have the option of selecting the priority pick and pack service.
3. Adhere to the SLAs established by the markets
The stringent fulfilment requirements and preset delivery periods that online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra have in place must always be adhered to in a consistent manner. As a result, while you are selling on marketplaces, it is essential that you make certain that orders are designated as “ready to ship” on time and without fail.
You will be able to reliably mail out orders in order to meet requirements for delivering within two days. Zulily complies with the policies of each marketplace as well as their stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in order to execute orders in the allotted amount of time (TAT).
4. Make use of firms that deliver packages quickly
After the items are packed and ready to go, you will need an expedited delivery service provided by a courier agency. To do this, you will need to form partnerships with a number of different national carriers. Due to the limited number of orders that you place, it is doubtful that you will be able to have access to bulk discounts and negotiated shipping rates. As a result, express delivery may become rather costly.
Zulily has strong relationships with regional, national, and even hyperlocal delivery services. Taking advantage of the bulk delivery savings that Zulily offers may also get you access to cheaper shipping rates, allowing you to offer two-day shipping while keeping your shipping costs to a minimum. In addition, all of your clients are eligible for rapid delivery, and you cover over 29,000 pin codes across India. This results in a savings of 45% off the cost of shipping.
5. Optimise delivery routes
You need to optimise your delivery routes in order to fulfil requests in a more timely manner. You may get started by picking the routes that are going to be the quickest and cheapest at the same time. This indicates that your online purchase must be automatically sent from the closest fulfilment centre depending on the following factors: inventory availability, customer location, and service level agreement (SLA).
Intelligent order routing is used at Zulily to ensure that customer orders are fulfilled in the quickest and most cost-effective manner possible. In addition, the Zulily unique algorithm combines a mix of ground, air, and regional carriers to make sure that purchases are delivered on time.
6. Establish a required minimum purchase amount for delivering within two business days
A research found that 52 percent of online buyers add more items to their shopping carts in order to fulfil the minimum purchase requirement for free and quick delivery. You are in a position to succeed by using this strategy. As an example, free delivery for two days on any purchases that exceed INR 1500. This will assist in increasing your Average Order Volume (AOV), which is necessary to pay the expense of providing both quick and free delivery.
7. Improve customer lifetime value (CLTV)
According to research done, the cost of recruiting new consumers is five times more than the cost of keeping current ones. You may recoup some of the expenses associated with acquiring a new client if you succeed in persuading your current consumers to make further purchases. You may accomplish this goal by introducing subscriptions and loyalty programmes, which will encourage current consumers to make further purchases. This will assist you in increasing the customer lifetime value (CLTV), which will in turn help you pay the expense of providing two-day delivery. You may also lower the overall cost of shipping by offering product packages, including pre-built kits and bespoke combinations, upsells, and subscriptions to your customers.
Wrapping up
In the world of e-commerce, a rapidly growing concern is how quickly packages are sent. Increased efficiency, a scalable infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology are all things that need to be implemented if you want to keep your competitive edge. You may also choose to outsource your fulfilment and watch as you easily satisfy the requirement of delivering within two days, all while reducing your expenses and providing your consumers with an enjoyable shipping experience.
