As more consumers embrace eCommerce, online retailers are shifting toward gratification in a bid to offer the quickest last mile delivery than their rivals. What does standard shipping mean for an online retailer? Shipping is a balancing act that online retailers must face to retain customers and make a profit. Despite being the final leg of the life cycle of an online order, last mile shipping is very significant to customers.
According to a study, 54% of consumers said last mile delivery heavily impacts their long-term customer relationship with an eCommerce brand. Consumers are more concerned about the shipping cost than the delivery speed. Online shoppers expect standard shipping to be the base option at checkout. However, 66% of online shoppers prefer to shop from retailers with many delivery options. Customers want fast, reliable, and accurate shipping options.
This article defines standard shipping to make you understand how the process work to ensure fast and efficient deliveries for your customers.
What Does Standard Shipping Mean?
Standard shipping is also referred to as regular, economy, or ground shipping. It’s a popular shipping option for shipping carriers for its cost-effectiveness. In the United States, all couriers offer these services to deliver domestic parcels in three to five days via ground. International shipments can take between 7 to 30 days before delivery.
How Does It Work?
Standard shipping is the best option for online retailers looking for a cost-effective shipping method to dispatch small and large boxes. When a customer picks this method as their delivery option, the retailer shares the shipping policy with the customer that highlights the shipping method, cost, and delivery time, amongst other details.
The shipping companies pick, sort, and pack the orders for shipping to customers via ground transport in 3 to 7 business days.
How Long Does It Take?
Standard shipping time varies depending on the individual shipment and courier. However, it takes less than five days for US-based couriers. International shipping can take anywhere from 7 to 30 days depending on the location and attracts custom fees and taxes depending on the shipment.
What Is the Cost of Standard Shipping?
Many couriers offer standard shipping as the cheapest option in the United States. The package weight, distance, size, and any shipping value-added feature or service like delivery confirmation determine the cost. With this form of shipping, one does not have to buy a box. Couriers allow one to use a box that fits your item, cutting extra costs.
Standard Shipping vs. Express Shipping: Which Is Better?
Are you searching for the best shipping model between standard and express shipping? As customer demands evolve, expanding your delivery options is crucial. Depending on consumer preferences, offering both standard and express shipping can be beneficial to your business.
Express shipping, also known as expedited shipping, delivers orders overnight or the next day via air couriers. According to a study, 61% of customers are willing to pay for fast shipping if their orders are delivered in 1 or 2 days, and express shipping comes in handy. To fully optimize both express and standard shipping, couriers must streamline last mile delivery by adopting an agile and effective route optimization solution to meet customer demands.
Here are the differences between standard and express shipping and how route optimization can enhance last mile delivery.
Efficiency
Couriers offering express shipping services guarantee delivery time with a refund policy for late deliveries. Customers opting for express shipping expect their products to be shipped fast to fulfill the urgency. Standard shipping takes days, and customers may purchase from another retailer if it’s the only shipping option.
Customer Experience
An online retailer gains customer loyalty by enhancing the customer experience via fast deliveries. According to a study, 97% of consumers prefer same day or next day shipping. These statistics make express shipping the best model, unlike standard shipping, which takes 3-7 days. However, customers that value cheaper options and are more patient with delivery time might find more value in standard shipping. This aspect of customer experience can make it hard to navigate because it is so reliant on personal preference.
Risk
Prolonged shipment duration increases the risk of damage during standard shipping. Express shipping ensures that products are shipped on time, reduces the risk of damage, and offers insurance and tracking services to protect a customer’s products and enhance convenience. Customers can track their shipments in real time.
Cost
Express shipping can be expensive. However, for time-sensitive products, it’s the way to go. Standard shipping is cheaper, especially when shipping bulky products, but it will take longer time on the road. An efficient route optimization solution enables couriers to cut operational costs.
In Conclusion
Whether you’re offering standard or express shipping, streamlining your delivery operations is imperative. Optimize your routes, enhance customer satisfaction, and more with Elite EXTRA’s last mile logistics software suite. To learn how we can improve your delivery operations, request a free demo.
Sources
https://newsroom.accenture.com/
https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/
https://www.efulfillmentservice.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/State-of-Ecommerce-Order-Fulfillment-Shipping.pdf
