In an increasingly digitally reliant economy, businesses need every advantage they can get to survive and thrive in hypercompetitive markets. For companies and organizations that rely on shipping products, the time and costs it takes to ship items can become an issue. That is why crowdshipping is a possible solution to alleviate the pressures from delivering items in general and last-mile delivery in particular.
What is Crowdshipping?
Crowdshipping is a part of the sharing economy that has become popular in recent years. Crowdshipping seeks to make same-day delivery and express delivery more affordable by crowdsourcing the resources to complete delivery fulfillment.
Crowdsourced delivery fulfillment can be cheaper than traditional delivery services because crowdsourced delivery relies on emplaced networks of local couriers to complete transactions.
Uber, DoorDash, and other food delivery services have popularized this business model. Now, other businesses are turning to similar models to lower their delivery fulfillment costs.
The Benefits of Crowdsourced Delivery
The benefits of crowdsourced delivery are numerous and prove advantageous for both businesses and customers. Companies and organizations that utilize crowdsourced delivery improve their express delivery and same-day delivery costs by getting their products into the hands of their customers faster than traditional service. Crowdsourced delivery is so fast that in high-volume areas, product fulfillment may take as little as an hour or less.
This rapid product fulfillment that crowdsourced delivery provides also satisfies the need for instant gratification that many customers feel. Crowdsource delivery also offers on-demand and scheduled delivery options that keep customers satisfied.
In addition to rapid, continuous, and on-demand product fulfillment, crowdsourced delivery also decreases the need for massive delivery fleets and other assets. The inherent nature of crowdsourced delivery entails that crowdsourced couriers use their assets to complete product fulfillment. Usually, these crowdsourced couriers receive pay per package or per shift.
This at-will delivery fleet completely negates the costs associated with maintaining and managing a company delivery fleet and minimizes warehouse and storage costs.
Crowdshipping the Last Mile
Traditional shipping models struggle with the costs of completing the final leg of a package’s delivery route. In the industry, this issue is known as the last mile problem.
Typically, this final stage of fulfillment is the most expensive and time-consuming. Most businesses find it hard to reduce last-mile delivery costs, which is where crowdsource steps up.
Crowdsourced shipping makes the final portion of fulfillment more affordable by entrusting a local courier to complete delivery faster and more affordably than traditional delivery services.
Our Services
At Flash Box, we make crowdshipping intuitive and straightforward. Our couriers have the experience, knowledge and skills to get your package where it needs to go on time and at little cost to you. Get your free quote today or schedule a call with us to find out how we can help you on the last mile of your journey.
