Going into 2021, one crucial consideration for any shop is which delivery options to offer. No matter if you own a physical store, your own online shop, or a profile on a platform like eBay, Gumtree or Etsy, offering a menu of delivery choices to suit any customer’s needs is essential.
Throughout 2020, online sales have been booming, fuelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second quarter of the year alone, online shopping skyrocketed 71% in comparison to 2019.
For small retailers, this effect has been even more pronounced. This is partly because of an additional trend for ordering locally. As a result, small businesses have seen a 110% increase in online sales.
Even with vaccination campaigns starting to roll out in some countries, and an end to the pandemic in sight, online shopping is expected to flourish in the future.
While standard postal delivery remains popular, it is often just not specialized and personal enough to meet modern customer expectations. Man and van delivery services, on the other hand, offer several advantages for both physical businesses and e-commerce stores – and their shoppers.
Easy Handling of Bulky Items
To begin with, if your store deals in items that are heavy or bulky, man and van delivery companies are experts at handling them. Since many of these man and van delivery companies also handle moves of both private homes and offices, they have both the staff and the equipment to easily deal with bulky deliveries.
In addition, many also provide pricing options based on size rather than weight, which makes them a prime choice if you aim to ship heavy items.
Scheduling and Convenience
A second point in favour of man and van delivery is the greater control it offers over where and when things are picked up and dropped off. This provides extensive personalisation options for customers, which many have come to expect from larger companies.
Since many delivery companies also offer moving services, they might also be able to provide packing materials, for both standard and outsize items.
These days, most delivery companies, even at a local scale, offer convenient online scheduling options that allow for fast pick-up and drop-off times at the tap of a button.
More than that, man and van delivery companies also offer more personalised service than standard delivery.
Predictable Cost
In many cases, local man and van delivery companies offer relatively economic services compared to other providers. Fees are generally fixed in advance, and often size- rather than weight-based.
Both of these factors make shipping costs more predictable, which is an advantage for both sellers and customers.
Safety, Care, and Insurance
Finally, man and van delivery services can generally boast vast experience with handling valuable, fragile, and speciality items.
Whether it’s a delicate craft item, an antique vase, or a piano that needs moving, these companies have probably dealt with it before. That means that they also offer appropriate safety guarantees and insurance options, often by default.
