E-commerce giants pride themselves on super-fast deliveries, but some smaller retailers insist that the personal touch is key.
But it seems like spending time perfecting your delivery can be a huge burden, especially when you’re competing with online stores like Amazon.
”[Amazon] They’re a big company, a global business with incredibly large budgets, so they’re a threat,” said Leah Timos, founder of Moss & Spy.
E-commerce technology platform Shippit monitors and delivers hundreds of millions of package deliveries in Australia each year.
The study found that 51% of the Gen Z cohort had their delivery time expectations set by Amazon.
At the same time, 64% of all consumers say they would abandon a brand after a “poor delivery experience,” something Timos knows all too well.
“We get complaints and questions like, ‘Where is my order? Why is it taking so long?'” she told ABC News.
”So people expect next-day delivery, or for international orders, delivery within five days.”
Amazon sets the tone
Amazon claims faster delivery times will benefit all Australians.
But to survive, Mr Shippit says one in five Australian retailers are turning their store floors into mini-warehouses, shipping orders directly from stores and delivering packages faster.
“But what we’ve discovered is that the old days of just selling the exact same products as larger companies and trying to compete on price is no longer a sustainable business model,” said Rob Hango Zada, Shippit’s co-chief executive officer.
”Today’s sustainable business models are online brands or small businesses that are actually innovating and developing products that are very popular in the Gen Z market.”
This could be a gift to customers, as young Australians want value as well as convenience.
“So our customers are women,” Leah Tsimos said.
“They’re busy people, they’re moms, they try to shop online even after hours, and it’s great to have a package delivered within 24 hours.
“This will be repeat business.
“It gives customers a lot of confidence.”
Aiming for something different
Kellie Richardson is the owner and principal interior designer at Kurved by Design.
The success of her business ultimately comes down to customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth referrals.
Kelly Richardson says business success is all about great customer service. (ABC News: Kyle Hurley)
“I think we wanted to be very different from Amazon in terms of providing more customer service.”
Ms. Richardson said.
“It’s more personal.”
It can be online shopping, in-store purchases, or anything involving a variety of products.
While many people still use Amazon, she said her strategy seems to be working, especially with older generations, as people crave connection.
“A lot of people come back for the customer service…they come back for the personalization,” she said.
”The older I get, the more I want to have and enjoy such experiences.”