From postal delivery to qCommerce, how delivery trends are shaping up

Imagine you've spent all afternoon shopping online. You've already got a full shopping cart, you've chosen a payment method, and suddenly there's a problem in the form of delivery. The inability to get your order to the parcel machine, delivery possible only in a week's time, paid returns - all this can contribute to making you give up shopping on a particular site. Although the decision on the method of delivery is made only at the end of the shopping process, it often turns out to be crucial for the fulfillment of the order. Sometimes it's a good idea to start at the end and include the right logistics options in your online store. If you want to find out what solutions will work best for your eCommerce, read this article!

Once vs today - how is the supply market shaping up today?

It is said that observing the logistics industry allows one to see in advance certain processes taking place throughout the economy. This thesis has been confirmed by the pandemic period - the intense growth of online ordering is not just a temporary trend, but the future of the market. Nevertheless, the logistics industry faces many challenges, such as rising inflation, problems with the availability of raw materials and the need to take care of the environment. What other difficulties will this branch of business face? Is it possible to combine new technologies with the idea of sustainability? Will fast delivery become the standard?

Domination of parcel machines

Yellow color and distinctive sun theme - did you also think of InPost? No wonder, because it is this company that over the past few years has gained a leadership position in the KEP industry. In 2021, it was parcel machine delivery that was the most popular shopping delivery option among Poles, and the number of machines alone rose to more than 18,000. Where does this phenomenon come from? The experience of recent years has earned the parcel machine the title of the safest way to receive. It is also no secret that it is simply characterized by convenience - we can pick up our order at any time, regardless of the time of day. So it's no surprise that similar services are also being introduced by other companies - devices signed by Allegro or AliExpress are slowly filling the delivery map of Poland.

What do Poles choose? The most popular delivery methods

Until recently, the choice of delivery method in online stores was limited - customers usually chose between 2 or 3 options. Entering the new decade proved revolutionary for the market - the list of ways began to expand dynamically. In 2021, InPost was the unrivaled king, with as many as 81% of online shoppers interested in its services. Places on the podium also went to courier delivery directly to home or work (68%) and delivery by mail (39%).

You can read the full results of the report "E-commerce in Poland 2021" prepared by Gemius below:

Form of delivery	Percentage of respondents who are encouraged by a particular form to shop online
Delivery to InPost Parcel Machine	81%
Delivery by courier directly to your home/work	68%
Delivery by mail directly to your home/work	39%
Delivery to a partner point (e.g. Żabka, Orlen, Ruch)	35%
Delivery to a postal facility	16%
Delivery to the store branch (click & collect)	14%
Delivery to another parcel machine (Locker, SwipBox machine)	6%

Does faster mean better? In the area of delivery - definitely yes!

Have you ever found yourself impatiently staring out the window and waiting for the courier? Until recently, such a situation could discourage online shopping - now customers receive their ordered products (depending on the industry) even within 15 minutes. Impressive, right? Predictions indicate that by 2025 ¼ of those using online stores will require same-day delivery. How to keep up (and literally) with rising consumer expectations? The eCommerce market has contributed to the development of several solutions - learn about them!

Buy online, pick up offline - Click and Collect

It's a quiet evening, and you're at home completing your virtual order to pick it up at the stationary store the very next day, even before work. You don't have to worry about making a mistake (for example, in the size of the clothes), because you can immediately return or exchange the selected product on the spot. Sounds like the perfect solution - and it's guaranteed by the Click and Collect option.

All indications are that the above scenario is to the liking of Poles - as many as 25% of shoppers declare that they choose the option of delivery with personal pick-up. This is undoubtedly a way to find yourself in the new, post-pandemic reality and return to the traditional form of sales without giving up technological conveniences. Why should you implement it in your eCommerce? This is how you will diversify your offer, while reducing shipping costs and the percentage of complaints.

Empik, among others, has decided to introduce this form, and at the same time strengthen its environmentally-oriented activities in this way. The chain's customers can choose the option of store delivery and pickup without unnecessary packaging and fillers, which is expected to reduce the use of cardboard boxes by up to 50% annually.

It only takes 15 minutes - qcommerce

Let's take it a step further - you still place your order in the evening, but you dream of trying the product the same day. In this case, q-commerce comes to your aid. The letter "q" hides the word "quick" - speed is the very foundation of this solution. With this option, store owners are able to meet the demands of a new generation of consumers - without compromising on waiting time and price. Many experts say that quick commerce is a natural transition towards third-generation eCommerce.

But how to ensure express delivery right to the door? This is possible thanks to the operation of dark stores, i.e. special, relatively small storage areas where suppliers can quickly complete the order received. Quick deliveries are also supported by single-track vehicles and an extensive network of couriers that avoid city traffic jams.

Qcommerce has so far gained the most popularity for necessities such as groceries. However, all indications are that it will extend to more industries in the near future. According to British researchers, express shipping will soon dominate the fashion & beauty sector, taking over as much as 60% of deliveries there.

The 3 pillars of sustainable logistics - how to guarantee green delivery?

Sustainable development, sustainable construction and even sustainable travel - these are terms we hear every day. Why is the idea of sustainable living so important? Due to the fact that it involves not only taking care of the environment itself, but also the future, and thus providing adequate conditions for the development of future generations. There is no doubt that virtually all forms of delivery require interference with the ecosystem. But how to make this impact as small as possible?

• Zero-emission vehicles

Congested streets have unquestionably become a symbol of the 21st century - along with them, the image of a gray cloud hovering over the city has also imperceptibly become a sign of modern times. Companies, whose actions have unquestionably contributed to increased transportation and emissions, are finding ever newer solutions to reduce their harmfulness.

A prime example of this is Amazon - the eCommerce giant has promised to be carbon neutral by 2030. Planned changes in transportation methods could help with this. The British branch of the corporation is aiming to create a micromobility center in London, from which all packages are to be delivered by employees using electric bicycles or on foot. Moreover, it is estimated that the new center will handle more than a million more orders than before.

Are such activities likely to become a new trend? Everything indicates that this question can be answered in the affirmative. This is evidenced, among other things, by the fact that at the end of March 2022 the number of electric vans and trucks in Poland had risen to as many as 1,877 units - more than 360% more than in 2019, when only 519 units could be included in this category.

Number of registered electric cars in Poland (passenger and commercial vehicles)
2022 (March)	43 365
2021	39 658
2020	19 714
2019	9 156

• Pooling

"Circular supply chain" is currently a hot topic in the logistics industry. The essence of this idea is that goods and their associated packaging can be reused - recycled or resold. A store owner, by investing in packaging on his own, not only contributes to more waste, but also incurs additional costs. Avoiding such a situation is possible thanks to pooling, or, to put it simply, the possibility of renting items necessary for transportation such as pallets or various types of boxes useful in B2B operations.

In B2C transactions, on the other hand, reusable packaging is becoming increasingly popular. For more than a month now, we have been able to use so-called Ecoboxes when ordering clothes or accessories from the MODIVO store. Such a project is the result of the platform's cooperation with the previously mentioned InPost, and has been very positively received by consumers. It is possible that the use of eco-boxes will soon become a standard in eCommerce - both due to the preference of the orderers and legal regulations. Reducing the negative environmental impact of certain plastic products is a requirement of the European Union. As intended, the directive on these aspects was to be implemented into national orders by member states by 2021 - at that time, a significant number of the single-use products were banned from the market. A key change was also the expansion of the scope of the product fee.

• Micro-fulfilment warehouses

We already know how important - from the point of view of consumers - fast delivery is. Express arrival at the customer's door, however, is not possible when the warehouse is, for example, at the other end of the country. The prospect of such a long journey means proportionally high environmental pollution. How to avoid these two problems at once? The answer is simple - micro-fulfilment! The concept involves the creation of many small logistics centers located near urban areas. This makes it possible to speed up delivery and reduce exhaust fumes. Micro-fulfillment centers are being created at a dizzying pace - they are often created by converting space in commercial premises (e.g. in the backrooms of retail stores).

With the rise in popularity of micro-fulfilment, the development of q-commerce is correlated. As you can see, the new logistics trends complement each other!

IT first - why are new technologies in logistics so important?

Let's move to an alternative world where information technology is not dominant - what would the delivery market look like then? It certainly wouldn't benefit from so many solutions developed by online stores. Fortunately, these are just considerations, and IT services significantly support the development of the logistics market. In what way?

Big data, meaning information is the most valuable

Even the smallest detail can completely change the approach to a problem. Logistics companies are successfully collecting hundreds of data and processing them to improve operational processes, reduce costs and forecast future operations. The pioneer in handling Big Data appears to be UPS, which reads data from 80,000 vehicles every day using more than 200 sensors. Specifications, vehicle speed, location, operating time - the goal is to maximize route optimization, reduce fuel consumption and, of course, deliver shipments to customers faster.

Artificial intelligence, or robotic delivery

Total automation of logistics processes? Visions of warehouses operated by robots are getting closer to reality - all thanks to special software and algorithms that make it possible to process huge amounts of data and thus streamline the supply chain. Although intelligent automation is only in its early stages, it is developing extremely rapidly.

Why should you invest in AI for your eCommerce? Artificial intelligence will allow you to, among other things:

• cost reduction,
• minimizing the margin of error,
• time savings,
• improving the organization's management,
• greater control over the flow of information,
• support of numerous processes through integration with other systems based on APIs.

The most important logistical goal - the comfort of your customers

Nowadays, logistics in an eCommerce store no longer boils down to just shipping an order - it also includes, among other things, taking care of the customer's comfort and developing trust in the brand. Growing customer expectations and increased environmental awareness contribute to the fact that eCommerce companies are constantly creating innovative logistics solutions - will you implement any of them in your eCommerce?