By Aimee Chanthadavong
Express courier company Mail Call Couriers has launched its same-day courier delivery service Want It Now, which has been designed specifically for Australia’s online retailers.
Want It Now enables Australian businesses with online shopping carts to offer their customers the option of same-day delivery in the Sydney or Melbourne metropolitan areas, alongside their traditional shipping options.
Speaking to RetailBiz, Fiona Pearse, co-managing director of Mail Call Couriers and Want It Now, said the same-day service can help local retailers lure Australian consumers back and keep them spending in Australia.
“It’s giving Australian retailers control back and the ability to compete with international retailers. It’s fair that local retailers will never be able to offer better prices or better product ranges but they can beat them on delivery, particularly for the smaller guys, it’s a great point of difference,” she said.
Want It Now provides shoppers with the benefit of a GPS-based tracking application, which allows customers to track their parcel from point of dispatch, right up to the moment the courier arrives on the doorstep. This tracking is up-to-the minute and can be accessed via an app for iPhone, BlackBerry or Android handsets or on the internet.
The delivery tracker means customers no longer have to wait around for the duration of a “delivery window” which is provided by many courier companies, or receive a card if they’re not at home. Instead, they can order their goods from the online retailer, select the Want It Now delivery option once they are in the shopping cart, and check the minute-by-minute countdown on their phone or the internet to see exactly when to expect delivery that very same day.
This down to the minute count down tool is unique to Mail Call Couriers and Want It Now and provides the shopper with the ultimate control and convenience, allowing them to get back to the business of their everyday without worrying about missing an important delivery. Retailers can also opt to send customers an SMS advising them that their parcel is 20 minutes away.
“Often, online websites have a 50 per cent dropout at checkout stage because retailers aren’t offering enough delivery choices to consumers. But with Want It Now it offers immediacy and instant gratification, which is suitable for the different demographic in the country and by no means does it replace other delivery options via Australia Post or other companies. It’s simply just an extra option,” Pearse said.
The Want It Now service is offered at $5 to $10 extra to normal delivery options.
“Also, by providing multiple options to consumers it gives them the choice to decide whether they are willing to pay a little bit more for their time,” Pearse said.
Looking forward, Pearse predicts that as online retail grows there’ll be more efficient means of delivery.
“I think there’ll be weekend deliveries and late PM deliveries around 8.30pm to 9pm. There’ll also be other move towards nominating your window a week in advance,” she said.
Some retailers already offering the Want It Now same-day delivery service to online shoppers include: Zodee, Leona Edmiston, The Appliance Warehouse, Toys Paradise and Costume Direct.