Only 9% of U.S. consumers see same-day delivery as a top factor to improve their online shopping experience, according to a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey. However, for businesses that sell perishable items or thrive on special occasions, same-delivery may be key for success.
For 1-800-FLOWERS.com, creating a hassle-free ordering and delivery experience is paramount. And as consumer preferences continue to evolve, the retailer is focused on staying ahead of the demand curve. The retailer is working with Deliv and IBM to provide same-day delivery services to its customers.
“With the advent of mobile technologies and the web, omnichannel strategies are moving and evolving quickly,” said Chris McCann, President of 1-800-FLOWERS.com. “This evolution, along with higher customer expectations, and more products available for same-day delivery has changed the delivery experience as a whole.”
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Using the Deliv network of crowdsourced drivers, 1-800-FLOWERS.com will provide customers with more flexibility, allowing orders to be delivered during the day and time window of their choice, and at any location. The Deliv drivers also manage deliveries for other retail clients, such as Williams-Sonoma and malls owned by such companies as General Growth Properties and Simon Property Group.
“Operational execution and costs are a big factor and when we look at a company like Deliv and its crowd-sourced model, it’s very interesting to us,” said Don La France, VP of Logistics and Supply Chain Solutions at 1-800-FLOWERS.com. “Deliv’s model can help lower our overall costs and potentially take some vehicles off the road — why not take along deliveries from other leading retailers with 1-800-FLOWERS.com if it drives up our delivery densities?”
1-800-FLOWERS.com has worked with Deliv since November 2013 in the San Francisco Bay area, where the company handles a portion of same-day deliveries for floral arrangements, as well as the Fruit Bouquets and Great Food brands, McCann reported. Also a loyal customer of IBM, 1-800-FLOWERS.com was “thrilled when we heard of the partnership between IBM and Deliv, as it was a natural extension of both relationships.”
