Alternate delivery service cuts costs for sellers & shoppers

By Jeff Domansky

Next-gen delivery service Via.Delivery could rattle competitors’ cages with the launch of its new delivery service technology platform, providing more than 20,000 alternate US delivery and pick-up locations.

The company’s custom API and Shopify plug-in enable pure-play e-commerce retailers – without brick and mortar locations – to offer shoppers the ability to buy products online and pick up their packages at thousands of convenient commercial locations across the US at dramatically reduced shipping costs.

Business Insider reports US shoppers spent $72.5 billion on items purchased using buy online pick up in-store (BOPIS) in 2020, up 106.9% over 2019.

“E-commerce is booming and, with COVID, the shipping and delivery markets have gone through the roof,” said Mitchell Nikitin, CEO and Co-Founder of Via.Delivery. “At the same time, online shoppers are increasingly sensitive to high shipping costs, which cause 56% of them to abandon their carts.”

“As a result, non-Amazon online retailers lose billions of dollars in sales revenue each year. Via.Delivery has solved this problem to enable the millions of online retailers that don’t have brick and mortar locations to compete with Amazon and traditional retailers,” Nikitin explained.

New technology platform automates delivery logistics

Merchants can quickly implement the new service and technology platform within hours and with just a few clicks.

In addition to easy installation, Via.Delivery automates shipping label creation, printing and shipping of orders. The platform instantly delivers an electronic notification alerting carriers the e-commerce merchant has a package ready for pick-up.

The technology tracks the shipped package, instantly delivers a tracking number with an estimated delivery date to the consumer, and automates delivery notifications that keep the customer informed of the delivery status en route.

On arrival at a BOPIS location, the customers get alerts the package is ready for pick up and provides location information. Additional reminders prompt customers to collect their parcels. Customers pick up their package by showing a privately generated barcode or QR code with no further costs to the consumer.

“By combining our 20,000-location strong network with our powerful digital logistics and cloud-based delivery platform, the millions of online retailers that need to provide more affordable shipping options to their customers now have a reliable path forward,” Nikitin said.

Participating pick-up locations receive payment for handling and storing packages and, depending on location, can see as many as 7,000 additional store visits every year as a result.

Merchants cost savings, happy shoppers

Nitikin explained delivery for merchants to commercial locations within its network increases efficiency and lowers carrier delivery costs.

“When several parcels are shipped to the same commercial location, instead of being dropped off one by one in residential neighborhoods, that eliminates the need for so-called ‘residential surcharges.’ Additionally, it helps to increase the overall last-mile capacity of the carrier, reducing the need to hire extra drivers and buy extra delivery equipment,” he said.

Merchants save between 25% to 30% of shipping costs depending on location, volume, and type of goods.

With Via.Delivery Nitikin said merchants can now offer customers a more cost-effective option. “Depending on the merchandise, these retailers can expect an 8% to 34% increase in conversion rates.”

“I like Via.Delivery because it allows me to help my customers save money on shipping,” said Sam Means, owner of HelloMerch.com, a Shopify merchant that sells merchandise for hundreds of bands. “We are constantly trying to reduce our shipping rates. But, we aren’t big enough to negotiate deeply discounted rates with carriers. The fact that Via.Delivery is pooling resources together to enable BOPIS and bring lower shipping rates to all e-commerce merchants is a game-changer for the industry.”

With more than one million US Shopify online stores and millions of merchants without retail locations, Via.Delivery hopes to level the competitive playing field for non-Amazon sellers.

Customers will be thrilled at paying less for deliveries and the prospect of dozens of additional nearby delivery pick-up locations.

So far, it looks like a win for everyone when it comes to last-mile delivery.

Menlo Park, CA-headquartered Via.Delivery now operates in five countries with more than 2,000 e-commerce merchants on its new platform, and more than 66,000 alternate delivery locations worldwide. Merchants can request a demo here.