Last mile: the last mile of product delivery in e-commerce

Last mile delivery , or simply last mile, is the English term that literally means "last mile of delivery." In e-commerce, this stage begins when a customer finishes buying a product from an online store. They then wait for the product to arrive at their home or business. This is the final phase of product distribution; that is, the stage where the purchased product is shipped from the distribution center to the customer.

The moment this phase begins, the customer's anxiety to receive the newly purchased product also starts. Indeed, the more delayed, chaotic, and uncertain the last mile is , the more the customer's anxiety increases, which is not what we want, right?

Therefore, it is important that you as an online store owner understand the difficulties, ways of optimizing and the advantages of doing this step well. That is exactly what I will present next. Keep reading and stay in the loop!

DIFFICULTIES OF THE LAST MILE PHASE IN E-COMMERCE

In e-commerce, the last mile is characterized primarily by the following difficulties:

Delivery delays:

If in the main cities of the country the traffic is chaotic, in many cities in the interior there is a lack of freight options. Hence, in both cases, delays in product deliveries may occur. Furthermore, the lack of logistical plan and the absence of route planning contributes to this problem.

Mismatches:

Besides delays, the last mile delivery can have many unforeseen problems. For example, the delivery person might get stuck in traffic and/or the customer might leave home just in time for delivery. So, when one person can't deliver, the other isn't there to receive it.

Lack of security:

Many companies transport expensive products without security. This practice can attract cargo thieves. And when a load is stolen, your customer may not receive the product. This ultimately causes a big hole in your credibility.

Losses:

There are carriers that do not train their employees and this leads to poor handling of cargo, which can cause product damage. In this way, the product purchased by your customer may arrive broken, which will undermine your store's reputation.

Bad reverse logistics:

In some cases, a customer buys a product that doesn't fit their needs. They then contact your company to return or exchange it. However, the shipping companies you work with are often too slow in terms of reverse logistics , which can lead to friction with the customer.

Lack of follow-up:

The customer buys a product, but there is no website where he can follow the delivery steps and know where exactly the product is. This absence of a tracking tool increases anxiety and ruins the shopping experience.

All these difficulties, in turn, lead to a greater one, which is the financial cost that this can cause to your e-commerce.

And in addition to the financial cost, there are also reputational problems, which will prevent your online store from growing.

How, then, to get away from it all? This is the topic of the next topic. Follow up!

OPTIMIZATION AND ADVANTAGES OF A GOOD LAST MILE

To improve the last mile of your e-commerce business and thus provide an excellent logistics experience for your customers, I recommend the following procedures:

• Start by making a plan: list, in a document, all the logistical steps of your e-commerce. That is, first understand the situation. Get an overview before you start creating actions for optimizations.

• Deploy software: Once you have a better understanding of your company's logistical situation, implement systems such as WMS. Also use e-commerce platforms like VTEX, which has a freight gateway VTEX Log and with the delivery management system VTEX Tracking.

In general, software like the ones I mentioned can solve many of the problems in your last-mile delivery . For example, they can improve delivery scheduling and present multiple good shipping options (with security, trained staff, and route planning).

In addition, these systems can integrate means of communication between shopkeeper, driver and customer, which makes it possible to better deal with mismatches, delays and unforeseen events.

Finally, they allow you to generate a statistical database about your deliveries, which will help you identify errors and further improve last-mile delivery in the medium and long term. Your customers will thank you! Well, at this point I think we can already call them customers, can't we?

Access and read our article " Shipping Gateway " as well. Discover 8 options for automated delivery management for your e-commerce business!