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Report: Flexibility determines last-mile success

Lack of delivery options leads to digital cart abandonment, underscoring need for better solutions, survey shows.

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For retailers and e-commerce companies, the road to success in 2023 will depend on how well they can deliver cost-effective and flexible delivery options to customers. That’s according to the 2023 Bringg Barometer: State of Last Mile Delivery report, published by delivery management platform company Bringg this month.


The company surveyed 500 managers in retail and e-commerce and found that most agree that to stay competitive this year, they will need to offer multiple flexible delivery options to meet consumer demands. The issues came to light following a tumultuous 2022 that forced companies to focus heavily on cost efficiency, according to the report.

“In 2022, we witnessed how the aftermath of Covid-19 affected both retailers and consumers. Supply chain crises dominated the delivery industry, and consumer expectations continued to evolve and put pressure on [retailers’] delivery operations,” Bringg said in a statement detailing the report’s findings. “The economic instability and inflation forced both retailers and consumers to focus on cost efficiency, posing a major challenge for businesses to stay profitable, while still meeting consumer demands.”

According to the report, 87% of respondents said that digital cart abandonment is a problem, with 44% citing a lack of clarity about delivery options prior to check out as the key culprit. Another 35% said a lack of delivery options in general is the main reason for cart abandonment.

“The retail industry evolved at an unprecedented rate in 2022, and consumers became accustomed to fast, same-day delivery,” Bringg’s CEO Guy Bloch said in a press release announcing the report’s findings. “Ultimately, in 2023 the delivery experience frontier is moving toward new elevated standards, where consumers expect convenience and control, demanding flexible delivery options, transparent communications, and all at an affordable price. Retailers need to focus on investing in the right technologies and leveraging relevant partners, to successfully compete in an increasingly saturated market.”

The report cites automated delivery scheduling as one tool that will help in the year ahead. More than 60% of survey respondents said they plan to offer self-scheduled delivery this year, and 56% said they will include subscription-based delivery services.

Other survey findings underscore the complexity of the delivery landscape, including difficulties integrating services and technologies with channel partners:
  • 89% of respondents said they are struggling with their last-mile delivery operations, with the top reason being the complexity of their tech stack (37%); accordingly, more than one in three struggle to manage multiple fulfillment channels through disparate technologies.
  • Lack of flexibility is affecting both cost and capacity, with 49% of retailers still lacking flexibility during peak seasons, and 37% unable to scale up or down drivers as necessary, resulting in reduced profits.
  • 32% of respondents claim that integration with third-party carriers and fleets is a growing challenge, causing lack of real-time delivery options which negatively affects cart abandonment as well as customer loyalty and retention.

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Logistics gives back: February 2025

Here's our monthly roundup of some of the charitable works and donations by companies in the material handling and logistics space.

  • For the sixth consecutive year, dedicated contract carriage and freight management services provider Transervice Logistics Inc. collected books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines for Book Fairies, a nonprofit book donation organization in the New York Tri-State area. Transervice employees broke their own in-house record last year by donating 13 boxes of print and video assets to children in under-resourced communities on Long Island and the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Logistics real estate investment and development firm Dermody Properties has recognized eight community organizations in markets where it operates with its 2024 Annual Thanksgiving Capstone awards. The organizations, which included food banks and disaster relief agencies, received a combined $85,000 in awards ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.
  • Prime Inc. truck driver Dee Sova has donated $5,000 to Harmony House, an organization that provides shelter and support services to domestic violence survivors in Springfield, Missouri. The donation follows Sova's selection as the 2024 recipient of the Trucking Cares Foundation's John Lex Premier Achievement Award, which was accompanied by a $5,000 check to be given in her name to a charity of her choice.
  • Employees of dedicated contract carrier Lily Transportation donated dog food and supplies to a local animal shelter at a holiday event held at the company's Fort Worth, Texas, location. The event, which benefited City of Saginaw (Texas) Animal Services, was coordinated by "Lily Paws," a dedicated committee within Lily Transportation that focuses on improving the lives of shelter dogs nationwide.
  • Freight transportation conglomerate Averitt has continued its support of military service members by participating in the "10,000 for the Troops" card collection program organized by radio station New Country 96.3 KSCS in Dallas/Fort Worth. In 2024, Averitt associates collected and shipped more than 18,000 holiday cards to troops overseas. Contributions included cards from 17 different Averitt facilities, primarily in Texas, along with 4,000 cards from the company's corporate office in Cookeville, Tennessee.

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