Commenting on the findings, Paul Doble, chief sales and marketing officer at DX, a leading independent mail, parcels and logistics end-to-end network operator, said: ‘The increase in online sales is fantastic news for the industry and demonstrates the strength of the ecommerce arena. However, it also heaps a lot of pressure on online retailers and their logistics partners to adapt to the changing market.
‘We are witnessing increasing challenges in the marketplace due to obstacles posed by road networks in rural locations and congestion in cities, availability of parking in urban locations and ongoing adverse weather conditions– whilst the industry itself is growing and maturing.
'The net result of this is that any issues, be they traffic, weather or distribution related, can have a far greater knock-on effect for retail deliveries than they may have done just one or two years ago. For retailers operating in the online space this is a serious concern, but one that must be addressed in order to continue carving out a share of the growth potential that the market offers.'
DX expects to see etailers and logistics companies building much stronger relationships as the industry continues to mature, that allow both parties to not only manage problems, but also capitalise on all the opportunities that this industry growth presents.
At the same time, as the delivery experience is quickly becoming a key factor in retail loyalty, DX believes it is crucial that this relationship results in a seamless customer experience from the first point of purchase through to the end delivery, and that data is utilised to maximise personalisation opportunities with the customer.