The e-commerce industry is booming and with good reason. Consumers enjoy the convenience of being able to purchase items online and have them delivered to their doorstep. This has led to a significant increase in demand for efficient and reliable shipping services.
As per Statista, the global shipping segment is expected to grow at a 12 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2020 and 2028. In 2020, the market had a value of roughly 6.41 billion US dollars,
but by 2028, it is predicted to expand to a size of about 15.87 billion US dollars.
Timely shipping is essential for any business that wants to succeed in the e-commerce space. Customers expect to receive their orders promptly, and if they don’t, they will likely switch their loyalty elsewhere.
This is why it’s so important for companies to partner with a shipping provider that can offer fast and reliable service.
Challenges Faced by The Modern Shipping Industry
Many factors can cause delays in the shipping industry, including weather conditions, congestion at ports and airports, and security concerns. In addition, modern logistics systems are often very complex, with many different parties involved in the process of moving goods from one place to another. This can make it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a delay when something goes wrong.
One of the most common causes of delays in the shipping industry is weather conditions. Storms and bad weather can hamper transportation by sea, air, and land, and can cause disruptions at ports and airports. In addition, severe weather can damage infrastructure, making it difficult for ships and planes to dock or land.
Congestion at ports and airports is another common cause of delays in the shipping industry. When there are too many ships or planes trying to use a limited amount of space, it can cause delays. In addition, security concerns can also lead to congestion at ports and airports,
as authorities may need to conduct additional screenings or checks.
Finally, modern logistics systems are often very complex, with many different parties involved in the process of moving goods from one place to another. In some cases,
delays may be caused by problems with the supply chain, such as a shortage of raw materials or issues with manufacturing. In other cases,
they may be caused by problems with the transportation system,
such as a breakdown of the transportation chain.
5 Useful Tips for Dealing With Shipping Delays
Every e-commerce logistics maintains its reputation in the marketplace by providing express delivery services at special discounts to its customers,
which gives them leverage over its staunch competitors in the business.
Here are some of the effective tips which will help you in overcoming shipping delays in logistics:
- Maintain robust communication with customers
Customers actively look for shops that indicate projected delivery times because they want to know what to expect from deliveries upfront. Your clients require frequent updates on the status of their shipments after completing a purchase. Therefore, maintaining open channels of contact with customers can help build trust
- Tracking deliveries
96% of respondents to a recent survey stated they would find GPS monitoring useful while awaiting delivery. Shipment tracking ensures clients that their order is being sent, even if it is delayed.
Shipment tracking enables customers to assess whether a delay is the result of your business or the delivery carrier. Compared to the former, the latter severely lessens consumer trust in the brand. The added benefit of offering shipment tracking is that it reduces the number of support tickets from customers who want to know the status of their goods.
- Offer free delivery
Free delivery still has a significant influence on what customers purchase. Free delivery to customers is an opportunity to show them how much you value them and how committed you are to providing first-rate service.
Even if orders are prone to shipment delays, offering free shipping goes a long way toward improving the customer experience and encouraging people to make purchases from you. Free shipping is another tactic to win customers’ trust, particularly if your business has a global presence.
- Offer vouchers and gift cards
Giving customers gift cards and discounts is another way to show your gratitude for their engagement, even when things don’t go as planned. It might be possible for you to appease them over the delayed shipping by offering them gift cards and discounts. This strategy will cost you some money,
but it will be much less expensive than having your customers throw bad reviews all over your social handles.
- Hire multiple third-party logistics or a shipping aggregator
This might sound uneconomical to you, but engaging with more than one logistics provider company can help you overcome delayed shipping. Everything from handling and packaging the products and finished goods will be looked over by your shipping providers,
and their expertise in the shipping market would give you leverage over other significant competitors. NimbusPost, a shipping aggregator offers 27+ courier options in a single place to ensure you can ship at the best rates and without any interruptions.
Conclusion
The global shipping industry is likely to boom in the upcoming years due to rising international trade and several trade treaties between major world economies.
The implementation of the above-mentioned tips can certainly help you to efficiently deal with delayed shipping, provided you choose the right logistics service provider.
NimbusPost is emerging as a reliable shipping aggregator in domestic and international shipping, by leveraging AI-powered logistics software,
to provide end-to-end shipping solutions to e-commerce businesses, alongside robust warehousing and fulfillment services.
