Some 5-7 years ago, this issue did not cause so many difficulties - there were few ways to deliver goods from online stores - the unchanging Russian Post, a couple of transport companies and courier services. Now on the Russian market there are more than a hundred companies that carry everything - from postcards to cars. They promise to deliver the goods to the client even on December 31 in the evening. It can be difficult to figure out which of them delivers the goods, and which is the trouble for the business. This article will help you.
There are only four main types for organizing delivery in an online store in Russia. It:
Delivery by Russian Post
Due to the speed of delivery, Russian Post is called the "turtle", but its logo is still present in many online stores. Because it has low prices and it delivers parcels even to villages with a population of 200 people, which means it remains the most popular way to deliver goods across Russia.
The disadvantage of this method is speed, but even here the technology does not stand still - postal employees do a lot of things to automate processes and serve customers faster.
In June 2016, Russian Post developed a special service for delivery from online stores - https://otpravka.pochta.ru. While the service works only in Moscow. It allows you to:
Automate the preparation of documents for parcels.
Using your API (program code), integrate services into your site.
On the site, show the buyer the actual cost of postage from the online store.
To start using the service, you need to register on the site and submit an application. After verification, the service will be connected to your store. You will not need to fill out stacks of accompanying documents at the post office. All that is needed is to print out the completed form, stick it on the parcel and take it to the department. In addition, the site has a function to call a courier online, so you don't have to leave the office at all and stay busy.
Self-delivery
The self-delivery method of delivery of goods is good because the buyer does not need to wait for couriers, who often come at the wrong time, which was agreed upon.
You can arrange self-pickup delivery in two ways:
Issue goods in your warehouse or office;
Use the pickup point of one of the delivery services or TC (transport company). The cost of one parcel in such companies varies from 50 to 100 rubles.
How to organize self-pickup for an online store on your own: step by step algorithm
Pickup from your office is suitable if you are selling a product that needs to be tested before buying - clothes, shoes, household appliances.
Step 1 - choose a room. Choose a warehouse or office in the central part of the city, in a passageway, for example, in a shopping center, so that customers can easily pick up goods. For a start, a room with an area of \u200b\u200b20-30 square meters is enough.
Step 2 - equip the pick-up point. For this, 30 thousand rubles are enough. You will spend them on a computer with the Internet, a cash register, shelves for storing goods, furniture for an employee, a sign at the entrance.
Step 3 - create a showcase with products. If you have organized delivery from an online store through your own pick-up point, offer accessories for the goods and thereby increase the average check.
According to statistics, self-delivery is chosen when buying inexpensive goods, when it is pointless to pay for courier delivery. So that your profit does not fall, offer something else to the main product. To do this, install a display case with accessories in your office.
Step 4 - hire an honest employee.Hire a person with good characteristics to dispense goods. The fact is that the operator's salary for issuing orders usually does not exceed 30 thousand rubles, even for large cities. Therefore, if an employee turns out to be dishonest, he will be tempted to steal goods that cost more than his salary.
Step 5 - declare your own pickup point. Write about it on the website, on advertising brochures, on business cards. On the website, explain to your customers what self-pickup means in an online store and what are its advantages. Take photos of the sign and display of items that can be purchased locally. This will increase customer confidence and set you apart from the competition.
The understanding of what is self-pickup in an online store and what are its pitfalls comes with experience. For example, store owners note that when choosing this type of delivery, many buyers do not take the goods.
If you have your own pick-up point, organize a system of calling customers or sending SMS with a reminder that you need to pick up your order. If you use a pick-up service from a third-party delivery service, make sure that it notifies the customer itself.
Courier delivery
How courier delivery is carried out in online stores today is known to almost all residents of large cities who at least once bought something via the Internet. By choosing this method, you save the buyer's time, because the courier comes to the client's home or work, having previously agreed on the time of the visit.
In addition, almost all types of courier delivery provide for testing goods before payment - trying on clothes, checking the operation of equipment, etc.
The online store can carry out courier delivery in two ways: hire your own courier or use the services of a courier service.
Pros of your courier delivery
1. The method of delivery of goods from an online store by your own courier is more flexible compared to the services of third-party courier services. The courier adapts to your customer, and not to the schedule of the company where he works. If necessary, he will deliver the goods outside of working hours or change the route to pick up the order that you received at 19.00, but want to deliver to the client on the same day.
2. If the client transfers the payment for the order through a courier, then you receive the money immediately, and do not wait several days for the courier company to transfer it to you.
3. When you hire your own courier, you work with one trusted person. If you find “your” employee and work well, you can not worry about the safety of the parcels and delivery times. When contacting the courier service, couriers can change, and with them the attitude to work, which depends on a specific person, will change.
4. Your courier knows your product well, unlike the courier service employee. At the very least, you can train him so that he can answer the buyer's simple questions and help him deal with the product. He is the face of your store, your advertisement and your additional sales tool.
It is worth thinking about how to organize your delivery service when you are able to maintain it and when you have a flow of orders from 5-10 per day. Aspiring entrepreneurs are better off outsourcing this process.
Pros of a courier company for an online store
1. You pay for courier services only when you need one, and do not keep a person on staff who leaves for orders from time to time.
2. Organization of delivery from the online store to other cities is possible only with the help of courier services. They have enough resources to quickly and inexpensively transport your goods to another region.
3. Cope with peak loads, for example, before the New Year, easier. Courier companies usually have a large staff of employees and you can use these additional resources if necessary.
4. If the parcel is lost or damaged due to the fault of the courier, the courier service is responsible for this. If the goods are damaged through the fault of your courier, you will most likely incur losses.
5. In a courier company, you can order urgent delivery if the customer, for example, needs to receive the goods in two hours. If there is one in-house courier who is currently busy with other orders, you will not be able to provide such a service.
6. You can read about the outsourced courier delivery in reviews, there are a lot of them on the Internet. It is easy to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company from the reviews, and then choose the one that suits you. When organizing your own delivery service, you do not know what difficulties you will face.
The cost of a courier delivery service in the city is 200-250 rubles per parcel. Speed \u200b\u200b- from several hours to several days. As a rule, courier services have different tariffs - the more deliveries you order, the cheaper each of them is.
Organization of a delivery service for an online store necessarily implies delivery by a courier, regardless of what region you are in and what you trade.
Delivery by transport companies
The services of transport companies for online stores are relevant when you need to send goods to another city. This is convenient for bulky and expensive goods if you do not trust their transportation to the Russian Post. The essence of this method is as follows:
The buyer makes an advance payment for the goods.
You send the goods to the warehouse of the transport company or order a courier delivery to the door from it (this depends on the wishes of the client).
The recipient picks up the goods and, if necessary, makes the rest of the payment.
If you choose which is better, the post office or the transport company, then the second option has more advantages: the speed is higher, the attitude towards parcels is more careful, the convenience for the recipient and the sender is greater. However, transport companies will have higher prices and the branches of the TC you have chosen will not be available in all cities.
So how do you arrange delivery and how do you ship goods from an online store? The self-respecting store implements several methods of delivery of goods:
Courier - for those who need to quickly and who are nearby.
Self-pickup - for those who do not want to overpay and buy goods for a small amount.
Russian Post - where couriers don't work.
The transport company - for those who are not satisfied with the mail terms.
To make it easier for you to choose the best delivery methods in Russia and the CIS, we have prepared a selection of 15 delivery services with reviews and descriptions.
Delivery options and delivery services in Russiaand CIS
http://boxberry.ru is a market leader with branches in 333 Russian cities. More than 1,500 online stores use the services of the Boxberry delivery company.
The store owner needs to register on the website and send orders for delivery through the Personal Account. Each client is provided with a personal manager. You can bring orders to the “Boxberry” warehouse or call a courier who will pick up the goods. The advantage of this delivery method is the ability to track the location of the parcel on the website and an online calculator with cost calculation.
Review of Boxberry on the Internet
http://www.edostavka.ru is one of the best delivery services for goods from online stores, known as CDEK, on \u200b\u200bthe market since 2000. There are 450 collection points in 90 cities of Russia. CDEK carries goods from abroad, including from China, offers an urgent delivery service on the same day.
CDEK gives discounts from 3 to 10% to owners of online stores who have concluded an agreement, prints invoices, calls recipients to clarify the delivery time, works on weekends and after 18:00 and provides many other additional services.
Feedback on CDEK on the Internet
http://www.shop-logistics.ru - "Shop-Logistics" delivery service organizes delivery for online stores in 5,000 Russian cities. According to the administration, 95% of the parcels are delivered without problems. Cash on delivery from buyers is transferred in 1-3 days.
You can install an online calculator from Shop Logistics on your website. With its help, users will calculate the exact price themselves. Delivery cost - from 50 rubles per parcel. Most of the pick-up points are equipped with fitting rooms for those who buy clothes.
Online review of Shop-logistics
http://www.topdelivery.ru - Russian network of delivery of letters and parcels. Delivery is carried out by courier or to the pick-up point. Terms for Moscow and St. Petersburg - 1 day. "Top Delivery" operates in 1800 settlements of Russia, has more than 200 points of self-pickup.
According to the assurance of the employees, the Topdelivery company can cope even with the New Year's peak of work. Calls recipients and sends them messages, makes it possible to make a partial refund, allows you to test the product for 15 minutes before paying.
Review of Topdelivery on the Internet
http://post.reworker.ru - the Reworker company is engaged not only in the delivery of goods for online stores. It also provides services for order processing, storage, marking of parcels. Works with Russian Post and the most common courier services - Boxberry, CDEK, DPD and others. All you need is to conclude a contract, connect the system to your store and leave applications. Couriers will pick up the goods from you and send them on the same day through the desired delivery service.
The cost of delivery from online stores to Revorker is from 24 rubles. Sends goods from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Simplifies complex work with Russian Post - prepares and packs parcels, takes care of paperwork, provides a minimum commission when sending cash on delivery from a client.
Review of Reworker on the Internet
http://getparcel.ru is a reactive delivery service to online stores (as they call themselves), which delivers goods within the Moscow Ring Road in three hours. Unfortunately, so far they don't go further than the Moscow Ring Road. Delivery service "GetParcel" cooperates with forty partners or 1600 couriers in Moscow. Couriers undergo special training, each has a cash register and a card payment terminal.
The Getparcel service has its own API for installing a widget on the site, if you have a large online store, and a Personal Account for sending orders, if the sales volumes are still small.
http: //allegro-plus.rf is a courier service that specializes in the delivery of correspondence and parcels in Moscow. Also works with online stores, offers discounts to regular customers. Allegro-Plus picks up shipments from your warehouse for free, packs the packages and calls recipients to agree on the delivery time with them.
Courier service "Allegro-plus.rf" concludes an agreement with online stores. Each client is assigned a manager who will tell you how to organize delivery to the buyer through the Personal Account, how to print accompanying documents and keep your address book.
Review of Allegro Plus on the Internet
http://www.latella-post.ru - a courier service founded in 2007, is engaged in the delivery of goods from online stores in Moscow, Russia and abroad. Delivery service "Latella" has 90 branches throughout Russia, as well as representative offices in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan.
The service has a fleet of 50 cars at its disposal; it books about 3,000 flights per month for the delivery of goods. The disadvantages of the delivery service "Latella" are the work of couriers only on weekdays and during working hours from 9 to 18.
http://www.doklienta.ru - a transport company working with cash on delivery. TC "Doklienta" delivers goods weighing up to 10 tons, picks up goods from the supplier, transfers cash on delivery, allows you to try on clothes before payment, assemble furniture and check household appliances.
The delivery time of goods from the online store is clearly shown, there is an online calculator for calculating the cost of delivery in Moscow, to any city in Russia or the CIS. The prices of the company "Doklienta.ru" depend on the number of deliveries per month and the weight of the parcel. On average, delivery of one parcel up to a kilogram costs 25 rubles /
Online review of Doklienta
http://courier-fakel.ru - Fakel courier service has been operating since 2011, delivers goods across Moscow and Russia. Delivery by courier to your home or to a self-pickup service in Moscow is possible. Works on time - undertakes to refund the shipping cost if the courier is late for more than an hour.
"Torch" provides each online store with a personal manager, returns money from cash on delivery within three days, can store your goods in its warehouse, allows you to monitor the status of your order online.
https://www.hermesrussia.ru - a company for the delivery of goods from the online store "Hermes" on the market for over forty years. Offers delivery within Russia with German precision. The company is headquartered in Hamburg. There are about 600 pick-up points in 155 cities in Russia.
The delivery service "Hermes" notifies the recipients of the arrival of the goods by phone or SMS, draws up insurance for all goods, coordinates the express return of the goods back to the online store. Estimated delivery times in Moscow and the region are 1-2 days.
Review of Hermesrussia on the Internet
http://www.dimex.ws - delivery service for online stores, has been operating since 1998. Delivers cargo to more than 9,000 cities in Russia and the CIS. There is an option of delivery of goods the next morning (express) and delivery of groupage cargo, as well as packaging of goods with several degrees of protection.
Courier service "Dimex" provides additional services: delivery outside working hours, change of the recipient's address, delivery with a list of attachments, declared value, delivery by a certain time.
http://www.ecp-logistic.ru is a courier delivery method through the Russian Post or our own pickup points. "ECP-Logistic" works in Moscow and regions. They pick up shipments from your warehouse for free, change the address or name of the recipient for free, help to install your API in the online store, provide a Personal Account with everything you need.
Delivery service "ESP-Logistic" gives a 10% discount on delivery from online stores in the first month of service, does not increase the price of services if you need to deliver goods on weekends. The maximum weight of a shipment is 15 kg.
Feedback on Ecp-logistic on the Internet
http://index-express.ru - professional delivery of goods and correspondence. Index Express offers online stores the organization of delivery of goods to pick-up points in Moscow (9 pickup points) and St. Petersburg (24 pickup points). Upon request, he can pick up cargo from your supplier and store it in his warehouse.
Courier service "Index-express" sends messages to recipients at all stages of delivery. It offers a convenient tariff with a fixed cost of 250 rubles, regardless of the number of deliveries.
http://cse.ru - the transport company "CourierService Express" started its work in 1997. Today, over 150 courier service branches operate throughout Russia. The staff includes more than 170 people.
Online stores "KSE" offers convenient delivery options in Russia, storage and packaging of goods, well-established customer service and 10,000 square meters of warehouse space.
How to arrange delivery in an online store - tips
1. If the average amount of a check in your store is 1000 rubles, be sure to make delivery by self. The client is unlikely to want to pay another 250-300 for delivery by courier at a price of 1,000 rubles.
2. When concluding a contract for courier or transport services for an online store, read it carefully. What will happen if the courier loses the parcel or does not meet the deadline, does the manager call recipients or send them an SMS, how long does he transfer money to you for the goods, what if the buyer does not take the order - these and other conditions must be clearly spelled out.
3. Make the store an option for express delivery on the same day or within a few hours. According to a survey, 36% of potential buyers do not order due to long delivery times. Don't lose those clients.
4. Mostly clients are ready to pick up orders in the evening after work. Peak time - 19.00-22.00. Consider this when planning the schedule for the courier or pickup point.
Choosing the best delivery companies: check list
Experienced online store owners advise choosing a courier service that:
It has many branches in Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to statistics, 70-90% of buyers of online stores are Muscovites and residents of the northern capital.
Withstands peak New Year's load. Many companies disrupt the delivery time of goods from the online store during the holidays and strike a blow to the profits and reputation of the owners.
Can pick up packages after 19.00, and not in the middle of the working day. It is convenient for you and you need so that you can return to the courier all the orders that have accumulated during the day.
Has its own API (code for placement on the site) so that you manage the organization of delivery of the online store from the admin panel. This is especially true for large trading platforms.
Returns free of charge parcels that the buyer did not pick up. Not later than a week later and indicating the reason for the return.
When choosing a courier service, of course, you need to focus on reviews. But don't be surprised if you see a lot of negative reviews about the best delivery services for online stores in Russia. Remember that the good is rarely written about, because it goes without saying. But they readily talk about the unsuccessful experience of cooperation and through all channels.
Fast delivery and satisfied customers!
Many years of work in logistics, the experience of managing my own transport company and logistics at the "Parket-Hall" company completely convinced me that only a specialized company engaged in transportation needs its own commercial transport. In all other cases, the problems and costs of the fleet of its own transport are much greater than the advantages. Let's take a closer look at the process of outsourcing the delivery of goods to the buyer.
In this article, you will read:
- How to outsource the organization of delivery of goods
- Nuances and mistakes in the process of organizing the delivery of goods to the buyer
Organization of delivery of goods the buyer, when abandoning his own vehicle fleet, is increasingly being used in the world of commerce. Plus, in my own organization of delivery of goods, I think there is only one: the car is at the owner's disposal around the clock and is ready to move in any direction. But with a good organization of outsourcing delivery, all risks can be reduced to almost zero, and costs can be minimized.
Best article of the month
We have prepared an article that:
✩ show how tracking software helps protect a company from theft;
✩ will tell you what managers are actually doing during working hours;
✩ will explain how to organize surveillance of employees so as not to break the law.
Using the proposed tools, you will be able to control managers without reducing motivation.
Estimate costs and encumbrances
The owner of the transport bears all the risks and full responsibility of outsourcing delivery - for the safety of the cargo, vehicle, for the consequences of road accidents, the health of drivers and much more. When the transport belongs to the company, it must take care of insurance, taxes, parking, washing, disinfection of cars (if they carry food), maintenance, etc. It is necessary to organize a pre-trip medical examination of drivers and a check of the technical condition of the transport.
And for this, you must either hire a medical worker and a mechanic, or take responsibility for non-compliance with Russian legislation. A separate complication is an accident with harm to health and death of people and a chain of consequences: legal costs, compensation to the injured party (treatment of victims, material compensation in case of death of people, repair of a vehicle in case of exceeding the limit for OSAGO, compensation for loss of goods or presentation of goods) and similar own costs (payment for driver's treatment, vehicle repair and compensation for the cost of damage caused to the cargo owner). Plus a simple car until all the circumstances of the accident are clarified.
- Logistics for an online store: 5 main mistakes
In intercity transportation, the owner of the vehicle or his employee must look for customers to load the vehicle back. It is he who is worried about minimizing the empty mileage of the car. The solution to all these issues takes a lot of time, effort, nerves and ultimately results in serious costs for the company.
Perhaps that is why the transport services of such giants as IKEA, McDonalds, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, etc. are outsourced. We also took this path, paying, however, great attention to the correct building of relationships with transport companies, drivers and their control activities. After all, it is the driver who communicates with the end customer and transfers the cargo to him.
Choosing a contractor to organize the delivery of goods to the buyer
To organize the delivery of goods to a buyer in Moscow and the Moscow region, I prefer to hire drivers with my own vehicle. I would gladly work with individuals and on intercity transportation, but then their loading on the way back becomes my concern (otherwise I will have to pay for the trip in both directions), and transport companies - legal entities solve these issues on their own.
The requirements for the transport company with which we start cooperation are simple: work on the market for more than three years and the availability of funds on the balance sheet of the organization (documentary confirmation is required). It is desirable that the company has an insurance policy for the transportation of goods.
There are more requirements for the driver with whom the company is going to conclude a contract for the carriage of goods. For example, the car must be in his ownership (work by proxy is highly undesirable) and, of course, all documents for it must be in order. The security service of our company conducts a standard verification procedure, makes a number of inquiries to the traffic police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and we begin to cooperate.
We have a large company carrying out about 1000 deliveries per month per season, or about 40 per day. For this amount of work, ten permanent machines are enough for us. And two drivers with their cars are in reserve. It is dangerous to negotiate cooperation with a large number of drivers at the same time. That is, the reserve should be no more than 20% of the total required amount. Otherwise, if their services are not in demand for a long time, they find other options for earning money and may fail at the right time.
Payment for a driver with a personal car is piecework, for each flight separately, depending on the mileage and weight of the cargo. We pay well, because almost all responsibility for delivery lies with the driver.
Organization of the delivery process
There are two dispatchers in our transport service. Their task is to accept orders (take a snapshot of the next day) from the managers of all our stores (table). At 18.00 the acceptance of applications ends the next day. Dispatchers are engaged in routing, arrange the order of deliveries, taking into account many factors: carrying capacity of vehicles, parameters of each cargo, geography of destination, traffic load. And from 18.00 to 20.00 they call the drivers, each of whom makes four or five deliveries the next day.
In the morning, the driver arrives at the warehouse, receives a list of goods and contacts of customers-consignees. The driver's duties include, firstly, to call all customers to remind them that delivery will take place today and to receive confirmation that they are waiting for him. The fact is that the customer does not always order delivery on the day immediately following the day of purchase. And often he simply forgets that he has to be at the address and wait for the shipment. And in accordance with our internal regulations, if the value of the cargo exceeds 50,000 rubles, we have the right to transfer it only to the person whose data is indicated in the purchase documents.
Then the driver is loaded into the warehouse. It is he who monitors the loading. After all, it is very important that the cargo is placed in the body according to the sequence of the route and that what is intended for the first recipient is not in the depth of the body, and vice versa. Drivers do not participate in unloading goods from the client, because they have no right to leave the car - they are financially responsible persons. If necessary, at the request of the client, the driver is accompanied by one or two loaders. Loader services are paid.
An hour before the delivery time, the driver calls the client again. If he is delayed, he is obliged to warn.
And the final stage of each delivery and an important point in the driver's duties is to receive a signed invoice from the client, which he must hand over to the transport department the next day.
Our company provides drivers with telephone communications and special clothing. Renews the tents on their trucks about once a year. A new awning is not a cheap pleasure (40-60 thousand rubles). But our drivers drive with tents with company advertisements. This is one of the conditions for cooperation with employees with personal transport.
Table. Stages of the organization of cargo transportation on the example of the company "Parket-Hall"
|
Dispatchers |
Acceptance of applications the next day |
Acceptance of applications for the next day, routing of delivery taking into account the carrying capacity of cars, load of tracks |
Distribution of orders for next day delivery |
|
Customers |
Formation of orders, transfer of orders to the dispatcher |
Formation of applications, transfer of the order to the dispatcher |
Receiving orders, signing documents |
|
Drivers |
Arrival at the warehouse, transfer of reporting documents for the delivery of orders from the previous day |
Receiving cargo and customer contacts. Loading, calls to recipients with confirmation of order waiting. |
Delivery (four to five orders per day), unloading, signing documents |
Service control
Call-center "Parket-Hall" periodically selectively calls 10–20% of customers and asks a number of questions regarding service, including delivery: "Did the driver serve you politely?", "Did the loader put on shoe covers?", "How tidy was the appearance of our employees? " etc.
- Personnel outsourcing: benefits and risks for companies
Sales departments (where customer complaints are usually received) give monthly estimates for the work of the warehouse and transport department. If there were comments regarding the delivery, the dispatcher will not receive a premium. And next time he won't be punctured. But we almost never have such cases.
Very rarely, the driver does not show up for work. (Naturally, in this case, we terminate the contract with him.) If this happens, then in December and not with permanent employees, but with those whom we hire in addition to the usual 10-12 drivers. And absenteeism is connected with the fact that someone offered more for the flight than our company. Drivers justify themselves by the fact that they earn one month a year - in December.
Contract
Each transport company prefers its own contract for freight forwarding services. The difference usually lies in what exactly is written in the clauses about responsibility for the safety and placement of cargo in the vehicle.
Referring to the charter of road transport, I try to insist that either the drivers (if they are private traders) or the company are responsible.
I also recommend paying attention to the points that relate to penalties for idle time and standard time of loading and unloading. Legal entities seek to increase the amount of the fine per hour of downtime. On the one hand, every effort must be made for timely unloading, and on the other, in the contract, indicate as much time as possible for loading and unloading without a penalty.
Tariff tracks
Before hiring a carrier for long distance delivery, you need to get a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthe current rates. Then you can bargain competently, reasonably. Otherwise, transport companies will impose higher rates. For individuals, the rates are, of course, lower, especially if you find a driver who, having delivered the cargo, goes home.
There are many nuances. For example, a trip on the Moscow - St. Petersburg route is half the price of a return flight (picture). And before the New Year, you can find a car either at a double rate, or half the price of the usual one (the one who hurries home for the holiday will agree). However, in December, all intercity transportation will rise in price by 20-30%. And in the spring, on many routes, restrictions on carrying capacity are introduced, which must be remembered in advance in order to take timely measures.
Alexander Karabanov,
head of Logistics Department, "Parket-Hall"
Alexander Karabanov Graduated from the Russian Academy of Economics. G.V. Plekhanov. In 2009 he headed the logistics department of the Parquet Hall company, before that he was the head of the logistics department at Ingri Flooring Technologi. Specialist in the field of procurement and inventory management and cost reduction of the company, organization of warehouse logistics, transport logistics, etc.
"Parquet-hall" sells products of world manufacturers of floor coverings, has its own brands and production. On the Russian market - 17 years. Retail trade network - 38 stores in 13 cities of Russia. Official site - www.parquet-hall.ru
When evaluating the work of an online store by a buyer, one of the key factors is the speed and convenience of delivery. As well as high-quality information about delivery and advice about it, if necessary. Reviews from online store customers confirm that late delivery can damage the seller's reputation. And the lack of data on the timing and delivery options on the store's website will force the buyer to look for goods from your competitors, even if your offer was cheaper.
You obviously wouldn't want to read this about your online commerce:
Therefore, think over all the logistics schemes for the delivery of goods for your store even before receiving the first order. If you want to save and multiply the number of your customers, always indicate all shipping terms in the product description. And by calling the buyer who left an order on the site, or by accepting a call-order from the buyer, specify in detail all the nuances of delivery.
After all, logistics begins with the receipt of the order, and not from the moment the goods are shipped to the carrier. Therefore, regardless of the presence of an automatic letter to the buyer confirming the order through the shopping cart, we recommend that you call the buyer as soon as possible. If you have a limited number of employees and they are often not at the computer, it is desirable that they receive immediate mobile notification of orders.
And then, in an oral telephone conversation, it is worth not only confirming that an order has been accepted for such and such goods in such and such quantities for such and such prices - but also necessarily clarify or agree on the method and terms of payment and delivery .
How to choose delivery methods?
Speaking about convenience for the buyer, do not forget about the convenience of the online seller. Any of the possible options for organizing delivery has both pros and cons.
Own couriers
Our own delivery service allows you to constantly monitor and develop the quality of service. However, maintaining your own courier service is quite expensive, especially if you are going to deliver goods outside your own city.
Consider if you can ship the goods yourself and calculate the economic feasibility. If you can't create your own courier service, feel free to use the services of companies specializing in delivery - trust the professionals.
Pickup
You should not neglect the pickup - and, accordingly, the access of buyers to the office-warehouse located in the city limits.
Firstly, “if I can come to look at the goods, it means that the seller has a firm address and is not afraid to let strangers see him - he is not afraid that I will see other goods; the conditions in which they are stored; people who sell it, ”- this is how many citizens who are afraid of Internet scams think. The client may not use this method, but the very possibility of self-pickup increases the level of confidence in the online store.
Secondly, many shoppers are still afraid to buy a pig in a poke over the Internet. Or they doubt the possibility, for example, by trying on shoes, to return them to the online store right at the point of work of the transport company or to the courier if the goods did not fit.
Therefore, the opportunity to look at the purchase yourself and refuse her if something does not suit Is a buying enabler for a huge mass of Internet users.
Thirdly, many people choose self-pickup in order to save on shipping costs - especially in small towns. Yes, and in megalopolises too - if your warehouse is located in Kiev in Troyeshchina, then out of 300 thousand inhabitants and workers of this array there will certainly be many buyers who will see your pickup address near their own home or work. After that, this geographical factor will serve as a decisive reason for the Troyeshchyna buyers to choose your online store, and not one of your Kiev competitors.
Fourthly, self-pickup is often chosen in order to protect the goods from damage during transportation. If no one will throw a parcel with a smartphone in our time at the post office, and a mirror and a chandelier will definitely be brought with maximum precautions - then, for example, about packs of bee wax, not every transport company will understand that this is such a soft product that will no longer beekeeper when crushing-smoothing the honeycomb mesh of wax sheets. Many buyers would prefer to transport such non-obvious-fragile things personally.
Finally, sometimes it is convenient and appropriate for the seller to pick up not from his own warehouse, but from a “foreign” warehouse belonging to him. partners or suppliers .
However, keep in mind that pickup in e-commerce cannot be the only way to get the goods:
Outsourced couriers
The delivery of the goods can be entrusted to a local courier company. The undoubted advantage is that the couriers of the delivery service will accept cash payment from the buyer, handing over the goods, and then transfer the funds to your account.
However, you should take into account that the courier service commission will be in this case a few percent from the declared value of the delivered.
Another disadvantage of courier companies is that you cannot control the quality of service and timely delivery. The load on such services is especially great on the days before the holidays - outsourcing delivery on these days does not always manage to meet the agreed deadlines.
Retail freight services (transport or forwarding companies)
This is an option that is becoming more and more convenient for millions of online stores in the post-Soviet space - and, obviously, will soon become the main delivery method everywhere. Using the services of transport companies as an online store - such as Alsena, Glavdostavka, Business Lines, DHL, Intime, Nova Poshta, Mist - ideally, sign an agency agreement, which will clearly spell out the responsibilities of both parties, delivery times and company warranties - carrier.
Also remember that most retail delivery services have a rigid tariff system with clear shipping rates, readily available on their websites to all internet users.
A buyer who has checked the shipping cost on the website of the forwarding company and found that you took an advance payment for their delivery with an inflated cost on your part, is unlikely to trust you. And even more so he will not advise your company to his friends: in fact, you have deceived him.
Finally, there are independent sites dedicated to reviews of companies and products Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan - including delivery services.
On such sites, you can find comprehensive information about these services, customer reviews, and the assessment of independent logistics experts. When establishing a store and its further scaling, choose transport and courier services, which have the least complaints.
And of course, immediately consider the possibility of sending the goods you sell to different countries of the CIS and far abroad: as they say, a soldier who does not dream of becoming a general is bad.
Ukrposhta, Belposhta, Kazpochta, Russian Post
For retailers, state-owned postal networks remain an important, albeit rapidly losing ground, delivery method. However, in rural areas, in hard-to-reach areas, postal state-owned enterprises often remain the only transport and logistics company, and there is still no escape from this.
Nevertheless, too long delivery times, too limited working hours of state post offices and too low quality of service in them do not contribute to the loyalty of modern users to this type of delivery. It would be a big mistake to count only on him in our time.
If delivery is more expensive than goods
Sometimes shipping is more expensive than the product itself, or almost the same. If the order you received is just such a case, be sure to discuss it with the client.
Without specifying the exact price of delivery, you can lose both the buyer and the money - if the purchase is refused already upon receipt with the expected cash on delivery (if only then the buyer discovers the cost of delivery). In this case, you will have to return the cargo for your own money.
Preparing goods for shipment
Always pack the product "for all occasions". If it is damaged during transportation due to the fault of the delivery service, the buyer, having received a negative experience, will subconsciously associate it with your company - and not with the real culprit of the damage. It is unlikely that such a customer will return to you for a new purchase.
In addition, if you are selling small-sized goods, we advise you to make branded bags and boxes with a recognizable logo for your goods.
You will gain even more confidence from your customers if you make your packaging not only reliable - but and comfortable and beautiful, and recyclable in the home.
Finally, the “free shipping coupon” included in the package with the purchase - or the free shipping code sent to the customer in one way or another electronically, works great to increase loyalty and increase the chance of re-purchase. This will work, of course, only if your store has a very high order price threshold, after which delivery becomes free automatically - or there is no such threshold at all.
So, once you think over the algorithm of all actions related to delivery, you will provide your online store with a good reputation and regular customers.
Quality service, including delivery of goods, is the first rule of a successful business. The owners of the companies are interested in the fact that buyers are guaranteed to receive their orders quickly, safe and sound. But far from all of them maintain their own courier service; more often they attract companies from outside.
Courier service as a business is one of the options for starting a business with minimal initial investment. This type of business does not require deep specialized knowledge, large capacities or complex legal procedures. Nevertheless, there are nuances, knowing which, it will be much easier to start and succeed in this business.
Logistics Trends: Business Relevance
To understand whether the business of delivering goods is profitable, let us consider the main latest trends in the field of logistics - the process of moving goods, documents, valuables from the seller (manufacturer, supplier) to the buyer (customer, consumer).
- According to the research agency Data Insight, Internet trade is growing by at least 25% per year, even during the crisis, while most online stores attract courier services from outside in order to save money. The result is an increase in the number of parcels that require courier services.
- In 2016, the demand for the delivery of goods to pick-up points and post-terminals increased significantly.
For example, customers prefer to pick up almost 90% of orders in the Svyaznoy online store from pick-up points (pickup points). Buyers book a product on the website with the ability to pick it up within 48 hours from the most convenient store. Third-party courier services are used to deliver such orders.
- 2016 was a year of growing demand for the delivery of specialized goods: oversized cargo, food products (including ready-made meals from restaurants, cafes, specialized bars).
- Many large companies are announcing tenders for courier services.
- The authorities are discussing the topic of legalizing the online trade in medicines, alcohol, and jewelry. If this happens, then a surge in demand for services for the delivery of these goods is inevitable. For some of them, special conditions are required, for example, the temperature regime for drugs.
Business registration
You can work both in the status of an individual entrepreneur and an LLC. Taxation - STS - 6% of income or 15% income minus expenses. OKVED codes according to the current classifier: 53.20.3 Courier activity; 53.20.31 Courier delivery by various types of transport; 53.20.32 Food delivery to your home (if you plan to deliver food); 53.20.39 Other courier activities. You do not need a license for this type of activity.
At first, you can use your own home as an office, and your personal mobile phone as a communication device. In the future, it is advisable to hire a dispatcher (manager) who will take orders and rent an office space.
It makes sense to open a courier business in large cities, since in small towns, where everything is within walking distance and there are no constant traffic jams, it is easier for people to pick up the goods themselves or send an employee.
It is necessary to decide on the format: will it be delivery within the city or intercity courier services. Use personal transport in your work or hire couriers with your own means of transportation: freight (when transporting bulky goods), cars, scooters, bicycles (when organizing the delivery of documents, postal correspondence, printed materials and small goods).
If you plan to deliver by public transport, you need to purchase travel tickets for couriers, this will reduce transport costs.
Unusual formats - detach from competitors
Courier services in large cities are not a novelty, therefore, there is competition, and in order to successfully enter a niche, you need your own "chips" that allow you to find, and possibly lure customers from competitors. How can this be achieved? For example, a unique unusual offer could be:
Bicycle mail. Fast delivery of documents by bicycle (or by scooters and mopeds). Students can be hired for summer work. The disadvantage is the seasonality, since it is not very convenient to ride a bicycle in the snow in winter and in autumn through slush in the rain. But you can make this idea an additional service for the warm season. Pros: low costs (no need to spend money on gasoline, travel documents), students are always interested in additional earnings, and among them there are many cyclists.
For example, the American express mail UPS delivers parcels not on usual trucks, but on bicycles with a trailer.
Congratulatory courier service for the delivery of flowers, gifts, sweets, balloons and other festive attributes. People do not always have time to congratulate their loved ones personally, and with competent advertising, such a service can be in good demand.
Round-the-clock delivery. Not every courier service can boast 24 working days. This can play into the hands of a novice entrepreneur: orders at night are valued higher, and are delivered faster due to the absence of traffic jams. But here it will be necessary to hire additional employees to work in shifts.
Delivery of women's little things or baby goods. Girls are scattered and they have situations when there is no way to go to the store, for example, tights at work have been torn, hairspray has run out, diapers for an infant and many other options. You can position your service as a service for the delivery of the necessary little things or make it an additional service.
Delivery of auto parts , building materials or bulky goods, help with moving. In this case, additional loaders and freight transport will be needed.
Delivery of products grown in summer cottages (can be organized in the summer-autumn season) or in greenhouse farms: potatoes, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes and other crops.
Both as old as the world, and, nevertheless, working methods of detaching from competitors - offering a more loyal pricing policy, accelerating delivery times compared to competitors.
Participants of thematic forums, sharing their own experience in opening a courier delivery service, advise a novice entrepreneur to “get to know this kitchen from the inside”. That is, for a short time get a job in a successfully operating courier delivery service and learn all the nuances of the business.
Where to look for clients
A natural question arises, is it difficult to find customers for the delivery service? The answer is: if you know how and where to look for them, then it's not difficult. Of course, advertising costs should be included in the business plan of the courier service, but if you are smart, they will be small.
So, the list of working, and most importantly, not requiring large investments, options for finding clients:
Such customer search channels will certainly help to find customers for the first time; in the future, you should not stop advertising. It is better to immediately include an article in the monthly costs: advertising. When profits start to grow, you can think about expanding, creating a website, placing contextual advertising.
Courier franchises
Another option to make it easier to start is to open a franchise business. Below is a brief overview of two franchise offers from Russian companies.
1) CDEC
The Novosibirsk company "SDEK Logistic Solutions" offers a franchise on the following terms:
- Lump-sum payment - 150 thousand rubles.
- Royalty: paid from the 7th month of work - 10%.
- Investment volume for the start: from 200 thousand rubles.
- Return on investment: from 3 months.
You can fill out an application or send a questionnaire on the official website of the company.
2) Express.ru
The company's franchise offer is valid for cities: Krasnodar, Volgograd, Kazan. The conditions are as follows:
- Entrance fee: from 75 to 200 thousand rubles, depending on the city;
- Payback: 14-21 months.
- Royalty: 8% (paid from the 4th month).
The head office of the company is located in St. Petersburg. Partners are provided with comprehensive support, consumables, training, descriptions and instructions for all business processes.
Learn about the main ways to organize delivery for online stores:
- express delivery;
- self-pickup of goods from the online store;
- eMS / Russian mail in online stores;
- transport companies.
Express delivery
In large cities, this is the most demanded method and the most popular delivery service. This method is distinguished by its high speed of delivery and the fact that buyers can look at the goods to check their condition before paying.
The simplest scheme and is easily implemented.
At the start, it is very problematic to hire your own couriers, so you should outsource the delivery and use the services of third-party couriers if necessary. This will allow you to protect yourself from unnecessary expenses and there will be no situations when the courier is sitting in the office. In the article on courier services for an online store, a comparative overview of courier services is made, which can be entrusted with the delivery of orders.
On average, the cost of the services of courier companies is approximately 170-200 rubles. an order weighing up to one kilogram, which is delivered within St. Petersburg or Moscow. The cost of delivery to St. Petersburg in MSC is on average about 250-300 rubles.
Let's take a look at the results:
- The cost
- Speed
- Reliability
Cost: due to the high speed, such a service is not cheap (for an order weighing one kilogram in one city - from 150 rubles).
Speed: if you have your own couriers, you can send orders on the day the orders are received. Delivery of orders by third-party courier services is carried out the next day after its acceptance.
Reliability: responsibility for the received cargo lies with your couriers and courier services (it is worth reading the contract with them).
All self-respecting online stores should have courier delivery, regardless of the region where the work is being done.
Pickup of goods from the online store
Pickup is more convenient because the buyer does not have to pay for the delivery of the order, and this is important with a small order amount. Moreover, buyers are not guided by couriers, who often arrive at unspecified times.
In addition, at points of self-pickup, you can place additional displays with goods, thereby providing an opportunity for customers to buy other goods in your store.
If there is no office, then you should not be upset, now you can place goods on the basis of self-pickup centers for courier services or firms that were initially sharpened as self-pickup centers for online stores (for example, SamZaberu).
A significant disadvantage of self-pickup is the higher percentage of unredeemed orders compared to courier. Therefore, a few days after confirming orders, it is worth reminding customers that an order is awaiting it. Then the buyer will either refuse completely, or come to pick it up.
Results:
- The cost
- Speed
- Reliability
- The possibility of accepting cash upon receipt is
Cost: It may cost nothing for pickup if it's your own office. When using the services of third-party pick-up centers, the issuance of the 1st order will cost on average 40-90 rubles. depending on the center.
Speed: low speed is caused by the fact that quite often buyers do not immediately arrive to place an order, but only within a few days.
Reliability: of course, if the pickup is in your own office, then you are responsible for it. Responsibility for the order transferred according to the documents also lies with third-party self-pickup centers, do not forget to read the contract.
mailEMS/ Russia in online stores
It's no secret that cash on delivery in online stores is one of the most popular types of delivery in Russia. First, because it has the largest coverage of the territory. Secondly, because many potential buyers live in small towns.
The delivery procedure is as follows:
- Packaging of goods;
- Sending orders through the Russian Post offices;
- The order is sent to the recipients, we are waiting for its receipt at his department;
- When an order is received, money is expected to arrive.
- The main disadvantages of shipping with cash on delivery. Before opening delivery throughout Russia, you should think about the following:
- In Russia, the average delivery time is ten days;
- When sending only on prepayment, there is a certain risk of freezing of working capital at the time of delivery;
It will also take a lot of work to prevent cases of orders not being picked up. In such cases, you will spend ten days for delivery, a month is given for the order to be picked up, and in cases where it is not picked up, another ten days to return the goods. Do not forget that in such cases you will have to pay for shipping both there and back.
There may be additional expenses for communication with buyers from the regions.
However, even if there are all of the above disadvantages, working with the entire Russian audience has its merits. Since the opening of this type of delivery, complications are possible, which are associated with the fact that part of the money in the form of orders travels across Russia, but over time (when buying orders) the situation begins to stabilize. In addition, the audience of potential buyers is very large.
The following recommendations will help you to reduce the number of unbills:
It is worth informing buyers about the shipment of the goods;
It is also worth notifying them about the delivery of the order to their post office;
You always need to confirm orders to the regions by phone.
Results:
- The cost
- Speed
- Reliability
- The possibility of accepting cash upon receipt is
Cost: delivery is at a fixed cost and depends on the region where the package is sent. We recommend 1st class.
Speed: depending on the region, the delivery time can be found on the website of the Russian Post. We advise you to ship in 1st class, which significantly reduces the delivery time.
Reliability: according to statistics, goods are rarely delivered to their final destination by Russian Post. However, there may be violations of the target dates and the appearance of the packages. Also, the goods can be damaged. It is worth warning buyers not to buy back a purchase if the packaging is significantly damaged.
By the way, it is more convenient to send parcels through branches that do not work with individuals, but only with individual entrepreneurs or legal entities.
Transport companies
For online stores, it is the most unclaimed delivery service.
We are talking about delivery with the help of such companies as PEC, Business Lines, etc. The advantage of these companies is fast delivery compared to Russian Post and a large number of offices in Russia (more than 1000 cities).
This type of delivery is perfect for:
- Prompt delivery to cities, where the buyer can independently pick up orders from the warehouse of the transport company;
- Delivery of rather bulky goods;
Buyers place orders, make an advance payment for them, and then you send the order to the city. In comparison with Russian Post, this type of delivery has less coverage (medium and large cities), but faster delivery, which is especially important for remote regions.
Some shipping companies offer the option of paying for goods upon receipt, but we recommend using prepaid systems.
Transport companies:
- Business Line
- Results:
- The cost
- Speed
- Reliability
- The possibility of accepting cash upon receipt in some companies is
Cost: the cost of delivery is comparable to the cost of sending using the Russian Post. It is more profitable to ship oversized cargo by transport companies.
Speed: in comparison with Russian Post, the speed is higher, but the coverage is less.
Reliability: higher reliability than the Russian Post due to shorter delivery times and more careful attitude to shipments.
What should you choose as a result of delivery for your online store?
We considered pickup, courier delivery, transport companies and Russian Post. Now let's compare them according to their characteristics:
Speed:
- Pickup
- Express delivery
- Transport company
- Russian Post
It has already been noted that courier delivery is the fastest way to deliver an order to end customers. But the Russian Post has the maximum coverage on the territory of the Russian Federation.
Cost:
- Pickup
- Express delivery
- Transport company
- Russian Post
The always high delivery speed was characterized by high delivery costs. It is rather difficult to compare different types here, because each of these types performs its own tasks, the difference in cost of which is large. The main thing is that there are many different payment options involved in online stores.
Reliability:
- Pickup
- Express delivery
- Transport company
- Russian Post
The most reliable is self-delivery using couriers or self-pickup. By and large, everything happens before your eyes and it is much easier to control. When sent to the regions, it becomes more difficult to control. Sending a courier on a business trip a thousand kilometers away - you yourself understand that such a trip will not pay off the sale. Unless, of course, you sold a set of household appliances, numbering twenty cars. Therefore, it is better for a young store not to get involved with the regions, but to focus on the city where it operates.
As you can see, there is no clear winner in all nominations. Therefore, we recommend always not to use only one delivery option, but to combine them, thereby providing buyers with a choice. It is more convenient for someone to pay for prompt delivery by courier, while for someone it is better to drive up by himself so as not to overpay.
Choice of delivery at the start
When launching an online store, courier delivery (up to two days) must be present + pickup is also desirable. Over time, it is worth trying to make a delivery test by Russian Post, both prepaid and cash on delivery. The results obtained can help you to finally determine the scheme of working with mail.
If you distribute bulky goods or it is more convenient for you to work with transport companies, then you should estimate the cost of such a service and choose a suitable service. On this site, you can be provided with assistance in automatically calculating the cost of shipping to various destinations.
In order not to be mistaken with the choice of the delivery option, it is imperative to take into account the type of delivered goods. For example, you need to remember that delicate electronics and various little things do not like transportation by mail, since they can be easily damaged during shipment. Therefore, mobile phones, gadgets, electronics, spare parts for a computer are best delivered through a courier, and even better - given by self. We must not forget that courier delivery is also an additional income. As a rule, the cost of a trip for a courier is several times lower than payment for delivery, therefore it is profitable to offer a client a courier service.
If your product is not afraid of blows (for example, clothes), then the most profitable delivery method is undoubtedly mail. With the help of post offices, you can easily forward the goods without worrying about its safety. Finally, if your field of activity is something oversized (hot water boilers, gas stoves, furniture ...) - your choice is specialized delivery services that have become widespread in Russia recently. As a rule, such services have convenient sites where you can track the progress of the delivery, because both you and your client can always find out where they find the goods. In addition, the cost of the services of these companies is quite favorable.
As we can see, all shipping options are good to a certain extent. Most stores prefer to combine benefits and practice different delivery options. As a rule, courier delivery is carried out in the city where the store is located. And the goods are sent to remote regions by postal services.