Missed drop-off. Depending on the price or nature of an order, a package may require a signature upon delivery. If no one is home to accept the order during the delivery window, the delivery cannot be completed. Good carriers will inform customers of this issue and the next step they should take, such as picking up the package at a carrier location or rescheduling the delivery. If no notice of the missed drop-off is provided, this issue is more likely to reflect badly on retailers than carriers because the retailer chose that specific carrier. Damaged package. An order will be delayed if a shipping label, package, or product is damaged. In many cases, the order may need to be canceled and reshipped.
Strategic opportunity, tactical challenges and a developing operating model. In-store picking (shopper for hire) seems like a sensible pick-up in-store option, and perhaps one for quick need items, while other retailer profiles might be better suited for centralized picking. Challenges for stores: Is the inventory count right? Dedication of resource to the task? Filling the cart or helping the customer? That and more—but the strategic value of turning up at a store and having the shopping bags filled for you? Only time will tell.
