Fast delivery in a way convenient for you. My first business is the All-Russian competition for young entrepreneurs, captains. How to organize delivery in an online store - tips

Some 5-7 years ago this issue did not cause so many difficulties - there were few ways to deliver goods from online stores - the constant Russian Post, a couple of transport companies and courier services. Now on Russian market there are more than a hundred companies that transport everything from postcards to cars. They promise to deliver the goods to the client even on December 31st in the evening. It can be difficult to figure out which of them delivers goods and which causes trouble for business. This article will help you.

There are only four main types for organizing delivery in an online store in Russia. This:

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 she has low prices and it delivers parcels even to villages with a population of 200 people, which means it remains the most popular method of delivering goods across Russia.

The disadvantage of this method is speed, but even here technology does not stand still - postal employees do a lot of things to automate processes and serve customers faster.

In June 2016, for delivery from online stores, Russian Post developed special service- https://otpravka.pochta.ru. For now, the service only works in Moscow. It allows:

Automate the preparation of documents for parcels.

Using its API ( program code) integrate services into your website.

Show the buyer the current price on the website postal delivery from the online store.

To start using the service, you need to register on the website and submit an application. After verification, the service will be connected to your store. You won't need to fill out stacks of shipping documents at the post office. All that is necessary 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 on task.

Pickup delivery

The good thing about the self-pickup delivery method is that the buyer does not have to wait for couriers, who often arrive at a different time than agreed upon.

There are two ways to arrange pick-up delivery:

Issue goods at your warehouse or office;

Use the pick-up 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 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 purchasing - clothing, shoes, household appliances.

Step 1 - choose a room. Choose a warehouse or office in the central part of the city, in passage place, for example, in mall to make it convenient for customers to pick up goods. To begin with, you will need a room with an area of 20-30 square meters.

Step 2 - set up a pick-up point. For this, 30 thousand rubles is enough. You will spend them on a computer with the Internet, cash machine, shelves for storing goods, furniture for employees, a sign at the entrance.

Step 3 - make a display case with goods. If you have organized delivery from an online store through your pick-up point, offer accessories for the goods and thereby increase the average check.

According to statistics, self-pickup delivery is chosen when purchasing inexpensive goods, when paying for courier delivery is pointless. To prevent your profits from falling, offer something else in addition to your main product. To do this, install a display case with accessories in your office.

Step 4 - Hire an honest employee. To issue goods, hire a person with good characteristics. The fact is that the salary of an operator 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 are worth 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 customers what it means to pick up goods in an online store and what its advantages are. Take photographs of the sign and display of goods that can be purchased on site. This will increase customer trust and set you apart from your competitors.

Understanding what self-pickup in an online store is and what its “ underwater rocks" comes with experience. Thus, store owners note that when choosing this type of delivery, many customers do not pick up the goods.

If you have your own pick-up point, organize a customer calling system or SMS mailings with a reminder to pick up your order. If you use pickup services from third party service delivery, make sure she notifies the customer herself.

Courier delivery

How it is done Express delivery in online stores, today almost all residents of large cities who have at least once bought something via the Internet know. 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 involve testing the goods before payment - trying on clothes, checking the operation of equipment, etc.

An online store can carry out courier delivery in two ways: hire your own courier or use the services of a courier service.

Advantages of your own courier delivery

1. The method of delivering 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 to Not work time or change the route to pick up an order that you received at 19.00, but want to deliver to the client on the same day.

2. If the client transfers payment for the order through a courier, then you receive the money immediately, rather than waiting several days for the courier company to transfer it to you.

3. By hiring your own courier, you work with one trusted person. If you find “your” employee and work together, you don’t have to worry about the safety of your parcels and delivery times. When contacting a courier service, couriers may change, and along with them, the attitude to work will change, which depends on the individual.

4. Your courier knows your product well, unlike the courier service employee. At least you can train him so he can answer simple questions buyer and help him understand the product. He is the face of your store, your advertising and your additional tool sales

It’s 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. Beginning entrepreneurs are better off outsourcing this process.

Advantages of a courier company for an online store

1. You pay for courier services only when you need him, and do not have a person on staff who goes out to deliver orders from time to time.

2. Arranging 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. Deal with peak loads, for example, before the New Year, it’s easier. Courier companies usually have a large staff and you can use these additional resources if necessary.

4. If the package is lost or damaged due to the fault of the courier, the courier service is responsible for this. If the goods are damaged due to the fault of your courier, you will most likely bear the losses.

5. You can order urgent delivery from a courier company if, for example, the client needs to receive the goods in two hours. If there is one full-time courier who this moment I am busy with other orders, you will not be able to provide such a service.

6. You can read about how outsourced courier delivery works in reviews, there are many of them on the Internet. Based on reviews, it is easy to determine the strengths and weak sides companies, and then choose the one that suits you. When organizing your delivery service, you don’t know what kind of difficulties you will encounter.

The cost of a courier delivery service within the city is 200-250 rubles per parcel. Speed – from several hours to several days. As a rule, courier services have different tariffs - the more deliveries you arrange, the cheaper each of them costs.

Organizing a delivery service for an online store necessarily involves delivery by courier, regardless of what region you are in and what you sell.

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 large and expensive cargo if you do not trust Russian Post to transport them. The essence of this method is as follows:

The buyer makes an advance payment for the goods.

You send the cargo to the warehouse of the transport company or order courier delivery to your door (this depends on the wishes of the client).

The recipient picks up the goods and, if necessary, makes the remaining 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, and there are more conveniences for the recipient and the sender. However, transport companies have more high prices and branches of the shopping center you have chosen will not be in all cities.

So, how to organize delivery and how to send goods from an online store? A self-respecting store offers several methods of delivering goods:

By courier - for those who need it faster and who are nearby.

Pickup - for those who do not want to overpay and buy goods for a small amount.

Russian Post – to places where couriers do not work.

By a transport company - for those who are not satisfied with the mail deadlines.

To make it easier for you to choose optimal ways delivery throughout Russia and the CIS, we have prepared a selection of 15 delivery services with reviews and descriptions.

Options for delivery of goods and delivery services in Russia and CIS

http://boxberry.ru is a market leader with branches in 333 cities of Russia. More than one and a half thousand online stores use the services of the Boxberry goods delivery company.

The store owner needs to register on the website and submit delivery requests via Personal Area. Each client is provided with a personal manager. You can bring your orders to the Boxberry warehouse or call a courier who will pick up the goods. The advantage of this method of delivering goods is the ability to track the location of the parcel on the website and an online calculator with cost calculations.

Review of Boxberry on the Internet

http://www.edostavka.ru is one of best services delivery of goods from online stores, known as SDEK, has been on the market since 2000. There are 450 delivery points in 90 cities of Russia. SDEK transports goods from abroad, including from China, and offers an urgent delivery service on the same day.

For owners of online stores who have entered into an agreement, SDEK gives discounts from 3 to 10%, prints invoices, calls recipients to clarify delivery time, works on weekends and after 18.00 and provides many other additional services.

Review of SDEK on the Internet

http://www.shop-logistics.ru - the delivery service "Shop-Logistics" organizes delivery for online stores in 5,000 cities in Russia. According to the administration, 95% of parcels are delivered without problems. Cash on delivery payments from buyers are transferred within 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 pick-up points are equipped with fitting rooms for those purchasing clothes.

Review of Shop-logistics on the Internet

http://www.topdelivery.ru – Russian network delivery of letters and parcels. Delivery is carried out by courier or to a pick-up point. Deadlines for Moscow and St. Petersburg – 1 day. Top Delivery operates in 1,800 settlements in Russia and has more than 200 pick-up points.

According to employees, the Topdelivery company copes even with the New Year’s peak of work. Calls recipients and sends them messages, gives them the opportunity to make a partial return, and allows them to test the product for 15 minutes before paying.

Review of Topdelivery on the Internet

http://post.reworker.ru – the Reworker company deals not only with the delivery of goods for online stores. It also provides services for order processing, storage, and parcel labeling. Works with Russian Post and the most common courier services - Boxberry, CDEK, DPD and others. All you need is to conclude an agreement, connect the system to your store and leave requests. Couriers will pick up the goods from you and send them via the required service delivery.

The cost of delivery from online stores to Reworker is from 24 rubles. Sends goods from Moscow and St. Petersburg. Simplifies difficult work with Russian Post - deals with the preparation and packaging of parcels, takes care of paperwork, provides a minimum commission when sending cash on delivery from the 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, for now they don’t travel further than the Moscow Ring Road. The GetParcel delivery service cooperates with forty partners or 1,600 couriers in Moscow. Couriers undergo special training, each has a cash register and a terminal for card payments.

The Getparcel service has its own API for installing a widget on your website if you have a large online store, and a Personal Account for sending orders if sales volumes are still small.

http://allegro-plus.rf is a courier service that specializes in the delivery of correspondence and parcels throughout Moscow. Also works with online stores, regular customers offers discounts. “Allegro-Plus” picks up shipments from your warehouse free of charge, packs the parcels and calls the recipients to coordinate the delivery time with them.

The courier service “Allegro-plus.rf” enters into an agreement with online stores. Each client is assigned a manager who will tell you how to organize delivery to the buyer through your Personal Account, how to print accompanying documents and maintain your address book.

Review of Allegro-plus on the Internet

http://www.latella-post.ru - a courier service founded in 2007, delivering goods from online stores in Moscow, Russia and abroad. The Latella delivery service has 90 branches throughout Russia, as well as representative offices in Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The service has a fleet of 50 vehicles at its disposal; it books about 3,000 flights per month for the delivery of goods. One of the disadvantages of the “Latella” delivery service is that couriers work only on weekdays and during business hours from 9 to 18.

http://www.doklienta.ru is a transport company that works with cash on delivery. TC "Doklienta" delivers cargo weighing up to 10 tons, picks up goods from the supplier, transfers cash on delivery, allows you to try on clothes, assemble furniture and check household appliances before paying.

The delivery times for goods from the online store are clearly shown, there is an online calculator for calculating the cost of delivery in Moscow, to any city in Russia or the CIS. Doklienta.ru's prices 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/

Review of Doklienta on the Internet

http://courier-fakel.ru – the Fakel courier service has been operating since 2011, delivering goods throughout Moscow and Russia. Delivery by courier to your home or to a pick-up service in Moscow is possible. Works without delay - undertakes to return the delivery cost if the courier is late by more than an hour.

Fakel allocates to each online store 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 is a company delivering goods from the Hermes online store on the market for more than forty years. Offers delivery throughout Russia with German precision. The company's head office is located in Hamburg. In Russia there are about 600 distribution points in 155 cities.

The Hermes delivery service notifies recipients of the arrival of the cargo by phone or SMS, arranges insurance for all cargo, and coordinates the express return of goods back to the online store. Estimated delivery time in Moscow and the region is 1-2 days.

Review of Hermesrussia on the Internet

http://www.dimex.ws - delivery service for online stores, operating since 1998. Delivers cargo to more than 9,000 cities in Russia and the CIS. There is an option for delivery of goods the next morning (express) and delivery of groupage cargo, as well as packaging of goods with several degrees of protection.

Dimex courier service provides Additional services: delivery outside business hours, change of recipient's address, delivery with an inventory of the contents, declared value, delivery by a certain time.

http://www.ecp-logistic.ru - this is a courier delivery method through Russian Post or own points pickup. “ECP-Logistic” operates in Moscow and the regions. They pick up shipments from your warehouse for free, change the address or full name of the recipient for free, help you install your API in the online store, and provide you with a Personal Account with everything you need.

The ESP-Logistic delivery service gives a 10% discount on delivery from online stores in the first month of service, and does not increase prices for services if you need to deliver goods on weekends. The maximum weight of a shipment is 15 kg.

Review of Ecp-logistic on the Internet

http://index-express.ru - professional delivery of goods and correspondence. IndexExpress offers online stores the organization of delivery of goods to pickup points in Moscow (9 pickup points) and St. Petersburg (24 pickup points). Upon request, it can pick up cargo from your supplier and store it in its warehouse.

The Index-express courier service sends messages to recipients at all stages of delivery. Offers a convenient tariff with a fixed cost of 250 rubles, regardless of the number of deliveries.

http://cse.ru - the transport company “CourierServiceExpress” began operating in 1997. Today, there are more than 150 branches of the courier service throughout Russia. There are more than 170 people on staff.

“KSE” offers online stores convenient options delivery throughout Russia, storage and packaging of goods, well-established customer service and 10,000 square meters of warehouse space.

How to organize delivery in an online store - tips

1. If average amount receipt in your store - 1000 rubles, be sure to make delivery by pickup. The client is unlikely to want to pay another 250-300 for delivery by courier when the price of the goods is 1000 rubles.

2. When concluding an agreement for courier or transport services for an online store, read it carefully. What happens if the courier loses the package or doesn’t meet the deadline, does the manager call the recipients or send them an SMS, how long does it take to transfer money for the goods to you, what if the buyer does not pick up the order - these and other conditions must be clearly stated.

3. Make your store available for express same-day or within-hour delivery. According to a survey, 36% of potential buyers do not place an order due to long delivery times. Don't lose these clients.

4. Mostly customers are ready to pick up orders in the evening, after work. Peak time - 19.00-22.00. Keep this in mind when planning your courier or pickup schedule.

Choosing the best goods delivery companies: check list

Experienced online store owners advise choosing a courier service that:

Has many branches in Moscow and St. Petersburg. According to statistics, 70-90% of online store buyers are Muscovites and residents of the northern capital.

Withstands peak New Year's load. Many companies miss delivery deadlines for goods from online stores during the holidays and damage the profits and reputation of the owners.

Can pick up packages after 19.00, and not in the middle of the working day. This is convenient for you and is necessary so that you can give the courier all the orders that have accumulated during the day.

It has its own API (code for posting on the site) so that you can manage the delivery of your online store from the admin panel. This is especially true for large trading platforms.

Returns packages that the buyer did not pick up free of charge. No later than a week later and indicating the reason for the return.

When choosing a courier service, of course, you need to rely on reviews. But don’t be surprised if you see a lot of negative reviews of the best delivery services for online stores in Russia. Remember that good things are rarely written about because they go without saying. But people willingly talk about unsuccessful collaboration experiences through all channels.

Fast delivery and happy customers!

Find out about the main methods of organizing delivery for online stores:

Express delivery;
pickup of goods from the online store;
EMS/Russian mail in online stores;
transport companies.

Express delivery

In large cities this is the most popular method and the most popular delivery service. This method It is characterized by high delivery speed and the fact that buyers can look at the product to check its condition before paying.

The simplest scheme and easy to implement.

At the start, it is very problematic to hire your own couriers, so you should outsource delivery and use the services of third-party couriers if necessary. This will protect you from unnecessary expenses and there will be no situations when the courier sits out in the office. In an article about courier services for an online store, comparative review courier services that can be entrusted with delivering orders.

On average, the cost of services of courier companies is approximately 170-200 rubles. an order weighing up to one kilogram, delivery of which is carried out within St. Petersburg or Moscow. The cost of delivery to St. Petersburg to MSC on average is approximately 250-300 rubles.

Let's take a look at the results:

Price
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 you receive the orders. Orders are delivered by third-party courier services the next day after acceptance.

Reliability: responsibility for the cargo received 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 carried out.

Pickup of goods from the online store

Self-pickup is more convenient because the buyer does not have to pay for delivery of the order, and this is important when the order amount is small. Moreover, buyers do not rely on couriers, who often arrive at unspecified times.

In addition, you can place additional display cases with goods at pickup points, thereby providing customers with the opportunity to buy other goods in your store.

If you don’t have an office, then don’t be upset, now you can place goods on the basis of pickup centers of courier services or companies that were originally designed as pickup centers for online stores (for example, SamZaber).

A significant disadvantage of self-pickup is the higher percentage of unpurchased orders compared to courier. Therefore, a few days after confirming orders, it is worth reminding customers that the order is awaiting them. Then the buyer will either completely refuse or come to pick it up.

Results:

Price
Speed
Reliability
It is possible to accept cash upon receipt

Cost: Pickup may cost nothing if it's your own office. When using the services of third-party pickup centers, issuing the 1st order will cost on average 40-90 rubles. depending on the center.

Speed: determined low speed the fact that quite often buyers do not immediately arrive to place their order, but only within a few days.

Reliability: Naturally, if the pickup is in your own office, then you are responsible for it. Responsibility for the order transferred according to documents also lies with third-party pickup centers; do not forget to read the contract.

MailEMS/Russia in online stores

It's no secret that in online stores, cash on delivery delivery is one of the most popular types of delivery in Russia. Firstly, 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 Russian Post offices;
The order is sent to the recipients, we are waiting for it to arrive at their department;
When an order is received, payment is expected to arrive.
The main disadvantages of cash on delivery delivery. Before opening delivery throughout Russia, you should think about the following:
Across Russia average term delivery - ten days;
When sending only by prepayment, there is a certain risk of freezing working capital during delivery;

It will also take a lot of work to prevent orders from not being picked up. In such cases, you will spend ten days on delivery, a month to collect the order, and in cases where it is not collected, another ten days to return the goods. Do not forget that in such cases you will have to pay for delivery both there and back.

There may be additional costs associated with communicating with buyers from the regions.

However, even if there are all the above-mentioned disadvantages, working with the entire Russian audience has its advantages. Since the opening of this type of delivery, complications are possible that are associated with the fact that some Money travels around Russia in the form of orders, but over time (when orders are redeemed) the situation begins to stabilize. In addition, the audience of potential buyers is very large.

To reduce the number of non-fences, the following recommendations will help you:

It is worth notifying buyers about the shipment of goods;

It is also worth notifying them about the delivery of the order to their Postal office;

You should always confirm orders to the regions by phone.

Results:

Price
Speed
Reliability
It is possible to accept cash upon receipt

Cost: delivery is at a fixed cost and depends on the region where the parcel is sent. We recommend 1st class.

Speed: depending on the region, the delivery time can be found on the Russian Post website. We recommend sending by 1st class, which significantly reduces delivery times.

Reliability: according to statistics, Russian Post rarely delivers goods to their final destination. However, there may be violations target dates And appearance packages The product may also be damaged. It is worth warning buyers that they should not redeem their 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 undemanded delivery service.

We are talking about delivery using companies such as PEC, Business Lines, etc. The advantage of these companies is fast delivery compared to Russian Post and a large number offices throughout 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 transport company’s warehouse;
Delivery of fairly large cargo;

Buyers place orders, make an advance payment for them, and then you send the order to the city. Compared to Russian Post this type delivery has a smaller coverage (medium and large cities), but faster delivery, which is especially important for remote regions.

Some transport companies offer the opportunity to pay for goods upon receipt, but we recommend using prepayment systems.

Transport companies:

Business Line
Results:
Price
Speed
Reliability
It is possible to accept cash upon receipt in some companies

Cost: the cost of delivery is comparable to the cost of sending using Russian Post. It is more profitable to send oversized cargo by transport companies.

Speed: compared to Russian Post, the speed is higher, but the coverage is smaller.

Reliability: more high reliability than Russian Post due to shorter delivery times and more careful attitude for shipments.

What to choose as a result for delivery for an online store?

We considered pick-up, courier delivery, transport companies and Russian Post. Now let's compare them according to their characteristics:

Speed:

Pickup
Express delivery
Transport company
Post office

It has already been noted that courier delivery is the most quick way delivery of orders to end customers. But Russian Post has maximum coverage in the Russian Federation.

Price:

Pickup
Express delivery
Transport company
Post office

Always high speed delivery was characterized by high delivery costs. It's quite difficult to compare here. Various types, because each of these types performs its own tasks, the difference in cost is large. The main thing is that online stores involve many various options payment.

Reliability:

Pickup
Express delivery
Transport company
Post office

The most reliable is delivery on our own when using couriers or self-pickup. All by by and large happens before your eyes and control is much easier. When sent to the regions, control becomes more difficult. Send a courier on a business trip a thousand kilometers away - you yourself understand that such a trip will not pay for the sale. Unless, of course, you sold a twenty-car train of household appliances. 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 obvious winner in all categories. Therefore, we recommend that you always not use only one delivery option, but combine them, thereby giving customers the opportunity to choose. For some it is more convenient to pay for prompt delivery by courier, while for others it is better to drive up yourself so as not to overpay.

Select delivery at start

When launching an online store in mandatory Courier delivery must be present (up to two days) + pickup is also desirable. Over time, it’s worth trying to test delivery by Russian Post, both prepaid and cash on delivery. The results obtained will help you finally determine the scheme for working with mail.

If you distribute large goods or it is more convenient for you to work with transport companies, then it is worth assessing the cost of such a service and choosing the appropriate service. This site can provide you with assistance in automatically calculating shipping costs for various destinations.

In order not to make a mistake when choosing a delivery option, it is necessary to take into account the type of product being delivered. For example, you need to remember that delicate electronics and various small items do not like transportation by mail, since they can be damaged during shipment. Because Cell phones, gadgets, electronics, and computer spare parts are best delivered through a courier, or even better, delivered by pick-up. We must not forget that courier delivery is also Additional income. As a rule, the cost of a trip for a courier is several times lower than payment for delivery, therefore offering courier services to the client is profitable.

If your product is not afraid of impacts (for example, clothing), then the most profitable way delivery is undoubtedly mail. Using post offices, you can easily send goods without worrying about its safety. Finally, if your field of activity is something large (water boilers, gas stoves, furniture...) - your choice is specialized delivery services, which have become widespread in Russia in Lately. As a rule, such services have convenient websites where you can track the progress of delivery, because both you and your client can always find out where the goods are located. In addition, the cost of services of these companies is quite favorable.

As we see, all delivery options are good in to a certain extent. Most stores prefer to combine advantages and practice different variants delivery. As a rule, courier delivery is carried out in the city where the store is located. And to remote regions the goods are sent by postal services.

According to a Forrester survey conducted in 2014, 50% of online shoppers would like to be able to pick up their orders at retail branches of the same online store. This is not at all surprising: the cost of delivering goods, taxes and various additional costs when making a transaction in an online store repulse 33% of buyers.

That is why the ability to pick up your order yourself, without requiring any additional costs, is becoming an increasingly popular option for receiving goods.

Despite the fact that many online stores provide their customers with self-pickup, most visitors do not notice the presence of this shipping option because the web element for selecting this option is completely different from where people expect to see it.

As research by the company Baymard, which tests the usability of web interfaces, has shown, 83% of respondents, when ordering goods using a smartphone, did not notice the “pickup” button on the website of the REI branded clothing store.

The option to receive goods at a retail outlet (Find in store) is located directly on the product landing page. But the fact is that most customers expect to see a pickup option during the checkout process, that is, among other delivery methods. Some visitors even look through the FAQ and product delivery policy text in search of an option self-receipt purchases, while completely not noticing the item you are looking for.

Picture 1 shows the location of the option to receive goods at a retail outlet (Free store pickup today) on the website of the American toy store Toys R` Us.

The pickup option is located at the very beginning of the payment page: this placement option is more suitable, but users still do not notice the option to receive the order in the store, expecting to see it among other delivery options, which in the case of Toys R` Us are displayed just below (picture 2) .

Customer perception of self-order pick-up

Most eCommerce platforms place a pickup option either at the very beginning of the checkout page or well before proceeding to the checkout process.

But, as we have already said, visitors expect to see such an option among the product delivery methods, so they simply do not notice it on other pages of the online store.

The fact is that consumers regard the option of receiving their purchases themselves as an absolutely full-fledged delivery option, despite the fact that the online store does not actually send them anything.

Displaying the pick-up option among other delivery methods also has a positive effect on the purchasing decision of price-sensitive customers: they have the opportunity to compare the prices of all possible options for receiving the goods and make the decision that is most beneficial for their wallet.

Why pay an extra 500 rubles for shipping if you can pick up the goods from the store yourself on the way to work?

The image shows the checkout page in the Notus online hardware store. The self-pickup option is displayed exactly where most shoppers expect to find it—along with other delivery options.

Self-pickup - an advantage over competitors

By providing customers with the ability to pick up orders from retail locations, any business receives several benefits.

Firstly, the option of receiving goods at the point of delivery can serve a worthy alternative standard As we said at the very beginning of the article, 33% of buyers do not complete the online purchase process because they are put off by the additional costs of purchasing a product, one of which is shipping.
Secondly, you gain a competitive advantage over online stores that do not have retail outlets or pickup points.
Third, you also optimize sales through upselling.

High conversions to you!

The volume of online purchases demonstrates stable growth. More than 30% of our country’s working population regularly places orders in online stores. Over the past three years, the number of online shoppers has grown 2.5 times. Moreover, this growth occurs mainly due to residents of the regions and young people, who are among the most active users
e-commerce. Among the most popular categories of goods purchased online are: Appliances and electronics (more than 40%), clothing and shoes (15%), auto parts and household goods (10% each).

How does the product reach the delivery service?

After the customer has made all the required clicks, information about the order is sent to the online store’s database. The customer service manager must contact the buyer, confirm the purchase and send a request for order completion and delivery to the logistics company.

Large stores often outsource logistics functions - with a large flow of orders, this is much more profitable than keeping even small warehouses in the regions.

How not to bring a chair instead of shoes

After the application has been received by the logistics company, it is processed by managers and transferred to the warehouse. Its employees select packaging depending on the delivery method and the nature of the investment, complete the shipment, pack it, draw up accompanying documents, stick labels and transfer the order for delivery. This is very important stage, since it depends on him whether the buyer will be delivered what he ordered.

The girl refused to swim in a vest, called the store where had to fix it
mistake at your own expense

Once, for example, a girl ordered a sports swimsuit from a well-known and very expensive Moscow store. The manager called, checked the price, and the customer confirmed everything. We agreed on the arrival date of the courier. At the appointed time, the courier arrived and brought her a vest. The girl refused to swim in the vest and called the store, which had to correct the mistake at its own expense. In the end, the client was satisfied, but where the first copy of the swimsuit was “lost” remained a mystery.

Reason similar cases As a rule, there is a mistake by the store manager in the nomenclature when transferring the order for picking. There may also be a warehouse error. Therefore, monitoring the compliance of the article numbers on the product and in the accompanying documents is a very important component when completing an order. If, due to an error, the buyer receives something completely different from what he ordered, the store has to incur significant expenses. In addition to the cost of delivery of the mixed up product, you have to pay for re-assembling, packaging, processing and re-delivery of the order. And to maintain customer loyalty, it is worth putting an additional small gift in the package.

How is the order sent?

The online store, in the case of self-pickup of orders, transfers the packaged shipment to the transport company. The transport company, if necessary, repacks it and prepares accompanying documents. After this, the order is finally sent on its way.

At this stage, many errors can occur - from a failure in the IT system of one of the parties, which results in confusion in addresses, to errors in the data provided by the online store, which complicates delivery.

It is very important for buyers to be careful when filling out address information when placing an order: an error even in one number can lead to your order being sent to a completely different one locality. For example, there are two cities of Blagoveshchensk - in the Amur region and in Bashkiria. And if the buyer did not indicate the postcode, and the online store did not check it, the parcel may end up in a completely different region of Russia.

What do parcels travel on?

The choice of the type of transport by which the order will travel depends on the target cost and target transportation time (logistics is aimed at minimizing the cost, and the commercial service is aimed at reducing time). Most often, goods are transported over a distance of up to 500 kilometers by car; over 500 kilometers, it is more expedient to transport by rail or air.

By the way, ground transport also has its own restrictions on the duration of movement; on average, this is no more than 500 kilometers per day for each type of transport. Plus, at least two days should be allocated for additional processing of the shipment.

At the same time, the distance has almost no effect on the condition of the goods at the end of the journey. It is important here how many overloads and intermediaries there will be, as well as what their competence is. You can deliver a damaged shipment within the Moscow region, or you can bring the order intact to Vladivostok.

Who pays for shipping

As a rule, online stores are divided into two camps: those who take on all the costs of order delivery themselves and those who shift these functions to the recipient. In the first case, the store guarantees free shipping order (usually if the order amount exceeds a certain minimum) and chooses the delivery channel himself. In the second case, the online store offers the recipient to choose a courier company from several options, depending on the expected delivery time and cost.

However, there are also companies that offer a single delivery rate, which is paid by the recipient, and the difference between this rate and the rate of the courier company, if any, is reimbursed at their own expense.

What's happening at the post office

After going through the highway and sorting, the shipment arrives at the post office and waits for the recipient to redeem it. However, it happens that it can lie for a very long time, since the recipient, for example, did not receive a notification.

And it happens that the customer, while waiting for the parcel, changed his mind and simply did not go to the post office to redeem it. No one will judge him for this, and this happens often. Online shopping is often emotional and momentary. And after a few days there is already a risk that the person will “burn out.”

Online shopping is often emotional and momentary. After a few days there is already a risk that the person will “burn out”

When we deliver orders, we try to competently build a dialogue with the customer of the online store, and the number of items that were refused to be purchased is reduced. In 2014, the percentage of returns for all shipments passing through us did not exceed 6.78%.

In the case when the goods are delivered by courier service, difficulties may also occur. Starting from complex process coordinating the time and delivery address and ending with confidentiality issues. For example, when making purchases in intimate goods stores, many customers are not ready to receive a courier in their office and prefer to pick up the goods “on the street.” With one of our clients, we have developed an entire order delivery system that guarantees the confidentiality of the purchase and reduces possible awkward situations to a minimum - from special packaging to instructions for call center operators and couriers.

How to return an order

If you refuse to purchase, the story does not end for the online store and the transport company that carried out the delivery. You need to take the product back and return it to the online store. And the online store needs to disassemble it, place it in storage and pay double the delivery rate, without earning a penny from it.

Some online stores even use the opportunity to return unsuitable goods as one of the ways to attract customers. But each return incurs additional processing costs. Depending on the product category, both the buyer himself and the online store may pay for this.

In the case of unredeemed shipments, the costs most often fall on the store. He will have to pay for delivery to the place of residence of the intended buyer (100% of the delivery rate), return delivery of the goods - (from 50 to 100% of the rate, depending on the operator), disassembly of the shipment and placement of goods for storage (the cost depends on the fulfillment operator or costs of maintaining your own warehouse). In addition to delivery, the online store has already paid for the advertising that brought the buyer to it. Perhaps he will pay fines to the supplier if the goods are returned to him. Sometimes, after long transportation, it is necessary to evaluate the goods for their suitability for further sale, and this costs an expert, a lawyer and other specialists who will deal with complaints with transport company and supplier.

Returning goods to an online store is one of the most big problems Russian e-commerce, since for most online stores these costs eat up to 80% of the profit. According to our data, reducing the number of return shipments by 3-5% increases revenue by 20-30%. If online stores begin to work effectively with customers and logistics operators on last stage delivery, then many of those who are now on the verge of survival will be able to save their business.