Just when you think the retail industry’s top players have it all together, you learn that the vast majority, 89%, are actually struggling with last-mile delivery operations. The top reason? They’re confused by their tech stack.

The 2023 Bringg Barometer State of Last Mile Delivery Report reveals that brick-and-mortar retailers cited the overall complexity of tech stacks (37%), rising delivery costs (36%), and lack of real-time visibility after placement of the order (35%), as their top 3 pain points for managing last-mile delivery.

“These companies have the most reliance on third parties for fulfillment, so the need to outsource delivery creates fewer cost reduction opportunities. This is why retailers with both physical locations and e-commerce operations struggle more with manual last-mile processes,” the report states.

Independent small businesses therefore have a distinct competitive advantage over major retailers. Local small businesses are by nature more nimble in their logistics. They can handle their own fulfillment in store and place a delivery order for pickup, with the help of a service like Trellus Same-Day Local Delivery, which is specifically designed for small business needs.

2023 Bringg Barometer: State of Last Mile Delivery, a survey of 500 managers within the retail and e-commerce landscape

But small businesses shouldn’t sleep on the trend, as big retailers are making moves.

The survey revealed that 61% of retailers are planning to offer self-scheduled delivery in 2023, and 56% plan to include subscription-based delivery. Why? Because their customers demand it.

“The retail industry evolved at an unprecedented rate in 2022, and consumers became accustomed to fast, same-day delivery,” said Guy Bloch, CEO of Bringg, which provides a delivery management platform. “Ultimately, in 2023 the delivery experience frontier is moving towards new elevated standards, where consumers expect convenience and control, demanding flexible delivery options, transparent communications and all at an affordable price. Retailers need to focus on investing in the right technologies and leveraging relevant partners, to successfully compete in an increasingly saturated market.”

The report concludes that retailers should prioritize profitability and convenience in 2023, and one key area where they can improve is last-mile delivery. To do this, they must provide transparency in their delivery options, which will require strong integrations between e-commerce point-of-sale, delivery management solutions, and external providers. By managing these integrations through a single platform and automating the last-mile delivery process, retailers can improve visibility for customers and cost efficiency for themselves.

The Trellus Difference in Last-Mile Delivery

Last-mile delivery may be complicated for big retailers, but it doesn’t have to be for small businesses. Trellus’ Batch Delivery allows you to place multiple delivery requests at once. After an order is placed, a driver will be dispatched to your location to pick up all of the packages and deliver them on an optimized route that saves time and money.

Trellus prioritizes transparency, and customers can track the delivery in real-time. Both the business and the customer will receive an email, which includes proof of delivery, letting them know the delivery was successful. The business can find all the details about the delivery in their Trellus account.

Small businesses win when they simplify operations, handle fulfillment at their place of business, and deliver their goods efficiently and affordably.

Trellus is here to help small business owners win in last-mile delivery! Learn more about Trellus for Businesses.