How Covid has Impacted the Last Mile Deliveries?

The Covid-19 pandemic has struck every sector of the economy with varying degrees and the delivery sector is no exception. However, unlike other sectors where it has perpetuated cutting down on labour and costs, in the case of last mile deliveries it has forced expansionary changes.

Confusing? Below are stated certain major changes that this pandemic has brought in last mile deliveries. Though not an exhaustive list, it still captures the overall picture.

Increase in the Number and Frequency

It won’t be wrong to say that this is the most direct and visible impact that Covid has had on last mile deliveries. With the restricted mobility perpetuated by lockdowns and curfews, courier companies and their last mile deliveries were the last resort that people had to turn to, especially for medicines and essentials.

Therefore, as more and more people have turned to last mile delivery, the frequency of orders being placed with courier companies has also seen a phenomenal rise.

Focus More on Contactless Delivery

This one’s a no brainer, given how contagious the virus can be and this is the reason that delivery companies and businesses handling their own delivery across the world are providing this service.

This is a step towards ensuring all round safety of the packages, which in turn will make delivery companies more reliable in the eyes of the people. At a time when a majority of the population is depending on such companies even for their bare essentials, providing this extra service is only so right.

Scope of Deliveries Widening

This can be considered to be a direct impact of the above mentioned points. With more and more people shifting from brick and mortar stores to online deliveries, it’s only natural that businesses as well as delivery companies will expand their last mile services to include every important product possible.

Therefore in today’s date, customers can opt for anything from groceries to medicines and all kinds of medical equipment and samples, to furniture, food, documents, corporate couriers, flowers, jewellery, car parts and a lot more.

More Focus on Technologies to Improve Delivery Speed and Efficiency

Delivery companies now have an increased responsibility on their shoulders and practically the world depends on the efficiency of their services. Therefore, there have been a number of technological advancements to make last mile deliveries faster and more efficient.

The most common one is the A.I supported Route Optimizer, which pinpoints and tracks the fastest and safest route to the destination automatically.

Another technology is Geofencing, which is also an AI and location based service. This uses every possible signal like Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, RFID and even GPS technologies to target messages to customers. Companies often use this to inform about discounts, offers or the new arrivals, among others. This pandemic has perpetuated an increased use of internet as well as delivery service, which is a great opportunity to double down on geofencing marketing.

In countries like the United States, there have been attempts to normalise human-less deliveries. Delivery bots, drones and other such technologies have already been tested and even utilized on a small scale in some places.