Distribution Article Assignment

Pratham Komma

I believe that consumers want same day delivery. Based on my experience, it is more convenient

to purchase something online and get it the same day, and while though it could be useful for

something that is needed as an emergency, my experience has been usually ordering items online

in advance when we know we need something. In the case that that we do need something on the

same day, I would rather purchase that item at a brick-and-mortar store rather than with he same

day delivery, which may cost more. Although online shopping has seen a massive increase in

growth, I still do believe that brick-and-mortar stores will still exist. For example, when one

wants to buy clothes or shoes, they want to try them out before making a purchase. That can’t

really happen when shopping online until the item is purchased. A pro of using brick and mortar

stores as distribution centers is that it is cheaper for the business to run. However, most people

prefer to buy things in person and use online for convenience, so having brick-and-mortar stores

as stores would be better. When I shop online, I rarely look at the shipping price. I don’t think it

matters much unless the price before shipping and tax and has a large deviation. From my

research, it seems that it depends on the company on if the customer has to pay for shipping on

returns. Usually, if the customer returns the product that they didn’t like, they must pay a

“restocking fee” even if the shipping is free. I believe that the 2nd step, “Enhance real time

inventory management” is the most important step for retailers interested in Rapid Delivery.

Having all the inventory sorted out and properly managed is extremely important as it can help

the company and management sort out the products and make sure inventory is stocked for the
consumers. I also believe that having good partnerships is important for a business as they need

things like transportation to deliver their products to the customers. I do not think marketing

should be as important as it is as most people will probably find out about a business’s online

store by a basic google search without the need for advertisements showing that they offer

something online.

Sources:

https://whiplash.com/blog/same-day-delivery/

https://whiplash.com/blog/should-i-offer-free-return-shipping/

https://www.loopreturns.com/blog/who-pays-for-return-shipping/

https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/startup/opening-brick-and-mortar-location-for-your-

business