The logistics industry It has benefited notably from the changes in customs that the pandemic has brought. The exponential growth of home deliveries as a result of the pandemic is accompanied by different challenges, such as the increase in fuel prices, sustainability or the efficiency of deliveries, in the face of which the retailers they do not finish finding viable solutions that help them optimize their commercial activity and reduce costs.
In this sense, the crowdshippingthe branch of the collaborative economy applied to home delivery, is positioning itself as a respectful and effective solution to these challenges. In fact, Shopopop, European pioneer of this branch, has already made more than two million successful deliveries under this model.
emission reduction
Approximately 25% of total polluting gas emissions come from freight transport, which is also responsible for causing 20% of traffic in cities, according to a report by the consulting firm Deloitte. In this way, crowdshipping offers the possibility of optimize routes and avoid the emissions that we would generate with a traditional delivery model, since it allows taking advantage of the trip of a person to take a package to another who is on his way.
Cost optimization and flexibility
On the other hand, retailers have two other great challenges: reduce costs and, at the same time, maintain the flexibility in deliveries. This is one of the biggest problems in the sector, since integrating delivery logistics in the company is usually very costly in human and financial terms, especially now, with the exponential rise in fuel prices. In addition, the purchase of a suitable vehicle is essential and it is necessary to allocate the time of one or several employees to deliveries.
In this sense, different fast shipping platforms have positioned themselves in recent months as a solution to this growing need. However, although these offer a solution at the speed demanded by the market, complying, in principle, with the required times, they encounter barriers in terms of the flexibility of the area they cover.
Speed in deliveries to the periphery
Precisely, another of the challenges faced by retailers is the deliveries in the periphery. And precisely this is the value offer of the crowdshipping model. In approximately one month since the arrival of Shopopop in Spain, the platform has been able to successfully deliver more than 400 shipments in the capital. In an average delivery time to the final customer of 18 minutes, orders have been distributed to Majadahonda, Las Rozas, Pozuelo, San Sebastián de los Reyes, Alcobendas and Alcorcón, in addition to the city center.
Order size and damage
Another advantage offered by crowdshipping is that it allows larger orders to be transported than other services (as in the case of fast shipments), since the only means of transport is the individual’s own car.
Likewise, crowdshipping is a collaborative delivery model that ensures the good condition and care of the order, since the shopper – a citizen who takes advantage of his trips to make deliveries and receives financial compensation for it – transports and delivers the order as if was own.
“Our model is based on the well-known vehicle sharing, but applied to deliveries. We take advantage of individual journeys so that they earn a bonus in return. It is a new and innovative concept that has been very well received and successful in countries such as France, Belgium, Italy and Portugal, and at this time, we are launching it in Spain, with excellent results in the three months that we have been operational”says Clara Lloveres, Country Manager for Spain at Shopopop.
