We may be a little more than halfway through the year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t gaze into our crystal ball and take a look at parcel shipping and logistic trends for the rest of 2021.
Direct-to-Customer Fulfillment
While Nike may take the crown as the most successful direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand since announcing plans several years ago, there are plenty of others that got into the home delivery game during the pandemic, and we don’t see that going away anytime soon.
As reported in ROI Revolution, 73% of consumers using D2C ecommerce throughout COVID-19 plan to continue post-pandemic, and brands –along with 3PLs that service them—will continue to ramp up their D2C logistics to keep up with that demand.
Streamlining Cross-Border Consolidation
This trend is not new. However, as the world slowly emerges from COVID-19 international parcel shipments are reclaiming center stage.
While people often think bigger or globally when thinking international shipping, trade between the three North American nations lead the way for the United States.
According to a report in Logistics Management, Mexico is the largest trading partner of the United States, with $614.5 billion in two-way goods during 2019; the last full year statistics are available. Canada ranked as the second-largest U.S. trade partner with $611 billion in two-way trade during the same timeframe, marking the fifth straight year it held that spot.
To help save time and money, we expect more shippers to take advantage of cross-border consolidation when it comes to shipping parcels direct-to-consumers in these neighboring countries.
Omnichannel Shipping and Multi-Carrier Networks
To keep up with customer demands for fast and free deliveries, retailers continue to implement omnichannel shipping strategies to fulfill orders from an endless aisle. They are shipping from fulfillment centers, stores, 3PL warehouses, and suppliers to achieve faster delivery at reduced shipping costs. As they continue to expand their shipping points, they are also expanding their carrier networks to include national, regional, local, and specialized carriers.
While this has helped cut down on the time of deliveries, it can also be challenging to manage all of the moving pieces without the proper multi-carrier management solution.
Fast, Free, and Sustainable Parcel Shipping
There’s no denying that many shoppers are looking for greener and more eco-friendly options. Naturally, this extends to sustainable packing and shipping.
According to Shopify, consumers want fast, free and sustainable delivery options—and the three aren’t necessarily exclusive of each other. Globally, 64% of consumers want their orders shipped for free, and 67% of U.S. consumers expect either same, next, or two-day delivery, the report showed. At the same time, 72% of global consumers want brands to use sustainable packaging for their deliveries—although many do not at the expense of added expense.
This means shippers that can pack more efficiently can help provide low or free shipping that doesn’t produce waste without passing the costs on to the consumer, giving them a competitive advantage.
There you have it our quick look at some of the ongoing trends we see continuing and growing for the remainder of the year. If you’d like to see how Transtream multi-carrier management solution can help you not only keep up with these and other trends but stay ahead, book a demonstration today.