DISCUSSION
Saks Off 5th aims to deliver on schedule
Written by RetailWire Staff
Photo: Saks Off 5th
For online shoppers expecting online deliveries from Saks Off 5th, less will be up in the air thanks to a new feature the retailer is implementing.
Saks Off 5th is implementing a Guaranteed Delivery Date for thousands of items, according to a press release. The feature allows customers to see the delivery date both while shopping and while checking out, so they do not have to depend on post-shipping information from a carrier to see when their package will arrive.
The date is calculated based on features such as the distance between the product’s location and its destination, and the carrier used to fulfill the order. This replaces the previous system, which gave a non-dynamic delivery window regardless of location, so that customers ordering from New York, Seattle or Hawaii all saw a general range of three to five days. The feature also gives customers multiple delivery speed options, including faster delivery for a higher cost.
The move comes as retailers are beginning to look at delivery date specificity, rather than delivery speed, as a way to meet customer demands, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Terry Esper, associate professor of logistics at the Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business, told the Journal that customers have grown used to waiting for some deliveries due to supply chain disruptions throughout the pandemic and that visibility and information on when to expect a package are more important than the promise of ultra-fast delivery speed.
Other retailers have implemented enhanced package tracking in recent years to provide customers more visibility into the process.
Amazon.com, for instance, allows customers to track packages shipped through its delivery service on a live map once they are en route, so customers can pinpoint exactly where the delivery vehicle is.
While knowing exactly when a delivery is coming can be especially beneficial during the holidays when more people are anticipating time-sensitive gift deliveries, it can be helpful year-round, especially for people who live in apartments with multiple units or are concerned about having packages stolen.