Inside Outdoor Fall 2017

It’s no secret. One of the key advantages physical and omni-chan- nel retailers have over pure-play online shops is instant gratification. Folks often forego the convenience of shop- ping from home because they simply want an item, or need it, now. It’s why Amazon has put so much effort into develop- ing and expanding next- and same-day delivery capabilities (everything from adding distribu- tion centers to buying existing chains to building its own UPS- style Fulfillment by Amazon services to developing a fleet of delivery drones). And make no mistake, if Am- azon is able to make same-day delivery somewhat ubiquitous, total e-commerce sales will sky- rocket from current percentages of about 11 percent of total retail sales. All the while, it’s also no secret how retailers that have chosen to work with Amazon run the risk of becoming a target for Amazon, warns Daphne Carme- li, founder and CEO of Deliv. As evidence, Carmeli points to the Whole Foods acquisition. Amazon had slowly built out an online grocery service with its Prime Now service by partnering with grocers such as Sprouts and Kroger, she said. “The grocery outlets that had based their online businesses on Amazon’s platform found their e-commerce partner to now be their biggest competitor.” So it came as welcomed news to many independent retailers when third-party, same-day delivery service Deliv announced a new nationwide expansion to 33 additional major markets. Having previously been available in 19 markets, this fall Deliv doubled its footprint across 23 states and to more than 1,400 cities. How does Deliv help small, omni-channel specialty retailers? According to the company, Deliv enables omni-channel retailers to compete with Ama- zon’s same-day delivery pro- grams by leveraging their brick and mortar locations into fulfill- ment centers to power same- day delivery. Utilizing a fleet of delivery drivers in much the same way Uber and Lyft do for transportation services (includ- ing online reviews by custom- ers), Deliv-enabled retailers can offer the speed and con- venience of delivery that their customers increasingly expect. Further upping the ante on superior customer experience, Deliv also gives retailers’ cus- tomers the option of selecting their preferred one, two or three-hour delivery windows directly from the retailer’s website or mobile app, and pack- age tracking is available through its website. “Same day delivery is quickly becoming table stakes across every retail segment,” said Carmeli. “With Deliv, retailers can offer their customers that same exceptional level customer experience without the need to invest in their own asset-based delivery fleet.” Deliv’s says its existing e- commerce integrations with retail partners have made ex- panding into new markets as simple as adding new zip codes and on-boarding new drivers. Retailers that are expanding with Deliv to power their same- day deliveries across the coun- try include Best Buy, Blooming- dale’s, BloomThat, Fry’s Elec- tronics, K&L Wine Merchants, Office Depot, PetSmart, Macy’s, Plated and The UPS Store. Its 14 new markets include Austin, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colum- bus, Denver, Kansas City, Min- neapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego and Tampa. “As retailers look to offer a consistent experience na- tionwide, they need a proven, trusted, national partner,” said Carmeli. “Our expansion offers them the speed, flexibility and broad national footprint needed to compete with the ever-grow- ing force of Amazon.” “Same day delivery is quickly becoming table stakes across every retail segment.” By Martin Vilaboy Time to Deliver Deliv expands its third-party delivery service to retailers nationwide FLOOR SPACE Inside Outdoor | FALL 2017 16