A recent report by Telstra involving 800 respondents from across Australia reveals that today’s ‘omnichannel customer’ is now demanding choice, value and convenience. The study also uncovered that technological advancements; a deeper collaboration with the customer; and dynamic services are all key emerging trends in the consumer market.
In response to the growing need for choice, flexibility and convenience, independent courier company Fastway Couriers developed Parcel Connect, a parcel delivery service that allows customers to send and collect parcels through its national network of local retailers.
“Parcel Connect has proved to be a great success so far,” Richard Thame, CEO of Fastway Couriers, says. “As our network footprint continues to grow across the country, Fastway is working towards expanding this service to add a parcel return service. With industry research revealing that 86 per cent of customers are looking for the ability to return goods to a physical location, and provide flexible courier services, we already understand what the customer wants, and we’ll be taking initial steps to deliver further innovations to the market.”
Over the last 12 months Fastway has expanded its network, formed partnerships and pioneered the latest technology to ensure it caters to online retailers, and it’s not stopping there.
“At Fastway, we consistently monitor global online retailing trends and assess the value of our services according to market demand and our customer’s expectations. We realised early on that e-commerce would revolutionise the courier industry. This is why we have, and continue to, operate a responsive, customer centric business strategy that embraces the latest technology and invests in a range of innovative services that suit the needs of online retailers and their customers.”
In collaboration with eBay, one of the largest online marketplaces in Australia, Fastway operates a specialised eBay seller portal that simplifies the shipping process for online retailers, allowing them to just ‘click, print and send’. This fully-integrated last mile solution offers small to large online retailers’ cost-effective and reliable delivery options that utilise Fastway Australia’s national network.
“These innovations are geared towards offering choice to the ‘anywhere, anytime’ customer. With such time-sensitive, value-seeking customers that demand a personalised and efficient service, retailers and delivery companies need to embrace the changes to the ‘traditional customers’ to secure their survival. Fastway offers a range of services to suit our customer’s needs and allow them to grow their business with a variety of last mile solutions that always delight at the door,” says Thame.