Why Your Tampa Retail Business Needs Same-Day Delivery

Retail business is competitive in the Tampa Bay Area where choices are abundant and customer expectations are high. Moreover, retailers now have to compete with online stores. The “instant gratification” advantage local stores used to have over online merchants are eroded by the introduction of same-day delivery.

Now customers can get almost everything ordered and delivered to their doorsteps with just a few wipes on the screen or clicks with a mouse.

What can you do to stay competitive and retain local customers?

Regain your competitive edge by offering same-day delivery to your customers to increase sales and customer retention:

• A survey from fraud prevention firm, Trustev found that 56% of consumers age 18-34 expect a same-day shipping choice.
• A similar survey by Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates found that 64% consumers rated speed of delivery as an influencing factor in their purchasing decision.
• A survey by Dropoff conducted in February 2018 found that after receiving same-day delivery, 74% of consumers said they’d be more likely to purchase from that retailer again.

Same-day delivery gives shoppers, who prefer to research items in store, but purchase them online or by phone, the benefit of "instant gratification." It also helps boost customer orders online or over the phone because they’ll be able to have their items delivered to their doorsteps within hours.

However, implementing this “last mile logistic” can be quite a bit of work, especially in the Tampa Bay Area, which covers a large number of neighborhoods including Downtown Tampa, East Tampa, Hyde Park, Northwest Tampa, Palmetto Beach, Seminole Heights, Sulphur Springs, Tampa Heights, Terrace Park, West Tampa, and Westshore Business District.

It’s not always easy to devise an economic model for local same-day delivery, as most options available to large retailers are simply not sustainable for local businesses.

Good news is, there’s a solution right at your fingertips. Partnering with local vendors who provide same-day delivery will allow you to offer this personalized service to your customers without breaking the bank.

At Dropoff, we help local businesses make same-day delivery available to their customers.

Our API integration lets you connect your e-commerce site to our backend so our Agents, who are always at the ready, can handle your delivery as soon as an order is placed.

After a package is picked up, you can track it and get updates on the ETA with our real-time tracking system. You’ll also know that the package arrives on time and in good condition with our signature verification emails.

In addition, our delivery Agents drive cars, SUVs, and cargo vans – which are great for navigating the traffic during peak hours to ensure on-time delivery.

These smaller vehicles also mean deliveries are handled in smaller batches, so the chance of items being lost or damaged is vastly reduced compared to services that use large trucks, like UPS or FedEx.

Our Agents wear uniforms, drive clean branded vehicles and have extensive customer service experience. They’re committed to providing your customers with the best experience possible.

"Our customers rely on us to be there for the moments that matter and we needed a logistics partner we could count on. We first turned to peer-to-peer services for our deliveries, but were unhappy with the level of service and how our customers were treated. Since switching to Dropoff, we’ve happily discovered they’re more than just a same-day delivery solution. Now we can get our customers their orders quickly, have trusted professional Agents representing our brand, and have been able to expand our business to boot.”

Susan Sarich - Founder, SusieCakes

"Placing my Dropoff order is quick and easy, and it is valuable to be able to follow the progress. Their Agents are uniformed and courteous. Dropoff has given us full satisfaction."

Lauren Havens - Director of Sales, YLANG 23

"Dropoff has been great to work with for our express delivery service. The Dropoff team is efficient, reliable, and they always turn around our express requests on time. Dropoff will be a great asset to large and small businesses alike in the Austin area and we look forward to working with them for a long time to come."

Benoit Ballon - Business Owner, King Florist

"Dropoff is the perfect partner for our on demand delivery needs. They are an extension of our business; professional, proactive and 100% reliable. We have high standards for customer service and Dropoff is the only company of its kind to exceed our expectations.”

Jamil Williams - General Manager, Silverlake Wine