According to Good Morning America, Amazon is adding in-garage delivery options to its already vast array of delivery options – in-home and in-car. I remember when I first started working after college receiving a package was an ordeal! I was lucky if I could go to the post office on a Saturday to get a package or have to take a vacation day just to get the package. How insane that sounds!

Now, we can receive packages in-car (I would have loved that at the time because I could go to the parking lot at work), in-home (hard to imagine but even Walmart has been testing putting groceries away in the refrigerator with in-home delivery) and now in-garage if you don’t want people in your house or if you have pets you worry about. You can control the garage door opener from your phone and see the package being delivered for peace of mind. Talk about convenience!

What Should We Consider and/or What Impacts Could Arise?
Consumer products companies are evaluating all sorts of convenience-related delivery options to ‘win’ the race for shopping convenience. That’s why we also see Amazon tents popping up around the country as Amazon gets into the transportation business and needs last mile facilities. What will be next?

At a minimum, get up-to-speed with the latest strategies in e-commerce and logistics. LMA Consulting was a sponsor at the e-commerce and Logistics Summit recently, featuring keynoters from UPS, Georgia Tech and more. Check out these types of events to at least be aware of what’s happening in the industry and think about what types of piloting you should perform at your company.

Can you work with select customers to determine what type of service would go “over-and-beyond” for them? High-quality products and great brands are no longer enough. You better add top notch service into the mix to succeed!

You’ll find more information on these types of topics on our resilient supply chain series.