When shoppers are overburdened at the malls during the holidays and can’t hold all of the items they need to buy, what are they to do? That’s the question a startup company is hoping to solve.
Deliv is a recent startup service that contracts with malls to pick up shopper purchases and deliver them to a shopper’s home or other chosen location within a certain distance from the mall. The company employs a network of local drivers to deliver the items and charges a $5 delivery fee. During this past holiday season, some mall locations offered the delivery service for free.
To take advantage of the service, customers can either drop off their purchased items at a booth or leave them with mall employees. Some mall locations also have runners that will pick up purchased items directly at store locations. The items are then picked up by a local driver who will deliver them within a defined delivery area.
Malls are unlikely to derive direct revenue from the same day delivery service, but they’re hoping to offer it as a perk to customers in an effort to entice more foot traffic to visit their locations. It’s one of many ways brick and mortar-based retailers are attempting to compete with online-based retailers.
With consumer purchases shifting more toward online sources with each passing year, brick and mortar retailers are continuously searching for opportunities to draw shoppers into their stores. Same day delivery shipping services could help reduce the outflow of business to the Internet, but only time will tell if efforts can stop or merely slow the digitally shifting trend.
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