Embracing Hyperlocal Delivery in the E-Commerce World

Convenience triumphs everything else — this is at least true in the world of e-commerce and retail. Consumers today are well aware of the choices they have and when given the chance, they will not hesitate to pick whichever retailer that can offer them the most seamlessly convenient shopping experience. As sellers become more aware of this harsh market reality, we can expect to see more and more retailers rushing to include hyperlocal delivery in their service repertoire. 

While there is no doubt that the global hyperlocal market is on the rise, the questions remain: Why is there a need for businesses to embrace hyperlocal deliveries in the first place? And, how exactly can retailers plan for their hyperlocal delivery strategy in this post-COVID era? In our latest episode of our “Unpacking E-Commerce Logistics” series, we sat down with Suharto Chatterjee from Xpressbees to discuss the aforementioned questions and more.

Key highlights of this episode:

• Suharto’s background and career trajectory

• Defining hyperlocal delivery in the most general sense

• How hyperlocal delivery benefits consumers and retailers alike

• Key differences between traditional last-mile and hyperlocal deliveries 

• Sustainable fleets in India’s hyperlocal delivery market

• Challenges to expect when running a hyperlocal delivery model

• What makes Xpressbees different from the rest and plans for the future

• How retailers can get started with offering hyperlocal deliveries

COVID-19 has accelerated the emergence of the on-demand economy at a more advanced rate than ever before. In this episode, Suharto Chatterjee started off by sharing about his career path and what brought him to Xpressbees specializing in hyperlocal delivery. According to Suharto, a hyperlocal delivery  is a delivery made from very nearby stores to consumers’ homes within a stipulated time frame. Some of the many benefits of the hyperlocal model include increased revenue for retailers with minimal effort, greater convenience for customers, and enhanced visibility in the supply chains for all parties involved.

With that being said, challenges are aplenty when it comes to introducing a hyperlocal delivery strategy. On top of complex inventory planning, retailers also have to deal with additional marketing costs as well as irregular operations as they do not know when mass orders may pour in. Lastly, when it comes to sustainability, Suharto noted that a decent percentage of Indian delivery fleets currently use electric vehicles and believes that the number will increase as the ecosystem becomes more developed in the future. 

For the full discussion, check out the video below. You wouldn’t want to miss it!

About Suharto Chatterjee

Suharto Chatterjee is the Assistant Vice President of Xpressbees, the fastest-growing express logistics service provider in India that caters to a myriad of end-to-end supply chain solutions across the country. Before Xpressbees, Suharto previously served as the General Manager at Swiggy, India’s leading on-demand delivery platform built on the back of robust Machine Learning technology. With nearly a decade of supply chain experience under his belt, Suharto has expertise in many areas including business development, project management, demand forecasting and Statistical Analysis.

About Unpacking E-Commerce Logistics Series

Unpacking E-Commerce Logistics brings together some of the best experts in the e-commerce logistics and supply chain space to unpack key concepts from a variety of trending topics, ranging from the use of Artificial Intelligence in the industry to embracing hyperlocal delivery in the e-commerce world. An integral part of this series are Ask Me Anything sessions where the audience can ask our thought leaders questions about their career paths, challenges, personal growth and even their plans for the future. No question is off-topic during these interactive 30-minute sessions!

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