With more and more businesses focusing their attention on online sales, it’s pretty safe to say that the parcel delivery market in the UK is set to continue to evolve over the coming years. So, with an increasingly competitive marketplace, we take a look at what the parcel delivery industry might do to cope in 2023.
Christmas 2022 saw the UK parcel delivery sector reaching breaking point. There were strikes in the UK postal service, and pictures littered social media of delivery companies leaving parcels outside depots as they were unable to cope with the sheer volume of packages they received.
The sector is only likely to get busier. So how can parcel deliveries in the UK change for the better moving forward?
The Environment Will Be a Major Factor Moving Forward
As is always the case these days, whenever any industry is looking to make changes, the environmental impact has to be taken into consideration. The parcel delivery sector relies on putting a lot of vehicles on the roads, so whenever new plans are being drawn up, CO2 emissions have to be taken more seriously, and plans will need to be put in place to either limit the damage or to try and reduce emissions across the board.
At the moment more van couriers could be the immediate answer. It has an obvious negative impact on the environment, but with more companies using electric vehicles, the damage could be limited. This does create further headaches for delivery companies though, as it would mean more cost issues, involving fuel/electricity, vehicle maintenance, insurance, etc. Using the latest information on HMRC mileage rates for 2022/2023 can help to keep costs down, and companies like Moss can advise on how to best use these rates to manage overheads.
There are plenty of hurdles to jump when it comes to the environment though. The balance between the desire for profit and the damage profit-making may cause to the environment is always going to be tricky, and is always likely to upset someone.
Could Amazon’s Scout Be the Way Forward?
As an alternative to more vehicles, trials in the USA have been carried out by what is known as the Amazon Scout. The Scout is a ground-based six-wheel delivery robot that delivers parcels to your door. The system has been trialed in neighborhoods in the USA and is something that is being actively looked at in the UK.
All this is a long way off though, and with the sector needing more instant fixes, more conventional ideas are likely to be needed.
One such idea is local neighborhood hubs for people to pick up their goods. completing the last mile on foot. The obvious flaw is that people will drive to the hub, but it is still an option.
Another idea could be to follow the food delivery industry’s blueprint of using couriers riding bikes to deliver parcels. Food delivery cyclists are a regular site these days, and if they can deliver food, then why not small packages?
Also Read: Walmart Buys Parcel to Offer Same-Day Delivery in New York
