How SMEs can use the delivery management process to maximize revenue in 2025

By Carl Nilsson, VP of Platforms & Marketplaces

It’s official. This year’s Black Friday has been one of the biggest for retailers in recent years. Preliminary data indicates that retailers made between $10.7 billion and $11 billion, reflecting a significant increase from previous years. Globally, spending also reached a new high: over $74 billion was spent in the 24-hour period, up 5% on a year ago, according to Salesforce.

But retailers can’t rely on this annual event to sustain them. They need to find ways to maximize revenue opportunities in the post-purchase customer journey throughout the rest of the year. And there are plenty of opportunities to do that in the delivery management process as we move on from peak week and head into 2025.

Retailers leaving money on the table

Deliveries are a prime area where retailer could be exposed to greater cost and risk than they should. It is possible to lower carrier costs by connecting to more of them. Providing a better post-purchase experience means greater customer loyalty, and increased sales – at home and abroad. All underpinned by better data.

Yet research tells us that one in five small businesses does not actively track ecommerce analytics.

When it comes to building on existing processes to significantly grow revenue in 2025, there are some simple strategies retailers can employ to great effect.

Five ways that the delivery process can help grow revenue

Here are five ways that the delivery process can help grow revenue, boost loyalty and solve business problems in 2025:

1. Increase conversions at checkout – some 70% of shoppers confess to abandoning online shopping carts.² nShift data shows that offering a range of delivery options at checkout can boost conversions by 20%
2. Lower delivery costs – last-mile deliveries make up 41% of logistics costs.³ Investing in multi-carrier capability makes it easier to compare costs between suppliers and automatically pick the cheapest carrier for a deliver
3. Faster growth – the right multi-carrier shipping software makes it far easier to ship to customers abroad, enabling businesses to tap into global markets. 52% of customers are happy to buy goods sold outside their home countries.
4. Higher repeat purchases – a positive ecommerce delivery experience leaves people likely to come back for more. Sending relevant messages during the delivery process creates the chance to weave in product promotions. Fashion retailer, Quiz, experienced a 5x increase in CTR in its customer communications after using our order tracking software, nShift Track.
5. Lower losses from returns – returns risk becoming the silent killer of profit in online retail. Running a digital returns and reverse logistics process makes it easier to convert returns into exchanges. Check out how retailers can win with returns management.

Win customers for life

The delivery experience is a crucial component of the ecommerce customer experience. It is when they receive their first delivery that the customer decides whether the retailer has kept their promise. The right range of delivery options at checkout increases customer choice.

A clear returns policy and regular communications between the brand and the customer during the delivery process helps build trust. By perfecting the delivery processes, brands, retailers and warehouses can win customers for life.

nShift’s solutions reduce complexity in the delivery process, creating access to a network of over 1000 carriers. A range of customer-facing applications make it possible for growing ecommerce companies to operate an end-to-end delivery process from checkout to returns, all through one, reliable platform.

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