Retail surgery: Ensuring minimum disruption during the postal strikes

With a well-publicised backlog of post reportedly languishing in Royal Mail depots, it’s no surprise that retailers are looking for ways to limit the disruption the industrial action could have on their businesses.

A recent survey by Asos found that 90% of consumers are more likely to shop online if they are satisfied with the delivery service provided. Key reasons for abandoning an etailer were delivery charges and timings.

With this in mind, many retailers are turning to alternative carriers, and moving to a multi-carrier fulfilment model to improve flexibility.

An efficient way to reorganise is through delivery management software. Asos, Argos and House of Fraser use MetaPack’s carrier contingency programme, which allocates, tracks and manages deliveries automatically all on one screen, keeping businesses informed of where goods are, from store room to the customer address.

For retailers using several different companies to get their deliveries across the UK on time, the correct management system can keep track of parcels’ progress while strikes are ongoing. If one carrier cannot deliver, the job can simply be diverted to an alternative delivery service.

MetaPack chief executive Patrick Wall says: “This is a simple process of amending the allocation rules to divert the traffic for the time required and can be done in a matter of minutes. And because new carriers can be taken on with no integration there is no limit to the immediate contingency retailers can have in any eventuality that may befall the carrier industry.