What impact has the Coronavirus had on the delivery industry?

By now all of us are pretty much aware of COVID-19, which started in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and by now has affected the whole world, becoming a pandemic. It has already infected more than 22 Million people and had near about 792,000 casualties worldwide, with the U.S.A, Brazil and India being the worst-hit countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted businesses worldwide, forcing many to close or significantly alter operations. However, amidst these challenges, a sector has emerged thriving: the delivery business. This blog post explores how the pandemic fueled the exponential growth of delivery services and its potential lasting impact.

The Surge in Demand for Delivery Services

Statistics paint a clear picture: online grocery sales in the US alone surged by 23.9% in 2020 compared to 2019 [Source needed]. This exponential growth reflects a global trend fueled by lockdowns, social distancing measures, and a shift in consumer behaviour towards online shopping and home delivery for essentials and other goods.

Transformation of Traditional Businesses into Delivery-Based Models

From restaurants to clothing stores, traditional businesses have adapted by incorporating delivery services. Restaurants, for instance, partnered with delivery platforms or offered their own delivery options. This transition presented both benefits, like wider reach and increased sales, and challenges, such as managing logistics and maintaining product quality during delivery.

Technology’s Role in Facilitating Delivery Services

Technology has been instrumental in optimizing delivery operations. Artificial intelligence (AI) streamlines delivery routes, GPS tracking provides real-time updates, and mobile apps offer seamless ordering and tracking for both customers and delivery personnel. Innovative solutions like drone deliveries are also being explored.

Challenges Faced by the Delivery Industry

Despite its growth, the delivery industry faces hurdles. Supply chain disruptions due to lockdowns and border restrictions can impact product availability. Additionally, labor shortages require innovative solutions to meet the rising demand for the delivery personnel.

The Future of Delivery Business Post-Pandemic

As the pandemic recedes, the delivery business will likely evolve. While some consumers may return to in-person shopping, the convenience and accessibility of online shopping and delivery are expected to continue to be influential factors. The industry might see a shift towards faster and more sustainable delivery options.

What Industries Make Use of On-demand Delivery Apps?

Coronavirus has adversely affected the global economy. All the sectors, be it airlines, hospitality, goods, trade or any other, are facing unprecedented lows. However, even this grim situation has a few unseen benefits, one of which is the growing delivery business and this has contributed to establishing a powerful market for on-demand delivery apps.

Online Grocery Delivery Businesses

Online Grocery delivery is one of those businesses that has seen a massive surge in the past couple of months. All across the globe, people are now going for online groceries to fulfil their daily food supply which further has resulted in an increased demand for Grocery Delivery App Development. Moreover, the Chinese online retailer JD.com witnessed a growth of 215% year over year to a massive 15000 tons during a short period of 10 days starting from late Jan to early Feb. Even in the U.S.A., there was a sudden hike for on-demand app solutions and besides, various online grocery apps including Walmart Grocery, Instacart, Shipt, and many others witnessed a huge number of downloads.

Mail And Delivery Services

The COVID-19 pandemic has also distressed mail and delivery services. Nevertheless, most of them are continuing to operate, although it has affected its delivery speed. Many delivery service providers like FedEx have announced that they are sanitizing their equipment.

However, According to the CDC, there’s a very low chance of coronavirus spreading via the products and packages that are shipped over numerous days due to the poor survivability of the virus on surfaces.

Food Delivery

Experts believe that restaurant companies and third-party delivery firms can boost their earnings by providing meals to hungry self-isolated consumers. Many companies such as Uber can see a surge in food delivery orders as the majority of people would opt to stay at home and avoid travel. The restaurant companies are also adapting to the Pandemic situation.

Contact-less Delivery

Across the globe, many of the food delivery companies have gone along with contactless delivery methods. Companies like Postmates, DoorDash, Glovo, Just Eat, Deliveroo, Zomato, Domino, and McDonald’s have introduced a zero-contact approach to their deliveries.

In contactless delivery, the delivery person will keep the food on the customer’s doorstep to avoid the risk of infection and will also wait outside to ensure that the order is collected.

Amazon To Hire An Additional Staff Of 100,000 Employees In The U.S

To meet the surge in demand for online shopping due to the coronavirus outbreak, Amazon has planned on hiring workers for extra part-time and full-time positions for both delivery and warehouse.

Amazon has been facing the problem of product shortages and delivery delays amid the coronavirus outbreak. They have claimed that many of their popular brands and items were out of stock, while many of them were taking longer to deliver than usual. Not only this but the same-day or two-day delivery options available to their prime customers have also suffered a delay of several days.

The company is taking extra precautions at their various fulfilment centres by increasing the frequency of cleaning at all the sites. They have also informed their employees to sanitize and clean their vehicles and workstations at the start & end of all the shifts.

Businesses all across the globe are facing unprecedented losses due to the COVID-19 crisis. Industries are coming up with ways to sustain in the market in this grim period. The only business that is witnessing a high demand is the delivery services and as time passes by, we will see how this delivery business will leave its mark.