Thanks to the explosion in online commerce over the last 10 years, FedEx and UPS have grown nicely. But what about local courier services?
To me, it seems that with local businesses trying to compete with the likes of Wal-Mart and Amazon, shouldn’t local courier services see some benefit for this? Probably, but I really haven’t seen local courier services create online convenience for its customers.
If a local flower shop wants to do online commerce, it shouldn’t just be partnering with FTD. We all like to support our local businesses but we also like convenience. So the question really is to find a way to make using your local florist more convenient than 1-800-Flowers. The key is the courier service and the end result is a same-day delivery of fresh flowers without any effort from the purchaser. It’s up to the florist to make it smooth but the florist doesn’t want to be in the “driving around town” business.
And this extends to so many businesses that depend on its clients being local. These clients have Internet access and want online options. As I see it, a potential disruptor in the online economy would be a courier service that offers an “on demand” service that gives local businesses a way to be more convenient. The customer doesn’t hire the courier, rather it is just automatic from the business. And then the local businesses would have something to differentiate themselves from their competition.