A new report shows that 36.7% of retailers, e-tailers, and other businesses restrict the delivery of big and bulky items, even as the retail delivery market grows. Nearly half of respondents say “oversized” describes more than 20% of what they sell, underscoring why high-quality, efficient last-mile delivery for those items is so crucial.
The research, published by Roadie in partnership with studioID, explores the pain points, opportunities and benefits of big and bulky delivery. Nearly half (47%) of the surveyed businesses cited early cut-off times for oversized items as their primary logistical challenge, followed closely by the complexity of managing multiple carriers (45%), indicating a clear need for more flexible and responsive delivery solutions.
“As retail giants like Amazon continue to push the bar higher, customers expect the same high-quality delivery whether they order a tablet or a big-screen TV,” says Marc Gorlin, founder and CEO of Roadie. “Retailers that can offer faster, more reliable delivery for oversized items are not just solving a logistical problem – they’re expanding large-item revenue streams and building customer loyalty.”
Key Takeaways:
- The majority of respondents use a mix of delivery services to handle their big and bulky goods, whose early cutoffs and multi-day transit times can lead to cart abandonment. Slow delivery speed (49%) was the top reason for cart abandonment, followed closely by the lack of flexible delivery windows (45%), inability to have the item brought into the home (44%) and difficulty communicating with delivery providers.
- In June, Roadie introduced RoadieXD, a nationwide network of cross-docks, to enable retailers to offer same-day delivery for almost anything of any size
- Companies that have outsourced pre-sorting, cross-docking and delivery of bulky goods have seen a 62% increase in productivity. They’re ahead of the curve – 56% of respondents anticipate such a benefit but have not yet partnered with a provider to bring it to fruition.
