Startup delivery service expands reach

Heather McIlvaine

31st May 2017

Zoom2U has teamed up with DHL and BigCommerce to expand its on-demand delivery service, as retailers demand more customer-centric delivery options ahead of Amazon’s arrival Down Under.

A partnership with e-commerce platform provider BigCommerce gives merchants the ability to offer three-hour and same-day delivery, while a deal with DHL gives customers the ability to choose an evening delivery service across Australia.

The two-and-a-half-year-old delivery service also offers a live tracking system and a tool for customers to rate and review drivers.

Zoom2U founder and CEO Steven Orenstein said these features give customers a better experience and reduce the need to reschedule deliveries or collect parcels from the post office.

“With more people shopping online, on-demand delivery services have become a vital extension to businesses,” Orenstein said.

“As Amazon prepares to launch in Australia, we’re seeing that businesses large and small are really looking at how their delivery experience stacks up.”

Recent research shows that a majority of Australian consumers report having a bad online shopping experience largely due to late and missed deliveries.

According to Orenstein, the company is doing close to 30,000 deliveries per month, up from 250 deliveries in its first month.

But even as the company positions itself for growth, Orenstein said large bricks-and-mortar retailers are in a strong position.

“Retail stores are typically closer to the consumer. Their advantage is that speed-to-consumer – they’re faster than a warehouse.”