Delhivery bets on direct to consumer model, automation
1 min read 22 Jun 2020, 07:06 PM ISTDuring the lockdowns, Delhivery has added over 200 clients that primarily include FMCG, pharmaceutical and other retail brands where it is enabling transactions through an omni-channel format
PremiumLogistics unicorn Delhivery expects the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model to gain steam, as retail brands go omni-channel and adopt automation in a post-covid world, said a top executive.
The Gurugram-based firm, which traditionally focused on large clients, including e-commerce majors, is now seeing increased demand from enterprise firms, smaller brands and even home entrepreneurs, as social distancing norms impact offline shopping.
The need for further digitization of supply chains and allowing DTC models has taken centre place in the past three months of lockdown.
During the lockdowns, Delhivery added over 200 clients, which primarily include fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), pharmaceutical and other retail brands, enabling transactions through an omni-channel format.
The startup has active pilots going on with large brands. Under the DTC model, customers, instead of visiting the store, can go online and find the nearest store, and Delhivery can enable the transaction through an omnichannel format, from the store to home.
“Enterprise firms and even smaller brands are changing the way they do business and want to do DTC whether it’s fashion, pharma or baby products. We continue to add more clients each month, but beyond the large retail brands, the real focus is to enable supply wherever possible, including small sellers and homepreneurs (home-based entrepreneurs), leveraging online platforms to sell both essential and home-made goods," said Sandeep Barasia, chief business officer, Delhivery.
With the post-covid era accelerating the hyperlocal model for retail brands, they are adopting it to optimize last-mile fulfilment metrics such as cost, time, logistics and inventory turns.
With large FMCG and pharma firms demanding a faster supply chain, Delhivery is also facilitating the ‘direct to retail’ model— from the warehouse to the store—to ensure availability is high, and there are no bottlenecks that can slow down the movement of goods.
Like DTC, it is conducting pilots for direct to retail as well with large players.
In the current scenario, hyperlocal delivery is becoming part of Delhivery’s business for which it relies heavily on its last-mile delivery network, the startup’s co-founder Mohit Tandon said in a recent Mint webinar.
As part of this, the startup had to figure out how to ensure deliveries in 2, 3 or 4 hours to customer’s doorsteps, at a cost that is viable to the retailer.
