Online shopping has totally revolutionized the world. Buyers can now simply access and order for anything they would want from the comfort of their homes or offices. Online stores have over the years used different transportation methods to get their products to their customers, depending on the customer’s location and type of the products. These are; road, air, water and rail modes of transport.
Even though these transportation methods that have been used for delivery are quite successful, it is time that online shopping moved to the next level. The use of drones for delivery purposes is now being used by giant online stores to deliver goods to many of their customers. Use of drones will achieve shorter deliveries, up to 30 minutes of order placement. Imagine getting your latest DJI drone delivered by a drone?
Advantages of Drone’s Delivery System
It Conserves the Environment
The drone greatly lowers the rate of emissions as compared to any other mode of transportation. Almost very company is now looking for eco-friendly ways of conducting their industrial operations in order to conserve the environment. Not only does the drone provide for this, but it also preserves energy consumption. Since the drone is a craft, it definitely reduces the number of vehicles on the road. Since most people subscribe to the idea of not polluting the environment, they will most likely purchase products from sellers who subscribe to the same ideal.
It’s Convenient
The drone delivery system is very convenient for the customer as their orders get delivered within a short time. This is especially useful for products such as flowers, cakes, fruits, pizzas and vegetables. This works to the advantage of online stores as it ensures customer retention and satisfaction. The delivery system normally uses the customer’s mobile phone to determine the location of the delivery. It can also update a customer’s new location in case they move.
It’s Cost Effective
The drone helps to eliminate the use of vehicles and other complex process for online stores, thus lowering costs. This in turn increases the speed of delivery of their products.
Disadvantages of Drone Deliveries
Drones Can Get Stolen or Damaged
Online stores face the possible risk of either getting damaged or being stolen. The drones can only fly up to four hundred feet above the ground, making them visible to people. Since the drone is remotely controlled, it makes it very easy for it to be damaged or stolen.
Legal Restrictions
There are regulations that are required to fly a drone. Some of these regulations are; it is illegal to fly drones in overcrowded areas, public institutions and forests. This poses a challenge to the store’s delivery operations as they have to craft routes that do not go against the regulations.
It May Cause Damage
Since the drone is a craft, it may cause injuries if it fell on a person in case it broke down while flying. If the drone also fell on someone’s property, it may cause damage and the online store would be held liable. This may directly affect a store’s profit due to compensation of any damage that the store would have to pay.
To conclude, the drone delivery system is a great revolution for online shopping due to their fast delivery and is likely to increase the sales of the online stores. This may however bring legal issues due to the number of drones that might be in use.
