You’ve decided to open a last-mile distribution center. Congratulations! These managed sales centers can be a great way to reduce shipping costs while getting product into your customers’ hands faster than traditional shipping methods. So how can you make your local community aware that your last-mile distribution center is open for business?

Last-mile challenges are a constant thorn in the side for most e-commerce businesses. Artificial intelligence, however, may have a role to play in solving this problem.

So goes e-commerce, so go last-mile solutions

As e-commerce continues its rise, the importance of last-mile delivery services only increases. Often a business’ reputation is tied to the type of delivery service a customer receives. Knowing this, it becomes imperative for e-commerce businesses to stand out and deliver the goods (literally and figuratively) in a timely manner.

How well do you know millennial shoppers?

By now most retailers should be familiar with the millennial shopper:

• 80 million U.S. consumers born between 1980 and 2000
• The first truly digital generation, they are “more wired, more community conscious, and more skeptical of traditional business practices” than previous generations.
• They spend $600 billion annually on goods and services.
• They are savvy value shoppers, relying on peer recommendations, online reviews and “show-rooming” to get the best prices.
• They prefer to spend money on experiences, not “stuff;” many don’t see themselves ever buying a car or a TV.

Think about your last e-commerce purchase experience. What’s one of the first things you think of? If you said the delivery of the product, you’re not alone.

Regardless of the experience of the actual purchase, the perception of the business — rightly, or wrongly — is often shaped by the circumstances surrounding the delivery.