Use drones to deliver to isolated rural areas

By TCR
— Nov 15, 2016


Use drones to deliver to isolated rural areas

From Amazon to Domino’s Pizza, many market players have created buzz with their projects to deliver by drone. Not surprisingly, in China this dream has become a reality. After several months of testing and thanks to flexible regulations, the Chinese e-merchant JD.com implemented four routes last November 11th on the occasion of the annual major Chinese e-business event. This could greatly improve the consumer habits of those who live in the Chinese countryside.

This delivery solution is designed to facilitate delivery in rural Chinese areas, where purchasing power is rapidly developing. This project is part of the new consumer recruitment strategy for Chinese e-merchants like Alibaba and JD.com. Chinese campaigns are a true growth reservoir. In consequence, the new target for these e-business players is no longer in Shanghai, but in smaller villages like Miaoxia, deep in the heart of the rural province of Henan. However, it is still common for a large number of Chinese to have to wait several weeks to receive an online order. In addition, the delivery price can be as much as six times more expensive.

This is an issue of cost and time for consumers, and one that JD.com wants to solve using delivery by drone. To do this, the e-merchant has developed a network of 300,000 partners to deliver goods to nearly 600,000 Chinese villages with drones. When people who live in one of these areas place an online order, their package is now sent from a warehouse to a delivery platform, where a JD.com staff member attaches it to one of five types of drone, depending on package weight. Next, it is sent to a one of the e-merchant’s local partners, who takes care of the last few kilometers to the consumer’s home.

The e-merchant plans to deliver by drone on 100 regular routes by the end of 2017.

 

We like: The intention behind the project of delivery by drone and an improvement in the availability of e-business offers for remote areas in the country.

 

We were inspired to ask: How can delivery methods by e-business players be optimized to satisfy French consumers? Today, many stores and brands offer faster and more sustainable delivery methods, but these initiatives are still limited to large cities and almost exclusively to Paris.

#accessibily #custexp #delivery #retail

 

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