The world of commerce is rapidly evolving, and the advent of robots and drones has revolutionised the future of quick commerce. The need for faster and more efficient delivery has become paramount. In this guide, we will explore how robots and drones are transforming the world of quick commerce.
What is Quick Commerce?
Quick commerce is a new business model that promises to deliver products to customers in a matter of minutes. Unlike traditional e-commerce, which can take days or even weeks to deliver products, quick commerce is all about speed. The goal is to provide customers with the products they need as quickly as possible. With the rise of quick commerce and e-commerce startups, the need for faster and more efficient delivery has become paramount.
Quick Commerce As a Service
Quick Commerce, also known as q-commerce or on-demand delivery, is a unique and emerging business model in which the time lag between order placement and order delivery is less than e-commerce. Quick commerce targets fulfilling orders quickly and mostly prefers delivering varied foods and daily essentials in smaller quantities, such as everyday staples like kitchen items, medicines and more.
The quick commerce business model typically involves a mother hub, distribution centres, and last-mile delivery stores or dark stores. These dark stores, or micro fulfilment centres, are small warehouses, 250-5000 square feet in area, carrying around 500-2000 unique items.
E-commerce as a service is a business model that combines software and services to provide brands with a powerful way to unlock the incredible opportunity of a multichannel, direct-to-consumer (DTC) selling strategy through an outsourced end-to-end e-commerce operation. Its providers offer brands access to leading e-commerce technology shared resources across key functions such as IT, customer service, fraud management, analytics, fulfilment, finance/tax, and deep e-commerce domain expertise – all delivered as a service.
Quick Commerce vs E-commerce
Quick commerce is often compared to traditional e-commerce, but there are some key differences between these two. While e-commerce is all about convenience, quick commerce is all about speed. Here are some of the key differences between the two:
Delivery Time
The most significant difference between quick commerce and e-commerce is delivery time. While e-commerce can take days or even weeks to deliver products, quick commerce promises to deliver products in a matter of minutes.
Business Model
The quick commerce business model is focused on speed and efficiency. E-commerce, on the other hand, is a more traditional business model that is focused on convenience.
Integration Services
E-commerce integration services are designed to help businesses streamline their e-commerce operations. These services can help businesses manage their inventory, process orders, and handle shipping and logistics. Quick commerce, on the other hand, is all about speed, so integration services are less important.
Startups
There has been a surge in e-commerce startups in recent years, but the rise of quick commerce has led to a new wave of startups focused on speed and efficiency. These startups are developing new technologies and business models that are designed to make commerce even faster and more efficient.
The Rise of Robots and Drones
Robots and drones are transforming the world of quick commerce by making delivery faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective. Delivery robots are autonomous machines that can navigate city streets and deliver packages to customers. They are equipped with sensors and cameras that allow them to avoid obstacles and navigate around pedestrians.
Drones, on the other hand, are unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used to deliver packages to customers. They are faster and more efficient than traditional delivery methods, and they can reach areas that are difficult to access by road.
Delivery Robots
Delivery robots are autonomous machines that can navigate city streets and deliver packages to customers, evolving into the future of quick commerce. Companies like Foodora are already using delivery robots to deliver food to customers in urban areas. These robots are small-sized and run through sidewalks. They are capable of carrying food items and delivering them to customers in a matter of minutes.
Delivery robots are battery-powered and can move at a top speed of 4mph, which is also the typical speed of pedestrians. They are typically equipped with lasers, around 10 cameras, four radars, eight ultrasonic and many other sensors to detect solid objects.
Drones
Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that can be used to deliver packages to customers. They are faster and more efficient than traditional delivery methods, and they can reach areas that are difficult to access by road. Drones are already being used by companies like Amazon to deliver packages to customers in rural areas. In July 2021, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) provided Amazon with permission to test drone operations in rural and suburban areas, as well as permission to test drone sensor performance essential to identifying and avoiding obstacles. Amazon’s latest delivery drone design, the MK27-2, is now being used to make deliveries.
By the end of 2024, the MK27-2 drone will be replaced by the company’s new model six-rotor MK30. Its current fleet of delivery drones flies 400 feet above the ground at speeds up to 50 mph, carrying packages up to 5 pounds within a range of about 9 miles.Drones can transport packages from a local distribution centre or retailer directly to a customer’s doorstep. In the case of last-mile deliveries, drones are typically used for delivering small or medium-sized parcels and can cover relatively short distances.
Benefits of Robots and Drones delivery:
The use of robots and drones for delivery has several potential benefits, including:
- Faster Delivery: Robots and drones can deliver products to customers faster than traditional delivery methods.
- Lower Delivery Costs: They can help reduce delivery costs by eliminating the need for human delivery personnel.
- Improved Customer Experience: It can improve customer experience by providing faster and more efficient delivery.
- Reduced Traffic Congestion: It can assist to lessen the traffic congestion in urban areas by reducing the number of delivery vehicles on the road.
- Reduced Air Pollution: They can contribute in reducing air pollution in urban areas by reducing the number of delivery vehicles on the roads
- Increased Accessibility: They can help to increase accessibility to products by delivering them to areas that are difficult to access by road.
- Improved Time Management: It can prove to be beneficial to improve time management for both businesses and consumers by increasing efficiency in the delivery process.
- Cost Savings: Lastly, it can help businesses save money on delivery costs, which can be passed on to customers through lower prices.
As the world of commerce continues to evolve, we can expect to see more and more companies and e-commerce startups adopting these technologies to stay ahead of the competition.
Conclusion
One of the key drivers of the quick commerce business model is the use of robots and drones for delivery. They are transforming the future of quick commerce. These technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about delivery, making it quick, more efficient, and more cost-effective.
As the world of commerce continues to evolve, we can expect to see more and more companies adopting these technologies to stay ahead of the competition. The market trends for robots and drones in logistics and delivery are likely to reach a stunning $83 and $334 billion in 2032 and 2042, respectively. The use of delivery robots and drones is anticipated to displace hundreds of millions of truck deliveries and transform local commerce. In summary, these technologies have the potential to revolutionize the way we think about delivery, making it faster, more efficient, and more cost-effective.
