Seems like everyone is getting into logistics. Same day delivery services are being offered by Amazon, Ebay and Google in a variety of geographies.
In addition to Internet companies, traditional retailers are also starting to offer same day delivery, with Macy's and Ace Hardware as diverse examples.
Even the U.S. Postal Service is experimenting with same day delivery.
As a side note, I really like Google's same day logo (pictured to the right).
It reminds of the futuristic way things are delivered in the Hunger Game movies.
A number of startups are also driving into this space.
On-demand delivery service Postmates, for example, recently raised $35 million in venture funding.
Postmates will deliver pretty much anything, including $3 burritos if you live in SF.
Startup alcohol delivery services are also increasingly common. The New York Times article Same Day Delivery Resurges, Adding Alcohol covers a number of these companies.
And, of course, the ride sharing companies are jumping in. Uber has a number of deliver related trials going on. including Uber Cargo.
Sidecar is also entering this space. According to a Forbes article, Sidecar drivers are "hyper-efficient logistics experts". Key quote:
Sidecar’s drivers aren’t just freelance cabbies anymore – they’re delivery workers, too, if they choose to be. The future, according to Sidecar at least, could look like this: On-demand cars are mobile space pods full of transportation potential, just waiting to be optimized and filled with whatever item — animal, vegetable, mineral. Drivers are maestros of efficiency, creating a seamless symphony of pickups and dropoffs by following the app’s every cue.
I could go on with many more examples, but you get the point - the on-demand economy is leading to faster, more efficient and cheaper delivery of consumer goods.
But it doesn't stop there.
A number of companies are looking to apply Uber-like business models to B2B shipping, including - of course - Uber itself.
Another example is Cargomatic. They recently raised $8 million to expand their platform for connecting shippers to truckers who are available to help move their cargo.
While shipping freight around the country is more complex than moving people across a town, it's likely on-demand business models and technology platforms will work in the broader logistics industry.
Expect much disruption in this industry in the coming years.
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