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Slowing Down

I have never been a fan of 2-day shipping for more than 90% of what I buy online. I can easily wait a week if not longer. Given the right incentives, I would easily select a later date. Since I am not a big shopper, I don't have the problem this article describes but there is a great value to consolidating the last mile delivery to once a week. Even within the existing online shopping eco-system, it is possible to create a pattern of incentives that will promote the right consumer behavior. Maybe all the things you buy that are not super urgent, you can indicate an acceptable delivery window - a month out and anytime in that 4th week is okay. So you stuff is staged that way but not quite shopped. 

By the close of that window, if you bought other things, you will be given the option to add to that same delivery which is may two weeks out by now. At some point the window closes and the remaining stuff is staged for later or delivered right away. Providing attractive discounts to wait and consolidate will make many customers choose this option, it may help them plan better and perhaps multiple households or individuals could get together to pull their lists together. I am thinking of deliveries to apartment buildings - if consolidation happens across the units, every day could be a delivery day and residents could hop on to one that is soonest. So many ways to slow down and not affect the consumer adversely. Maybe others will borrow a page from Olive.

There may be some trade-offs for the retailer, if gratification get to be once a month instead of once a week, then chances are they will no longer have control of the buy button in their brain. So the environment can be saved some while profits are made and shareholders are pleased.

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