Autumn 2009

In a bold initiative that puts the company at the forefront of the e-retail market in terms of delivery options, online fashion retailer ASOS.com has launched a same-day delivery service for customers in London and its environs.

It claims that the service is more advanced than anything offered on the market so far, with the potential to cover not just the whole of the area within the M25 motorway, but also locations within a 50-mile radius of its warehouse at Hemel Hempstead.

Customers can place orders up to 2pm for delivery the same evening – a cut-off point considered essential to catch lunchtime shoppers wanting delivery of their purchase for an evening out the same day. On Saturdays the cut-off time is midday.

CitySprint, believed to be the UK's largest courier, is handling the deliveries, and behind the service is the MetaPack delivery management engine. This works intelligently with the ASOS.com web site; for instance, it ensures that same-day delivery is offered only to customers whose address falls within the area of coverage. It also suppresses the same-day option dynamically after the daily cut-off point has passed.

 

The price charged for the service has varied since launch time, when it was around £15. Lower prices have since been quoted. Certainly it has not discouraged takers; ASOS.com reported that 141 orders passed through the service in the first week alone.

Explaining the rationale behind the service, Hilton Eachus, customer delivery manager, comments: 'Even though our customers are happy with our delivery options we are determined to evolve constantly, remaining ahead of the market and setting a precedent.'