Exercise gear and sporting equipment, small furniture, TVs, tires, bags of feed or fertilizer. The lucrative margins that often come with big and bulky items make them an appealing addition to any merchandise assortment. Half of consumers recently surveyed expect to purchase more big and bulky items this year compared to last year. But those markups can come with some downsides, including the hassle of delivery.

The dimensional weight surcharges, handling fees, elaborate packaging requirements, early cutoff dates and shipping delays that carriers impose on oversize goods set off alarm bells for consumers and sellers alike. With one in three shoppers now expecting same-day delivery, would-be buyers see the extra cost, time and trouble that comes with a bulk item purchase, and that potential sale becomes an abandoned cart. Some sellers have given up entirely, not even offering shipping for larger goods.

Crowdsourced delivery puts big, bulky goods back in those carts. By tapping a network of independent drivers using their own cars, you can skip the packaging, avoid fees and surcharges and deliver oversize goods to customers as far as 100 miles from your location, same day. That makes selling a rowing machine or composter no different than a rolling pin or a candle.  

Delivering confidence

Crowdsourced delivery not only gets that oversize item to the customer as fast as any other merchandise, but it also provides another benefit consumers highly prize: certainty. Retailers are learning that knowing when a purchase will arrive is one reason same-day delivery has become so popular. No one wants a large, and probably expensive, item left on their front porch sometime in the next three to five days.

Roadie lets businesses offer customers tight, specific delivery windows that take the inconvenience and risk out of oversize delivery. Step-by-step live tracking, proof of delivery and the ability to communicate directly with the driver help your customers feel confident and secure as they eagerly await their purchases; half of consumers blame negative delivery experiences on poor communication.

Roadie also matches the requirements of your bulky item to drivers with the right vehicle for the job, such as an SUV, pickup or cargo van, along with the equipment they may need, like dollies, to ensure your items arrive safe and sound. Oversize merchandise can be dropped off at the front door, garage or the closest dry area at the delivery address. 

All of that happens with no surcharges, no extra packaging and no delays. You can offer the same delivery experience as any other item and extend order cutoffs as late as your fulfillment center or store can handle, since there are no carrier rules to accommodate. All that flexibility maximizes your chance of making the sale. 

Boost sales with oversize delivery

With fast shipping a deciding factor when many consumers make the buy-or-leave decision, you never want to give a consumer a chance to click away. Choosing Roadie lets you expand ultrafast delivery to your whole product assortment, including those sought-after oversize goods, so you can reduce cart abandonment, drive more revenue and keep those satisfied customers coming back for more.