How to Allow Customers to Schedule Future Delivery Dates on Your Shopify Store

Do you know about the latest updates on Shopify? If not, then you are missing something big that may lead you to be put back by other Shopify store owners. We are talking about scheduling the future delivery date. This app allows your customers to plan their delivery dates for the future. Still have a confusion? Let's talk in detail about this latest update.

To make the customer experience better, it is important to offer flexibility while purchasing. Shopify is a great e-commerce platform, but its basic delivery system is mainly for shipping items right away, which might not always fit what customers want, especially if they're going to choose a future delivery date. Giving them flexibility in scheduling deliveries for later makes things more convenient and satisfying for them. Let's look at how Shopify's normal delivery options work and how you can adjust them to suit customer needs.

What are Shopify's Normal Delivery Options?

Shopify is a popular platform that helps businesses to create and manage online stores easily. Many entrepreneurs around the world use Shopify because it's simple to use and has many features, like managing products and processing payments. While Shopify supports different shipping methods, its default system focuses on quick delivery options. Shopify's shipping system is designed for fast order handling. Studies by Statista indicate that 41% of shoppers expect their orders to arrive within 24 hours, and the remaining 68% prioritise shorter delivery windows at checkout. This increasing expectation shows how important scheduled delivery is. It is a strategy where businesses allow customers to plan future delivery dates for their products. By using scheduled delivery options, companies make customers happier and run their operations more smoothly, which helps them make more money.

To keep with what customers want, logistics companies have started offering new options like next-day delivery. This approach helps meet urgent customer needs while giving businesses the flexibility to use their resources more efficiently.

Features of Shopify Delivery Date App

1. It allows customers to pick their delivery date according to their needs.

2. Set a time gap between placing an order and the delivery dates.

3. You can customise the delivery date picker and show the delivery date and time on the Product page.

4. The delivery dates can be shown on the checkout page.

5. Add location-wise delivery dates and times for delivery.

6. Allow rescheduling orders by selecting the delivery date from the thank you page.

7. Set different shipping rates for different days or multiple shipments.

8. Support deliveries to multiple addresses.

9. Keep track of Delivery orders.

Importance of Offering Scheduled Delivery Dates

Business owners can display the available shipping dates that allow customers to pick a date and time that works best for them. Future delivery date picker helps avoid missed deliveries and reduces shipping costs. The owner can get delivery reminders and send email reminders to customers.

Delivery Schedule apps have many benefits for both businesses and customers. It plays a key role in modern logistics by improving customer satisfaction and business efficiency. By letting customers choose specific delivery times, companies can meet their needs while making their operations run more smoothly.

Better Customer Satisfaction:  

Scheduled delivery apps make customers happier by offering reliable service. Research shows that customers are more likely to shop again with businesses that provide flexible delivery options, like scheduling the delivery dates, which helps build customer loyalty.

More Efficient Operations:  

Scheduled delivery apps allow business owners to manage their logistics better. By planning, companies can make the best use of resources, organise their delivery fleet, and cut costs. This approach helps reduce fuel use and delivery times, making operations more efficient.

Cost Savings:  

Compared to on-demand, scheduled delivery is often cheaper for both businesses and customers. It helps companies cut the costs of faster shipping options while still meeting customer expectations, maintaining a good balance between price and service quality.

How a Delivery Scheduling App is ideal for the Shopify store owners:

Select Delivery Date:

This feature allows your customers to pick the date and time they want their order delivered. They can also add comments during checkout. Past dates and the current date/time won't be available to avoid mistakes.

Cut-Off Time & Delivery Quota Per Day:

You can set a daily cut-off time for orders; any orders after this time will be delivered the next day. You can also limit the number of deliveries per day. Once this limit is reached, no more deliveries can be scheduled for that day.

Delivery Selection from Product, Shipping, and Cart Page:

Your customers can choose their delivery date and time on the product page, shipping page, or cart page for a smoother shopping experience.

View Delivery Details:

Your customers will be able to see a clear breakdown of delivery charges and schedules during checkout. They can view delivery dates in the shipping progress bar, providing transparency on costs.

View Shipping Date, Time & Comments:

Customers will see their shipping date, time, and any comments they have added on a calendar. They can also change or reschedule delivery if needed. They'll get email confirmations of their shipping details and can pick different delivery dates or addresses for multiple products.

Set Date & Time Range:

You can set a delivery date and time range for orders and make it a requirement during checkout. You can also manage multiple delivery addresses.

Calendar View:

Customers will see available delivery dates and times in a calendar format, making it easier to pick a convenient slot.

Block Specific Dates:

You can block certain days, like weekends or holidays, to prevent customers from selecting those dates for delivery.

Set Minimum Grace Period:

You can set a minimum number of days between the order and delivery, ensuring a grace period. You'll also receive notifications about upcoming deliveries.

Delivery Date Based on Shipping Method

You can offer delivery date selection based on shipping methods or turn it off for certain options like free shipping.

Set Order Processing Time

You can set a standard processing time for all products or customise it for individual items based on your delivery setup. Available delivery dates will be adjusted accordingly.

Additional Delivery Charges

Set extra fees for specific deliveries, such as during busy periods like holidays.

Exclude Holidays from Processing Time

Only count working days in your processing time to give a more accurate delivery timeline.

Time Slots for Delivery

Specify time slots for delivery, showing customers when products will arrive and any extra charges for certain slots. You can block out times when you don't deliver.

Track Recent Orders

Add a dashboard tab to track today's delivery orders. You can also export order data for future use and keep a history of past orders.

Choosing the best delivery scheduling app: Flare 

Most delivery scheduling systems can do many tasks to help you meet customer needs and stay focused on them. But Flare has some different key features you should know:

1. Allows customers to plan and schedule orders for future delivery dates.

2. It gives your customers the flexibility to buy exactly when they need it.

3. This converts more customers and increases your LTV.

4. This saves time in managing orders manually.

5. Reduces cart abandonment.

6. View Demo store.

Conclusion

In conclusion, offering customers the ability to schedule future delivery dates can significantly enhance customer satisfaction, improve operational flexibility, and set your Shopify store apart from competitors. By using tools like Flare, you enable a smoother shopping experience and optimise logistics. Clear communication, regular store updates, and prompt support for any scheduling issues are essential to maintaining a positive customer experience. With these practices, you'll meet evolving customer needs while simplifying operations, ultimately moving growth and improving business efficiency.