Not sure how it happened, but a while back – actually around fifteen years – I ordered a special three-pack of hairspray via the relatively new and exciting online shopping websites. Can’t remember the site, can’t remember anything other than it was at a phenomenally low price for the pack. Imagine my surprise then when one of the UK’s shipping companies arrived at my door with an enormously large clunky pack containing thirty aerosols of hairspray! I decided to keep them, and have still got a few left. So much for the early days of online shopping!
It was back in 1990 that the first World Wide Web server and browser was created by Tim Berners-Lee and we’ve come a long way! Nowadays once a payment for your goods has been received, you are free to download digital media such as music, movies or software – Shipping companies are no longer required to deliver. There’s in-store pick up and Drop shipping too. The latter is when the manufacturer receives the order direct and sends the item to the customer. I have just booked two tickets for an exhibition in New York and actually printed out my own tickets! Amazing.
Shipping Companies are still involved in the process of delivering after an online purchase. The product is delivered to the customer’s home or workplace or can be sent to a customer-designated third party. No doubt about it though, if we see the same amount of changes in online shipping over the NEXT twenty years, who knows HOW many hairspray canisters I’ll have at the bottom of my wardrobe?