indicated it was the perfect time to promote the service in new ways. Encouraged by Roadie’s willingness and assurance it could scale demand, Blain’s Farm & Fleet decided to offer free same- day delivery (with a $35 order minimum) to its neighbors in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The results were astounding. Within the first three weeks of implementing the service, Blain’s experienced a 738% surge in same-day delivery order volume and a 378% year-over-year increase in same-day delivery revenue compared to the same period in 2022. Suddenly, what had initially been viewed as a stopgap measure to circumvent unusually early shipping cut-off dates began to look like an essential means of delivering merchandise to consumers. Demand was obviously there, so Blain’s decided to offer the same-day delivery option year-round. ON THE GROUND Being a crowdsourced delivery platform enables Roadie to deliver unique benefits to a company like Blain’s Farm & Fleet. It often happens that some of the same neighbors the Midwest retailer considers its customers also happen to work for Roadie.
service” in place at its stores. However, in the spirit of continuing to adapt and expand its products and services to meet neighbors’ diverse lifestyles and needs, expedited door-to-door delivery began to make a lot of sense. In late 2023, shipping constraints
By tapping into a fleet of more than 200,000 independent drivers nationwide, Roadie enables retailers to offer local delivery in more than 97% of the United States. Blain’s Farm & Fleet already had a well- received “buy online, pick up at drive-thru
CASEBOOK STUDY One for the Roadie THE CHALLENGE
Feeling constrained by traditional carriers’ shipping cut-off dates during an important holiday promotion period, specialty retailer Blain’s Farm & Fleet searched for a way to better serve its customers. THE SOLUTION Blain’s partnered with the logistics management and crowdsourced delivery platform Roadie, a UPS company, to offer same-day delivery for online holiday shopping. RESULTS Within the first three days of implementing same-day delivery, Blain’s experienced a 738% surge in order volume and a 378% year-over-year increase in revenue compared to the same period one year earlier. The retailer decided to offer the option year-round. NEXT STEPS As Blain’s continuously evaluates how it can better serve its customer base, Roadie offers considerations such as RoadieXD, a nationwide network of cross- docks that delves deeper into the supply chain.
Roadie enables local delivery to more than 97% of U.S. households by providing access to more than 200,000 independent drivers nationwide. The service allows businesses to offer their customers delivery options for almost any industry—from florists to home goods.
60 Inbound Logistics • May 2025
Powered by FlippingBook