Last mile delivery has become one of the most complex and costly parts of the eCommerce supply chain. For enterprise retailers, the challenge is no longer just about getting parcels out the door, it’s about maintaining control, flexibility, and performance at scale.
Yet many retailers still rely heavily on a single carrier. While this may work in stable conditions, it introduces significant risk into last mile operations, particularly during peak periods or times of disruption.
A multi-carrier strategy has become a critical component of a resilient, cost-effective delivery operation.
The Risk of Relying on a Single Carrier
Relying on one carrier creates a single point of failure in your delivery network. When that carrier experiences delays, capacity issues, or service disruptions, there is no immediate fallback.
This lack of flexibility can lead to:
• Missed delivery windows
• Increased customer complaints
• Higher operational costs from reactive fixes
For enterprise retailers shipping at scale, even small disruptions can quickly escalate into significant operational challenges.
Peak Season Pressure
Peak trading periods expose the limitations of single-carrier strategies more than any other time of year.
During peak:
• Carrier networks reach capacity
• Delivery times become less reliable
• Costs often increase due to surcharges
Without alternative carrier options, retailers are left with limited control, forced to absorb delays and rising costs while customer expectations remain high.
Lack of Flexibility = Higher Costs
A single-carrier model removes the ability to make dynamic decisions at the point of dispatch.
You can’t:
• Switch carriers based on price
• Optimise for delivery speed
• Adjust based on destination or parcel type
• Allocate each order to the best delivery option based on recent performance
This results in a “one-size-fits-all” approach to delivery, which is rarely the most cost-effective or efficient option.
How a Multi-Carrier Strategy Enables Control and Flexibility
A multi-carrier strategy introduces real flexibility into last mile operations by giving retailers access to multiple delivery options within a single workflow.
Instead of being locked into one provider, retailers can make more informed, dynamic decisions at the point of dispatch – selecting the most appropriate carrier based on cost, service level, destination, or performance.
However, managing multiple carriers manually can quickly become complex without the right technology in place.
With a delivery management platform like Scurri Connect, all carriers are integrated into a single system, allowing retailers to manage their entire delivery operation from one place. Through a configurable rules engine, businesses can define exactly how carrier selection should work, based on their own priorities, whether that’s reducing cost, improving delivery speed, or balancing performance across carriers.
These dynamic rules are fully controlled by the retailer, meaning changes can be made instantly without relying on external support or manual intervention. As orders flow through the system, carrier selection happens automatically in the background, ensuring each parcel is assigned the most suitable delivery option.
This approach removes the need for one-size-fits-all shipping decisions and replaces it with a flexible, automated process that adapts in real time to the needs of the business.
Conclusion
As last mile delivery continues to evolve, flexibility and control are becoming essential for enterprise retailers.
A multi-carrier strategy is not only about choice, it’s about building a delivery operation that can adapt, scale, and perform under pressure.
With the right technology in place, retailers can move away from rigid delivery models and take a more intelligent, automated approach to last mile execution.