The boom of ‘last mile delivery’ sector is in front of us. Something which was already on the upswing for the past 2-3 years, got a huge boost because of the unexpected COVID crisis. World over, people have been locked up in their homes and one of the only ways to get groceries, medicines, food etc. is to order ‘online’ & get it delivered at your doorstep. In fact ‘contactless’ deliveries are the in-thing!
To deliver the products, last mile delivery companies generally use a bag or a plain box or a LED Box to carry the goods. Bags are carried on the shoulders, whereas LED boxes are mounted on the bikes. Question arises, which is good, bags or the LED Boxes? Well, we have tried to answer this question by doing a fair comparison below:
| PARAMETERS |
BAGS |
BOX (PLAIN OR LED) |
| Convenience |
Bags are convenient to handle & can be carried on shoulders anywhereBags are convenient to handle & can be carried on shoulders anywhere |
Box has to be mounted on bikes & remains fixed there. |
| Weather Proof |
Some bags are waterproof but many aren’t. Rain may spoil the bags. |
LED Boxes are weatherproof. Be it heat or cold or rain, nothing impacts the boxes. |
| Durability |
Even a good quality bag wouldn’t last for more than 4-5 months. It would get worn off, faded etc. |
A well-maintained LED Box can last for more than 5 years also. |
| Safety |
Bags on shoulders often create instability for the rider, because of the content weight, rider speed, maneuverability etc. In case of an accident, the chances of fatality are much higher. |
LED Boxes are fixed on bikes, so irrespective of the speed, maneuverability, content weight etc. it doesn’t move. Thus, it ensures more safety for the rider, compared to a bag. |
| Health of Rider |
Imagine carrying a bag of at least 10-12 Kg weight for 8-10 hours daily on your shoulders! Sounds too much, right! Think how these bags can impact the rider’s shoulders, spine or back! Their health & well-being shouldn’t be taken for granted! |
Boxes are fixed on bikes. Rider is not carrying them on their shoulders. So boxes have no adverse health impact on the riders. |
| Advertisement |
Branding is done on bags also, but it comes with limitations like, it cannot be changed, cannot be backlit and eventually fades because of the weather impact. |
LED Boxes provide a brilliant opportunity to do branding. Not only that, BikeKitTM LED Boxes are backlit and give the advantage of changing the branding message whenever required. |
| Price |
Bags can cost anywhere between 40$ to 250$ depending on their quality, features, size etc. |
Plain Boxes start at a price range of 90 $ and good LED Boxes by BikeKitTM can cost about 200$++ |
| ROI |
Bags of course present a good value, because of their low initial price. However, assuming that bag is changed 4 times in a span of 2 years & giving no revenue opportunity, it would cost about 160$ to 1000$ as total cost (depending on the option). |
LED Boxes would cost 200$ but don’t need change for 2 years. Only branding needs to be changed (if you wish). BikeKit’s calculation shows a ROI possibility of more than 200% from its boxes. |
We would conclude by saying that both the products, Bags & LED Delivery Boxes are good and have their own merits & demerits. From a short-term perspective, bags are good, as they cost less, however from a long-term perspective, LED Boxes are good, as they are durable and present an excellent ROI opportunity. Above all, for the safety & comfort of the hard-working riders, who in fact make the ‘last-mile’ a reality, BikeKitTM recommends LED Boxes, which doesn’t cause any health strain on them.
