We caught up with Dropit Operations Manager, Laura Dai, to chat about seasonal stress, brand ambassadors and why there is no need to be weighed down this Christmas.
The loud lights of Oxford Street are shining brightly once again. Retailers have already tuned into our channels with animated animals and mopey pop song covers. Over-priced novelty gifts and one in a million type bargains. Wrapped up in your faithful winter coat, you prepare to jump once more into the fray. Your family and friends have all put their orders in. Holidays are coming…
But don’t stress (just yet), there is help out there. Whether you plan to visit just one store or many, new start-up Dropit, are dedicated to taking the hassle out of shopping, so that your trip is easier, lighter and ultimately more enjoyable.
Dropit is the first service that allows you to send purchases home as you shop. Providing an online experience in the offline world, their aim is to remove the burden of shopping bags by creating a network effect between retailers in central shopping districts and shopping malls. Unlimited deliveries from different shops consolidated into one convenient and affordable delivery.
The idea behind Dropit was born in 2014 when founder Karin Cabili was indulging in some retail therapy in New York. Like most of us, she found herself weighed down by all her bags but was still keen to head straight out after a day of shopping. As she frustratingly travelled to her hotel to drop off her bags the thought came to her mind, ‘What if I could drop off my bags at the stores where I bought them and have them delivered to my hotel?’ And so Dropit came to be.
"As a small team, we don’t always have the luxury of flexibility, so being able to advertise and recruit via an app is a massive help."
To assist with the hustle and bustle of seasonal demand, Dropit reached out to GIG for Brand Ambassador/Couriers. The role mostly involved running day-to-day operations and helping partner stores to deliver the best service they can.
“Posting shift work on-demand really benefits our business model as we can hire people whenever we want and for whatever time we need,” said Laura Dai, Dropit Operations Manager.
“A flexible hiring strategy helps with peak planning when there is a need for an extra pair of hands over a short period of time. As a small team, we don’t always have the luxury of flexibility, so being able to advertise and recruit via an app is a massive help.”
“We are living and working in such a fast-paced environment these days. Daily conveniences - deliveries, food, transportation – are now required on-demand and at the click of a button.”
For retailers, convenience is the key. As e-commerce continues to grow, the bricks and mortar experience of shop floors and sales assistants is going to change at rapid pace. It was recently announced that online fashion firm, ASOS has overtaken the market valuation of Marks & Spencer. Similarly, the online retailer Amazon is now worth nearly twice as much as Walmart, after overtaking the American grocery chain in 2015. How does this then affect the way that we’re shopping in store today?
"We believe that the future of retail will be where the offline and the online come together."
Amazon Go leads the pack in depicting the ‘store of the future’, fueled by artificial intelligence, augmented reality and robot technology. By all accounts, tomorrow’s shop floor will not just be digitised, it will be a completely new offering. Stores will once again become the places people go to discover, learn and get inspired.
So, what does all this mean for the future of Dropit?
“We believe that the future of retail will be where the offline and the online come together. We want to cement our value proposition as a must-have service that’s quick and easy for retailers to implement and more importantly delivers results. Our goal is to be on every smartphone in London, to allow people to shop lighter, easier and hands-free!”
Do you require on-demand staff to get you through this festive season? Get in touch at sales@gigtogig.co.uk to find out more.