INTERVIEW | Ruslan Golomovzy: FastDrop’s new Shopify plug-in to help businesses streamline their deliveries

When was FastDrop launched and what has been the take up so far?

FastDrop was launched officially just before the summer of 2021. The product evolved from eCabs Delivers and the response has been strong, with good take up across all industries and service requirements. Given that this is the first year that we are operating with the platform, the overall performance has been great, offering a value product to our e-retailer customers and helping them grow their business. Since we launched, we have been doubling the number of merchants on the platform every month.

What kind of retailers has FastDrop managed to attract and why?

FastDrop is attracting everyone – from small local businesses to international groups operating in Malta. We are delivering anything from clothing, to electronics, to meal plans as well as servicing offices looking for courier deliveries. Given that the FastDrop platform works as a standalone service, it caters for retailers looking to expand their business or to streamline their existing delivery service, offering them speed and visibility of the delivery.

Perhaps the most attractive aspect is that FastDrop offers both a “Deliver Now” and a “Deliver Tomorrow” option. “Deliver Tomorrow” guarantees delivery in 24 hours, while “Deliver Now” delivers in 60 minutes or less from pick-up of the package.

Why was this plug-in needed?

The lengthy process of inputting bookings is a bottleneck for retailers, so our Shopify plugin automates and simplifies this process, unburdening the merchant from having to capture that information, as it pushes directly to the FastDrop platform.

How does this work?

Any merchant that wishes to integrate the plug-in can simply integrate it as a third-party tool directly on their Shopify website. Parameters are set once, and any orders entered before the specified time will be scheduled for pick-up. Interested Shopify eCommerce retailers will be guided by our developers through the process and once the plug-in is set, there’s no need for any further management. The plugin also features an address verifying element so if the address is not found via Google Maps, it will prompt the user to set a pin for their address to ensure the highest possible success for a first attempt delivery.

What is the wow factor of this plug-in?

We have been listening to our clients who all want to ensure they can continue growing their operation without incurring additional costs related to the administration process of deliveries. So, the wow factor is the time that is being saved through automation. In fact, after the Shopify plugin, we shall be developing and deploying a similar plug-in for WooCommerce.

How are you seeking to attract more retailers to this service?

Many retailers seem to not be giving the proper amount of attention to the delivery sphere, not utilising the technology available and returning to old habits. Retailers should look at the delivery of their goods as an extension of their business and this is where FastDrop comes in to make their deliveries happen seamlessly.

If more customers are shopping online, it means that more customers expect a great delivery experience, and this is easily possible through FastDrop. We’ve demonstrated that farming out the delivery function in almost all cases turns out cheaper than performing the service themselves an that is not taking the headache itself into account or the opportunity cost of performing more productive work.

We have banked on our experience, technology and volumes that allow us to optimise this service and keep costs down. We are managing and with our experience, we are guiding new or existing clients in the eCommerce sphere and helping them realise their full potential.

What are the main positive attributes that are making this service sought after?

For a country like Malta, next-day delivery should be the norm and nowadays, five days to deliver something in Malta makes no sense! Ours is a true next-day delivery service operating 365 days a year, 24/7.

For many merchants, the visibility we provide on real-time tracking is another key point. We ensure that their client experience stays with their brand, and we provide granular updates on package status.

Finally, as mentioned before, the fact that we are building this from the ground up and taking on all feedback from merchants, we act as an extension of their brand, as opposed to a stand-alone delivery service.

What further enhancements/developments could we expect in the near future?

We are revamping FastDrop’s core mechanism to optimise deliveries, introducing a labelling and scanning solution that will involve QR codes for better tracking of package status and automating rescheduling of deliveries to allow the client to reschedule the delivery directly with us. We are also exploring the deployment of a client app. All this to ensure a seamless and hassle-free experience for our merchants and their clients.