1. Overview of eCommerce Shipping or Courier Aggregator in Saudi Arabia in Detail
The business world came to a standstill as the world was hit by an unprecedented crisis. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the logistics industry has been on the frontline to ensure that supply chains remain intact. Saudi Arabia too, like many other countries, has experienced a significant shift in purchasing behaviour.
Online shopping marketplaces have taken over traditional hypermarkets and supermarkets as the preferred mode of buying things. The Saudi Arabia Freight and Logistics Market is currently valued at USD 21.46 billion and is expected to reach USD 32.12 billion by 2026.
As the eCommerce industry grew in size, logistics aggregators (also called shipping or courier aggregators) came into being to provide eCommerce companies a one-stop-shop for shipping solutions. For eCommerce businesses, this means you do not have to individually integrate with every courier provider. Instead, you can put all that energy into choosing one shipping or courier aggregator that does the job for you. In short, tying up with a logistics aggregator instead of independent courier partners saves you a lot of time and effort.
2. What is an eCommerce Shipping/Courier/Logistics Aggregator?
A shipping/courier/logistics aggregator in eCommerce is a 3rd party logistics provider (3PLs) that brings multiple carriers to a single platform and provides eCommerce businesses quick access to eCommerce courier companies in Saudi Arabia. Courier or logistics aggregators work as an intermediary so that you can sustain your operations and focus on the growth of your business.
3.Top 6 Best Shipping or Courier Aggregators in Saudi Arabia [2024 Updated List]
Whether you are an eCommerce business only starting out or the owner of an established one, you will need to partner with a shipping or logistics aggregator to streamline your business operations. With that in mind, we have prepared a list of the 6 best shipping or courier aggregators in Saudi Arabia.
3.1) ClickPost Shipping Aggregator In Saudi Arabia
Clickpost is one of the largest end-to-end logistics platforms in Saudi Arabia. Clickpost’s use of A.I.-driven technology enhances customer satisfaction by providing better visibility and real-time tracking options.
It is an excellent courier integration platform that partners with over 150 shipping companies. What's more, if you want to work with a courier service provider that is not already integrated with Clickpost, they promise to do it in 1 day at no extra cost.
Clickpost's data-driven carrier selection improves your shipping performance by selecting the right carrier based on your location and other factors. The Plug-and-Play Returns feature manages returns most economically.
3.2) Metapack Courier Aggregator
MetaPack is an eCommerce delivery management software provider that allows eCommerce businesses to integrate with 400+ courier companies. This courier aggregator provides easy integrations and fleet management, both domestically and internationally, at very affordable prices.
You can also monitor your performance from the in-depth reports prepared by Metapack. They have over 3.50,000 pick-up and drop-off locations worldwide, including grocery shops, parcel shops, lockers, and more. They also have a Returns Management System that will help keep RTO% low and hasten the COD Reconciliation (Cash on Delivery) process in case of COD orders.
3.3) OTO Logistics Aggregator
OTO is a global courier and shipping aggregator which allows e-tailers and eCommerce businesses to enhance customer experience. Apart from marketplace integrations with WooCommerce, Shopify, etc., OTO also allows customers to buy directly from local brick-and-mortar stores. With OTO, you have the added advantage of availing hyperlocal deliveries in under 2 hours. The carrier platform also lets you track all orders in real-time and manage shipment costs from a single place.
3.4) Carriyo eCommerce Aggregator In Saudi Arabia
Carriyo is an omnichannel multi-carrier platform that integrates with dozens of courier and shipping companies, like Aramex, Shipa Delivery, DHL, etc. Like OTO, it also offers same-day deliveries (SDD) from local stores and merchants.
With Carriyo, you can track the progress of your shipment, identify any bottlenecks and take action before it becomes the dreaded, failed delivery. They are solid on NDR Management (Non-Delivery Report) and perform customer follow-ups to ascertain the reason for a delivery exception.
3.5) Wimo Courier Aggregator In Saudi Arabia
Wimo is a cross-border eCommerce courier aggregator that enables businesses from all across the world to deliver in Saudi Arabia without having a local presence. That said, this Dubai-based company also provides local parcel delivery services within KSA (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia).
Along with core shipping services, they also provide warehouse management solutions (WMS) for better inventory keeping at lower rates. Wimo is also known to handle returns effectively so that eCommerce businesses never face trouble with working capital.
3.6) AfterShip Logistics Aggregator In Saudi Arabia
AfterShip is a Hong Kong-based start-up that offers a SaaS (Software as a Service) model for shipment tracking.
AfterShip offers automatic transportation monitoring that serves over 600 worldwide shipping services, including UPS, FedEx, and DHL. Through the AfterShip dashboard, you can track the status of your shipment across various carriers. You can also automate updates for different shipping phases. The software integrates with big E-Commerce sites such as Shopify, Grand Commerce, eBay, Floship, Magento, and AfterShip.
4.How To Choose the Best Courier or Logistics Aggregator in Saudi Arabia for Your Online Business?
Armed with the list of top 6 courier aggregators in Saudi Arabia, you are already one step closer to choosing the right shipping aggregator for you. All of the companies listed above were chosen after substantial research but there are a few things you must consider before selecting a courier aggregator. You will find all the information you need, below.
4.1) No. of courier partners
All logistics aggregators in Saudi Arabia partner with several courier companies to bring you the services that help streamline your business operations. Therefore, it's best to choose a courier aggregator that integrates with the most number of shipping companies. However, remember to check if those courier companies align with your business needs.
4.2) Reach
The best way to increase your order influx is by showcasing your products to bigger markets and demographics. So, when selecting a logistics aggregator for your business, serviceability or reach should be one of the key factors to consider. However, greater serviceability doesn't always mean better. You need to find a shipping aggregator that serves the region your audience comes from.
4.3) Order Tracking Visibility
If you don't want to drown in a sea of WISMO calls (Where-Is-My-Order), maintaining order tracking visibility is critical. Whatever the size of your business, customers will always want to be in the know of their shipment status. Partnering with a courier or logistics aggregator that provides real-time updates will save you a lot of unwanted trouble.
4.4) Shipping Costs
We told you tying up with shipping aggregators saves you time and effort. Well, it also saves you money. Most courier aggregators offer various deals and discounts on bulk shipping. However, lower a shipping rate does not always mean lower expenditure on shipping. This happens because of hidden costs or the addition of value-added items. For instance, some aggregators in Saudi Arabia provide COD (Cash-on-delivery) services at an extra cost. Talk clearly with your logistics aggregator before finalizing an order.
4.5) Delivery Speed
Customer expectations have skyrocketed and the average customer expects to receive their order within 3-5 days. Pick courier aggregators with a wide network who deliver promptly and fulfill an order in a timely fashion. In the list above we have also included a few logistics aggregators in Saudi Arabia that provide hyperlocal delivery, as well as SDD (same-day delivery) and NDD (next-day delivery).
4.6) NDR Management
RTOs (Return-To-Origin) or failed deliveries are bound to happen in every eCommerce business. To help you tackle that, you must choose a logistics aggregator with key technological insights. a strong NDR Management system reports failed deliveries to your business immediately and contact the customer to determine the cause.
4.7) RTO%
A high RTO% can hurt a business very badly. As the scale of any eCommerce business grows, the number of RTOs also increases. Some logistics aggregators tie-up with courier companies that are better able to handle delivery exceptions and make several delivery attempts to fulfill an order. This can significantly help in lowering delivery exceptions.
5.What are the Benefits of Using Shipping or Logistics Aggregator in Saudi Arabia
We have already listed the 6 best courier or shipping aggregators in Saudi Arabia and discussed all the factors that you should consider before choosing one. Are you still on the fence on whether your eCommerce business needs a shipping/courier aggregator or not? For all the skeptical ones, we are further discussing all the benefits that your business can reap by partnering with a courier/logistics aggregator.
5.1) Reduced logistics costs
Over ninety percent of third-party logistics (3PLs) users agree that the use of a logistics aggregator in Saudi Arabia helps them reduce overall logistics costs. Since courier aggregators tie-up with shipping companies operating out of several areas, you get faster deliveries even as the cost of shipping goes down.
5.2) No investment in distribution infrastructure
A shipping aggregator already has a shipping and distribution mechanism in place. They have invested in warehousing and transportation systems for the shipping, storage, packaging, and delivery of shipments.
This saves you the need to have a distribution infrastructure. Hence, you don’t need to spend on creating or setting up this type of elaborate distribution infrastructure. The costs are shared across all the clients that the logistics company serves and don’t have to be borne by any one company or business.
5.3) Top-of-the-Line fleet availability
The right shipping aggregator company will provide you with an option for dedicated contract carriage. This will allow you to avail the benefits of a private fleet without having to purchase trucks, hire drivers, and maintain equipment. All of this will help you save a lot of money without compromising on the timely and safe deliveries that your customers have come to expect.
5.4) Shared freight costs and liability
With a courier aggregator in Saudi Arabia, you can ship fewer packages without having to pay for the entire fleet. Your logistics aggregator will likely have many other shipments going to the same area.
Hence, all of these products will be delivered in a single shipment. This greatly helps in bringing down costs of transportation and delivery. Most courier aggregators also bear the liability of the goods in case of an accident. Contact your aggregator directly to gain a better understanding of their policies.
5.5) Manage fixed and variable costs
The volume of your shipments will likely change depending on the scale of your operations, peak sale seasons, etc. More shipments call for more labor staff and many warehouses to keep demand and supply chains unbroken. Hiring a 3PL aggregator will save you the trouble of looking for space and labor. Working with a courier aggregator in Saudi Arabia curtails your variable costs.
5.6) Better access to new markets
An eCommerce company should always be on the lookout for bigger and better opportunities in terms of marketplaces and demographics. A courier aggregator comes with pre-integrated marketplaces and virtual storefronts.
This gives your eCommerce business a golden opportunity to sell on all of these platforms and gain an even bigger audience. Plus, a carrier platform can pull orders from all the shopfronts to a single dashboard.
5.7) Better performance
Managing an eCommerce business is no easy feat. Any and all help is always a welcome relief. In fact, 83 percent of eCommerce companies that hired logistics aggregators reported improved service outcomes and customer satisfaction levels. The internal resources of a single business might be limited but eCommerce shipping aggregators can help you make timely deliveries.
6. Final Conclusion
When your eCommerce business begins to cross a monthly order volume of 1000 orders, it means you are starting to scale up. A logistics/courier aggregator can help simplify shipping and offer attractive discounts, both of which will greatly benefit you in the initial months of growth.
As an eCommerce entrepreneur, you want to ensure smooth sailing even when you receive high order volumes. Let eCommerce shipping aggregators take care of shipping, tracking, and fulfilling orders while you fully focus your energies on the growth of your business.