Swisscom claims global first with 'same-day delivery'

Swisscom is claiming to be the "first telecommunications provider in the world" to offer a same-day delivery service for goods and services ordered via its online store, including smartphones and tablets.

The operator said the service is now being offered in the greater Zurich and Berne areas for a flat delivery fee of CHF14.90 (€12/$15), and will be expanded to all major cities in Switzerland next year.

Deliveries will be made whenever possible by bicycle courier in the interests of protecting the environment, and orders must be placed before 5pm for delivery before 9pm. Products ordered by 8am are delivered by 11am of the same day, assuming that the requested item is in stock at the nearest Swisscom shop.

"Same-day delivery supplements the existing delivery options and is another example of the comprehensive service that Swisscom offers," the company said.

The move by Swisscom indicates how logistics are an increasingly important part of an operator's services in the highly competitive market for mobile services and smartphones, as more people take to ordering products online. The Swiss operator may claim to be the first to offer such a service, but it is certainly far from the only telecoms service provider to be seriously considering such an option.

Three UK, for example, is already trialling a same-day delivery service in Central London for people ordering either a Samsung Galaxy S5 or the iPhone 6. The flat-rate delivery charge is £15 (€19/$23).

"We'd love to be able to offer this service to everyone who shops online with us, but at the moment we're trialling the service in selected London postcodes. As you can imagine, it's a logistical adventure, so we need to make sure we're one step ahead before we roll it out across the UK," the company says on its web site.

As well as operators, online retail giant Amazon is also expanding its same-day delivery services across its global footprint, with the U.S., Canada, UK and Germany the first markets to benefit from such services.

For more:
- see this Swisscom release

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