White Glove E-Commerce Last Mile Delivery: One Partner for Large Products, Distribution and Pallet Storage

Selling a large product online is the easy part. A good product page, clear photos and a working checkout will get you the order. What the customer remembers is the day the sofa, treadmill or refrigerator arrives: whether the crew called ahead, whether it fit through the door, whether the floors were protected, and whether anyone took the boxes away.

This guide is for e-commerce brands, online retailers, manufacturers and importers that sell big, bulky or high-value products online. It explains what white glove last mile delivery is, why large products need it, and how one partner can store your inventory, distribute it and deliver each order.

What white glove e-commerce last mile delivery is

Last mile delivery is the last leg of the trip, from the warehouse to your customer's home or business. It is also called final mile delivery; the two terms mean the same thing. For large products, the last mile comes in service levels, and choosing the right one is part of the product experience.

The four service levels

• Curbside: the item is delivered to the curb or driveway.
• Threshold: the crew brings the item inside the first door, garage or lobby.
• Room of choice: the crew carries the item to the room the customer picks.
• White glove: room of choice, plus unpacking, assembly and cleanup.

What white glove includes

• A two-person crew
• Floor and doorway protection on the way in
• Carrying the item to the room the customer chooses
• Unpacking the item
• Assembly
• Inspection with the customer before the crew leaves
• Packaging and debris removal

See our white glove delivery service for the full detail, or last mile delivery for curbside, threshold and room of choice.

Why large products need it

Parcel carriers will not take most large products. Freight carriers will, but their job usually stops at the curb or the dock, which leaves your customer standing in the driveway with a pallet and no way to get it inside.

The costs of getting the last mile wrong add up quickly. A damaged item means a replacement, a second delivery and a return. A refused delivery means paying to bring the product back. Both often cost more than doing the delivery properly the first time.

There is also a simpler reason. For most online purchases, the delivery crew are the only people from the sale your customer ever meets. They are, in effect, your brand at the front door.

Provider and distributor in one

Many brands piece together a warehouse in one place, a freight carrier to move product around, and a different delivery company in each market. Every handoff is another chance for delay or damage.

Professional Moving Solutions is both the delivery provider and the distribution partner for larger products nationwide. We receive your freight from the manufacturer, the importer or the port, inspect it on arrival, and store it on pallets. When you send us an order, we deliver it to your customer's home or business. That means you do not need your own warehouse, or a separate carrier in each market, to sell large products online. We do not sell or resell products; we store and deliver them for the brands that sell them.

Retailers with stores as well as online sales can read more on our delivery for retailers page.

Pallet storage

Our Richmond, VA commercial storage takes anything from one pallet up to 100 pallets, short or long term. Our Edison, NJ location serves freight headed for the Northeast. Brands use it for:

• Inventory waiting on customer orders
• Seasonal stock that arrives ahead of the selling season
• Product waiting on a site to be ready or on a set delivery date

Because the product is checked on arrival, any damage or shortage shows up before it reaches a customer. Read more about warehousing and rollouts.

What we deliver

We deliver furniture, mattresses, appliances, fitness equipment, office furniture, medical equipment and other big, bulky or high-value products. Items travel blanket wrapped, or crated and palletized, depending on what they are and how they arrive.

How it works

1. You ship your product to us from the manufacturer, importer or port.
2. We receive it and inspect it on arrival.
3. We store it on pallets until it is needed.
4. You send us the order.
5. We call your customer ahead and schedule the delivery.
6. The crew delivers at the service level you chose.
7. We record photo proof of delivery and the customer’s signature.

What to ask any last mile provider

Whoever you choose, these questions show quickly whether they suit large products:

• Who are the crews? Ours are background checked and drug screened, with on-site supervisors and daily crew audits.
• How is damage handled? Look for inspection with the customer at delivery and photo proof of delivery, so there is a clear record of the condition the item arrived in.
• Do they store product? A partner with storage can hold your inventory and deliver it without another handoff.
• Do they handle returns? Large items do come back. Ask whether the same partner offers reverse logistics pickups.
• Do they cover every market you sell in? If you sell nationwide, your delivery partner needs to deliver nationwide too.

Frequently asked questions

Make the delivery the best part of the order

Your customers judge a large purchase by the day it arrives. Send us what you sell, how much you need to store and where your customers are through the quote form, or call 1-866-216-7742, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Eastern.