How to navigate market disruptions in final-mile delivery

Logistics never stands still. Just in the past few months, we’ve seen major shifts—UPS Mail Innovations and SurePost changes, the closure of promising services like Pandion, and ongoing consolidation in the final-mile space. If your team has been impacted, you’re not alone.

For brands that relied on these services, sudden changes can add unwelcome complexity to fulfillment. And as we’ve seen time and time again, the best way to stay ahead of disruptions is to build a flexible, diversified shipping strategy that allows you to pivot quickly when the market shifts.

Preparing for disruptions before they happen

Carrier services evolve, costs fluctuate, and networks change. The brands that are able to control costs and deliver reliably have a few things in common:

• Diversified carrier network—Avoiding over-reliance on a single provider ensures resilience when a service level is discontinued or pricing changes.
• Automated response systems—Disruption happens fast. Multi-carrier failover systems help brands react just as quickly, seamlessly shifting volume across their network if one carrier is unavailable or delayed.
• Superior visibility—Understanding how routine product updates cascade into landed cost increases or impact delivery times help operations teams keep their businesses growing.

How to adapt your shipping strategy to final-mile delivery disruptions

At Shippo, we help logistics teams move fast when the unexpected happens. Through our API connections and immediate access to competitive rate cards, businesses can seamlessly tap into USPS, FedEx, and other major carriers. This means:

• Quick transitions to alternate carriers—Whether you need to move volume to USPS Ground Advantage, FedEx, or another service, we make it easy to do so without delays.
• Instant access to competitive rates—Our pre-negotiated carrier rates help businesses maintain cost efficiencies, even when consolidator services change.
• Data-backed simulations—Before making any adjustments, you can quickly model how shifting volume impacts costs and delivery times.

"Simulating any impacted volume from recent service changes across alternate carriers like USPS or FedEx is straightforward with Shippo—it’s a quick way to answer any questions and help inform your plan."

A real-world example: why a $350M brand turned to Shippo for a fast, seamless solution

When a direct-to-consumer fashion brand saw sudden market shifts threatening to increase their last-mile delivery costs by around 10% on lightweight packages, they knew they needed to act fast. Their fulfillment team wasn’t just looking for another shipping provider—they needed a plug-and-play solution that would allow them to transition seamlessly without operational headaches.

They turned to Shippo because they knew we could help them quickly adapt while maintaining cost efficiencies. By leveraging Shippo, they would be able to:

• Instantly access USPS Ground Advantage for cost-effective final-mile delivery—without long negotiations or complex carrier integrations.
• Seamlessly transition volume with minimal disruption to their fulfillment workflows.
• Run a quick cost simulation to understand exactly how the change would impact their bottom line before making a move.
• Set up a long-term strategy to optimize rates over time, ensuring they stayed ahead of future disruptions.

Market shifts are inevitable, but having the right shipping strategy in place can make navigating them much easier.

Be ready for what’s next

The best way to handle disruptions? Create a flexible process that can adapt fast. Whether you’re dealing with shifts in service levels, new carrier pricing, or broader supply chain changes, having the right shipping strategy in place makes all the difference.

Curious about how this might impact your business? We can help you run a quick simulation and explore the best options for your volume.

‍Contact an expert today.