As e-commerce and direct-to-consumer deliveries have skyrocketed during the pandemic, so have orders for large and bulky items, says Brenda Stoner, founder of Pickup. And so have the accompanying supply chain challenges.

“It’s been a very interesting couple of years,” says Stoner, citing the surge in e-commerce purchasing caused by the pandemic and trend toward omnichannel retailing. “Everybody wants super-fast delivery, and along with that, flexible returns and a great experience. Those are table stakes now.”

All well and good for small-parcel delivery, but it’s a different story when it comes to big and bulky items exceeding 35 pounds. Retailers are finding it difficult if not impossible to extend the same high quality of service to that category. For one thing, nearly all shipments must be delivered to the customer’s door; there aren’t lockboxes or other alternatives for staging such items for pickup. Second, many large items require installation or assembly in the home — not an easy task in the best of circumstances, but even more difficult to pull off during a pandemic. And the slightest mistake is blamed on the retailer, not the delivery service.

Scheduling and tracking remain major issues. No longer will consumers tolerate an eight-hour window for delivery of a major appliance or piece of furniture. They also demand pinpoint tracking of the order in transit. The gold standard today, says Stoner, is a two-hour delivery window, but few sellers can achieve that.

Returns are just as challenging. If a big or heavy item is rejected by the buyer, where does it go? Landfills are out of the question, and even the brick-and-mortar store of an online seller might not be set up to process the returned item.

“You have to deliver on the promise of brand experience,” Stoner says.