The Otaku Culture And The Rise of The Delivery Industry
We live in a world where we have almost instant access to every possible kind of information. In addition, the new O2O world (Online-to-Offline) can do almost everything with a few clicks on a smartphone – from providing entertainment to bringing delicious meals to your doorstep.
O2O is so convenient that people can forget their responsibilities and focus on their hobbies. Recent research suggests that there is a rising trend where teenagers prefer spending their spare time at home rather than going outside.
In Japan, the isolated and sometimes sedentary lifestyle is known as Otaku. The term “Otaku” started in Japan as a negative term describing people with obsessive interests on commonly anime or mange (Japanese term for comic books). In short, it is a slang for “geeks” or “nerds”. Despite the stereotypes and criticism, the Otaku culture is steadily evolving to become a widely accepted subculture – it generally refers to people who prefer to stay home rather than going out in their spare time. Furthermore, it has grown exponentially due to the internet culture. Surprisingly it is also paving the way to the rise of the delivery market due to the fact that more people prefer to stay indoors. It seems like a whole new industry, but it has actually been around throughout the course of history.
Deliver Me The History Lesson
In Chinese history, the earliest delivery service came from the Ming Dynasty. It was called Biaoju. Back then, the biaoju service was only limited to valuables like gold and jewelry. The guards, also known as Biaoshi, were required to be highly skilled in combat so that they could protect the goods from highwaymen. As society advances, the industry transforms into a whole new model with three key relations to other new e-commerce elements, namely sharing economy and online shopping.
Unlike the Ming tasty, you can now have anything delivered. Fortunately now, you also don’t have to know how to fight to become a delivery driver – all you need is a driver license and a van. In ancient times ordinary delivery takes months to complete, however today it only days or even hours. For example, the latest on-demand delivery platform lalamove features fast delivery on demand. You can take care of your daily needs just by downloading an app and in less than an hour, you can pretty much have anything delivered to your current location.
Sharing Is Loving
The sharing economy has only one goal – to redistribute redundant resources to people in need. For example, delivery drivers need space. If they could make more space inside their vehicle, they would be able to deliver more goods which ultimately brings them more income. Through sharing economy, one can find the right vehicle to help lower the delivery cost. It is also beneficial for drivers since it allows them to organize a more efficient route and spend less on fuel.
Why Is Consumption Pattern The Key Of Delivery Business?
The consumption pattern has drastically changed since the rise of online shopping. Conventional consumption patterns have been altered immensely. Traditionally consumers buy from a physical store. Online shopping allows one to purchase with just a few swipes on a smartphone. On-demand delivery played significant role in this change of trend by raising the reputation of online shops. Providing good customer service through fast delivery helps to keep the customers satisfied. If one continues to provide consistently good customer services through quick delivery, it will vastly impact the customer loyalty which ultimately impacts the prestige of the shop.
To A New Age We Go
The Otaku had led to the rise of online shopping and on-demand delivery service. As the demands grows rapidly consumers are paying more attention to the delivery quality. There are namely three solutions to the large market demand; 24/7 services, high delivery quality and delivery done in 30 minutes. A new era in the delivery industry has been born. Only one question remains: who will rise?