Frustrating delivery options can cause customers to abandon online orders, leading to loss for e-commerce retailers. As part of The Disruptors video series, Chris Jordan, co-founder of delivery start-up Carryr, explains how its personalised delivery and returns service is helping the high street to tackle the issue.

Tell us about Carryr.

We're on a mission to supercharge the delivery and returns experience for fashion e-commerce. We'll do this by giving consumers access to an new, powerful delivery option via their favourite retailers - giving them the option to schedule when they want the delivery, from as little as 60 minutes after the order is placed, and to have unwanted items collected with the touch of a button.

What was the opportunity you identified that led to the launching?

Over the past decade, me, my friends and family have all experienced first-hand a poor delivery and returns experience when ordering fashion products online. It got to a point where I needed to do something about it.

I learned that this was a huge problem for both consumers and retailers - consumers are left inconvenienced and will give negative reviews to the retailer or even abandon their online carts if the right delivery option isn't presented, while it's estimated that retailers lose around £18.5bn due to 'cart abandonment'.

%image(14651916, type="article-full", alt="Carry wants to offer "more power and control" to online shoppers by offering flexible and personalised delivery and returns options Picture: Carryr")

How did you use invention and innovation to disrupt the market?

We started by reinventing the delivery and returns experience for customers by giving them more power and control. Then we built a platform for our retail partners where they can manage and configure the delivery and returns option to suit the needs of their business.

What were the challenges you faced along the way and how did you learn from them?

We learned very quickly that our delivery option needed to be positioned within the POS (point of sale) via the checkout process, and that we needed to be deeply integrated within retailers inventory systems to have visibility over the stock. That allows us to make split decisions on how to dispatch our trusted fleet partners to perform the deliveries.

What's been your proudest moment so far?

We're still very early on and have a lot more to do, but I'm extremely happy with our product development so far. I truly believe that we can build the best delivery and returns experience in the world to create new standards and consumer habits.

%image(14651917, type="article-full", alt="'Cart abandonment' is a major issue for e-commerce retailers, and Carryr hopes to tackle this with highly-tailored delivery slots for customers Picture: Carryr")

I'm also extremely thankful for having the support of the CJBS Entrepreneurship Centre, and for accepting us into the Accelerate cohort.

What would be your advice to somebody launching a disruptive start-up?

Only continue pursuing your start-up if you're truly passionate about it, because that'll be the only factor driving you the majority of the time. Keep going and don't give up - be persistent and don't get distracted by external factors like competition, trends and the perceived "glitz and glamour" of the start-up world.

What are your plans for the future?

We'll be launching in Cambridge soon. In the meantime, we'd love online shoppers to register their interest, and be the first to know which retailers will be offering the Carryr delivery option, as well as the opportunity to get their first delivery for free.

The Disruptors is a video series highlighting the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridge businesses shaking up their respective industries. Read more and follow the series here.

Want to tell us about how your business is disrupting its sector? Contact David Fieldhouse on 01603 772456.