Distribution
Most products have to be transferred from the manufacturer to the retailer before they can be sold to the customer.
Road
Transporting goods by vehicles eg truck, van and bike on roads and motorways. It is flexible and cost-effective for short to medium distances, allowing for door-to-door delivery and access to areas that other methods can't reach.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| One of the cheapest methods of transporting | Large products difficult to transport |
| Door-to-door delivery |
| Advantages | One of the cheapest methods of transporting |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Large products difficult to transport |
| Advantages | Door-to-door delivery |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages |
Rail
Moving goods via trains on railway tracks. Rail transport is suitable for large quantities over long distances, offering a good balance between cost and speed, especially for heavy or bulky items. Rail transport normally relies on road distribution to get goods from station to final customer.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Can transport large volume of goods | Stations not always close to businesses or customers |
| Advantages | Can transport large volume of goods |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Stations not always close to businesses or customers |
Air
Delivering goods via aircraft. Air transport is the fastest method for long distances, ideal for high-value, time-sensitive goods, but it’s typically more expensive compared to other options.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Quickest way to transport goods to worldwide destinations | Very expensive |
| Large items cannot be transported by air |
| Advantages | Quickest way to transport goods to worldwide destinations |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Very expensive |
| Advantages | |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Large items cannot be transported by air |
Sea
Shipping goods by cargo ships across oceans and seas. This method is ideal for large volumes of goods over long distances, offering cost-efficiency for bulk transport, but it's slower than other methods.
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| Can transport large volumes in container ships | Very slow and time consuming |
| Advantages | Can transport large volumes in container ships |
|---|---|
| Disadvantages | Very slow and time consuming |
Some products, such as software products can be downloaded directly to the customer from the internet. 3D printing is opening up the possibility of product delivery by the internet too.
