An Ultimate Guide To Pickup And Delivery App Development

People have started getting habituated to online shopping and pickup and delivery services, post-pandemic. What do you do when you need to pick up a package from a faraway store? Do you visit the store yourself? Well, after the pandemic, most people prefer using a pickup and delivery app for the same.

Shopping has been the most popular sport for everyone, but lately, the way of shopping has transformed a little! People are now crazy about online shopping. And this craze has also led to an increase in demand for curbside pickups and on-demand deliveries. 

Similar to Subway’s takeaway functionality and McDonald’s drive-thru service, people are liking the concept of pickup and delivery apps. So, if you are an entrepreneur who wants to explore the industry by building your own pickup and delivery app or any super Gojek clone app, this guide will help you!

3 Reasons Why It Is a Good Idea to Develop a Pickup and Delivery App

As a business owner, you should know why pickup and delivery app development is a good idea for your business. In this section, we are going to answer the same for you. 

1. Curbside Pickup Sales Surged 208% During COVID-19

And, the trend is not expected to end soon. The on-demand market has transformed post-pandemic. Stores have opted for Buy Online Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) services along with curbside pickup for online deliveries.

This trend is expected to continue in the coming years, owing to the numerous benefits these features give to both merchants and consumers. As a result, if you don’t want to miss out on customers who don’t like this, it’s time to create a pickup and delivery app or improve the experience of the one you already have to increase revenues.

2. First and Last Mile Delivery Market Size is Growing Fast

The first and last mile delivery market was valued at USD 189.65 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 531.1 billion by 2035. This target market is developing at a CAGR of 10.8%. Digitization will make supply chain systems more efficient, adaptive, and customer-centric. Taking your business online with a profitable pickup and delivery app solution is going to be very profitable with the ongoing trend.

3. 24×7 Availability for Customers

What is a business without its customers? Being available for your customers and resolving any issues they face at all times should be the main goal. With a mobile app for your business, you can keep in touch with the users 24/7. Chatbots, live assistance, and helpdesks are a few functionalities that will help you with the same.

Also Read: How to Create an On-Demand Grocery App:  A Complete Guide 

5 Key Players That Are Ruling The Pickup and Delivery Market

The pickup and delivery market is filled with infinite opportunities. If you are planning to get a pickup and delivery app developed, you must know who the leaders are of that market. Let’s check out some of them:

1. Lalamove

Lalamove is an on-demand courier delivery app that delivers bulky and heavy packages. You can also use this app to deliver parcels like important documents, food and beverages, flowers, and other items. Apps like Lalamove acts as a one-stop solution for business growth for many pickup and delivery businesses. 

If you are planning to Build an App Like Lalamove, here is a complete guide for you.

2.Dunzo

Dunzo is a hyperlocal delivery partner for many businesses as it partners with local stores and restaurants to deliver basic needs like groceries, medicines, etc. It has a very smart business model that allows it to be one of the top 5 leaders of the pickup and delivery market. Dunzo is well known for its 45 minutes fast delivery service. If you are looking to get a pickup and delivery app like Dunzo, you must hire the best app development company around you.

3. Walmart

Walmart is one of the most popular pickup and delivery apps as it uses its brick-and-mortar stores to offer ease to its users. Partnering with more than 5000+ stores in the US, this application also helps the vendors in optimizing and managing their store transactions.   

4. Gojek

Gojek is a super app having all the services from ride-hailing to food delivery. It runs on the aggregator business model and developing an app like GoJek is a very smart way to earn money for any business. The Gojek app is filled with advanced features and is powered by robust tech. 

Also Read: Gojek Business Model: How Does the App Make Money?

5. Grubhub

Grubhub is an on-demand delivery app that partners with local restaurants and delivers food picked up from the store to the customer’s doorstep. Founded in 2004, it has a huge network with 300K+ restaurants in 4K+ cities.

Which Businesses Should Invest in Pickup and Delivery App Development?

Businesses are transforming with new trends and technologies. Delivery businesses like food delivery, grocery delivery, etc. are leading the on-demand market with the highest number of consumers. The best way to grow any business is by having a mobile presence for it. Here are some of the businesses that should invest in pickup and delivery app development.

1. Restaurants & Cafes

People who are short on time order food online or on the go via the drive-thru. However, restaurants and cafes may or may not be able to accommodate a drive-through or provide contactless delivery. Curbside pickup is a terrific way to save money. Restaurants are not required to have a convenient location or to engage delivery executives to deliver orders. 

2. Grocery Stores

Consumers do grocery shopping regularly. And, guess what? Grocery retailers, with proper strategy, can use curbside pickup in the best way. Grocery businesses receive and pack orders ahead of time. All they have to do now is wait for the customers’ pickup service to arrive. Many grocery store chains might profit by using an on-demand grocery delivery app.

3. Gas or Fuel Stations

What happens when a vehicle runs out of gas in the middle of the road? These are some of the solutions that may benefit you as a fuel or gas delivery business owner. You can have an on-demand fuel delivery app developed for your business. This will allow the consumers to order gas whenever they need and a delivery agent can simply pick up the amenities from your store. 

4. Brewery/Alcohol Shops

Alcohol delivery has become the new trend as the market is expected to generate a revenue of $1684 billion by 2025, growing at a rate of 2.0%. For the past few months, the demand for online alcohol or brewery stores has skyrocketed as they answer people’s demands promptly and deliver to their doorsteps.  

5. Florists

The usage of flowers does not depend on any occasion. People can order a flower or a bouquet daily too. If you are a flower shop owner, getting an on-demand flower delivery app developed is going to be very profitable. People can simply order from the application, you can get their order ready and a delivery agent will come and pick up the flowers.

Must-Have Features For an On-Demand Pickup and Delivery App

Only building a pickup and delivery app is not enough; you must create an ecosystem for the platform to work in. If you are planning to develop a pickup and delivery solution, you will need a customer app, a store application, a driver’s app, and an admin panel. Let’s check out their features one by one:

1. Customer Application

Whichever business you have, the main goal is to offer the best services to the users. Before starting with pickup and delivery app development for your business, make sure you have researched the market thoroughly. Some of the MVP features you must integrate into your customer app are:

• Registration & Login: It is always a good idea to allow users to register for the application through various login methods like contact numbers, email addresses, or social media handles. The ‘Forget Password’ option is also very important, and developers will have to integrate Google SDK and Facebook SDK for these functionalities.
• Store Search: The app should have filters so that users can search for any nearby store conveniently. Geolocation is an outstanding feature that must be embedded in the application to make the search process easy.
• Location Tracking: This feature will allow the customers to track their parcel in real-time with the help of Google Location API (Android) and Location Framework (iOS).
• Order & Payments: After the customer has put his required items in the card, he should be given the option to pay with any method, like plastic cards, net banking, UPI payment, or cash on delivery. The app should be integrated with a standard payment gateway.
• Push Notifications: This is a very important feature to update the users on what’s happening with their orders. Push notifications help customers understand the status of their order, and for this, the developers must integrate Firebase Cloud Messaging and Amazon SNS.
• Ratings & Reviews: For validation of the services, a feedback system is the best an app can have. 

2. Store Application

Having a store application in your pickup and delivery solution module will help the store owners in managing their incoming and outgoing orders. It will also help the users in notifying their customers and the delivery agents when the order is ready to be picked up. Some of the features to include are:

• Registration & Login: Every store registered on the platform should have an authenticated account and this can only be done using Google or Facebook SDK.
• Inventory Management: Using the store application, the store owners or the workers can update the list of items according to availability.
• Order Management: The store app will offer the workers to accept, reject, or change the status of any orders. 

3. Delivery Agent Application

Delivery agents use mobile applications while on a delivery. Hence, it will be profitable to create a mobile app solution for the courier in your pickup and delivery app. The development will be possible by embedding features like:

• Registration & Login: To use the app, delivery agents must first register. They require options identical to those found in the customer’s app: social media, email, phone number, and so on.
• Navigation: You should provide delivery agents with easy-to-use maps that show the quickest and most optimized routes. The app development team you hire must use Google Maps for Android and Location Framework for iOS to implement these features.
• Order Details: The delivery agents must have access to all order information, including the store’s address, the customer’s address, and the delivery time, among other things. 

4. Admin Panel

The most important solution that will help in managing your business in the best way is the admin panel. Some of the MVP admin panel features for your pickup and delivery app are:

• Login: The admin panel must log in securely to keep its data safe and protected.
• Store Management: Stores can be added to the service by the administrator. It is also possible to remove users.
• Analytics: This functionality helps in tracking important KPIs like delivery time, order number, revenue, etc.
• Payment Management: This feature allows you to charge fees to restaurants and consumers, as well as adjust the amount charged.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building an On-Demand Pickup and Delivery App

Who doesn’t want a delivery app that is unique and feature-packed? To achieve that, businesses must follow the right pickup and delivery app development process. Here are the steps that you must take: 

Step 1. Market Research & Identify Your Niche

Before diving headfirst into on-demand multi-delivery app development process, analyze the market. Check out what the current apps are excelling at and where they might be falling short. 

Discover which services people have faith in and which ones they’ve abandoned and why. This insight will guide you in identifying the gaps in the market and understanding your target audience. 

Step 2. Define Your Business Model

AT this stage, you have to have a clear vision of how everything will operate. 

• Will your app serve as a connector between customers and third-party delivery services? 
• Or are you planning to take full control of overseeing your fleet, warehouses, and logistics?

This decision impacts your cost structure and also the speed at which you can grow.

Next up is the financial aspect: 

• How will your app generate revenue? 
• Will you charge a commission for each order? 
• Offer premium plans to vendors or customers? 
• Or perhaps a combination of subscription fees and pay-per-delivery?

It’s important to select a model that aligns with your niche and provides the flexibility to adapt as your user base expands.

Step 3. Choose the Features & Functionalities

On-demand delivery software that is successful, carefully caters to customers, delivery partners, and admins. This makes it important for your pickup and delivery app to understand the perspective of each to stand out: 

• For customers: Real-time tracking, seamless payments, and order scheduling.
• For delivery partners: Route optimization, earnings tracking, and easy onboarding.
• For admins: Order management, analytics dashboard, and automated notifications.

The best pickup and delivery apps are the ones that feel simple for users but are smart under the hood. If you’re not sure how to bring that balance, it’s smart to work with an experienced pickup and delivery service app development company.

Step 4. Select the Technology Stack

When it comes to your app’s performance, the foundation matters. That’s why your tech stack is the backbone of your entire business. You need backend tools that can handle traffic spikes, support real-time features, and grow alongside your user base. 

Plus, don’t forget about APIs for live GPS tracking, secure payment processing, and smart route suggestions that adapt to real-time conditions. The table below helps you understand the technologies that are used: 

Technology Stack for Courier Delivery App Development

Step 5. Partner With a Delivery App Development Company

Building a delivery app is about solving real problems. This can be designing an interface, setting up a backend, and testing every corner.

For this, you need developers who’ve experience in building pickup and delivery apps. A good team will help you make smart decisions early on. If you’re serious about long-term success, partner with a team that understands your requirements and delivers projects on time and within your budget.

Step 6. Develop and Test the MVP 

It would be a smart move to start with a minimum viable product with basic features to test the app among users. This version will help you gather the feedback and flag the potential bugs. 

You can also test different approaches like limited rollouts, A/B tests, or targeting specific user groups. This helps you avoid high courier delivery app development costs and build a product people genuinely want to use.

Step7. Implement Security and Compliance

When going for pickup and delivery app development, keeping user data secure is absolutely essential. It’s crucial to put in place measures like end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and policies that comply with GDPR to safeguard sensitive information.

Step 8. Deploy, Market, and Scale

Once your on-demand delivery app is all set, the next crucial step is to launch it with a well-thought-out plan to get it in front of the right audience. Start by boosting its visibility on app stores. Also, make sure to promote it on social media platforms where your target audience hangs out the most. 

By following the above-mentioned steps, you will be able to create a robust courier delivery app that users love. In the next section, let’s see how much it costs to build a pickup and delivery app. 

Watch Out the Demo: Pickup and Delivery App Development!

How Much Does It Cost to Build an On-Demand Pickup and Delivery App?

The courier delivery app development cost varies based on several factors. This includes app complexity, UI/UX design, and features that you need. On average, you can expect around $20,000 to $40,000 for a simple app. On the other hand, a more complex delivery app can cost around $70,000 to $1,80,000. 

Here is the table to make it clearer: 

Remember, these estimates are rough to give you an overview. For a precise quotation, you need to consult a delivery app development company. They will help you with the cost based on your requirements and goals. 

How To Get Started: Hire Best-In-Class App Developers at Apptunix

The development of pickup and delivery software needs a coding strategy that is both efficient and clean, as well as the best use of the available resources. Business owners frequently make mistakes in the early stages of development, however, this is not the case at Apptunix.

We listen to your business requirements and get your business the digital solution it needs. Our pickup and delivery app solutions are customizable, robust, scalable, and cost-effective. To know more, schedule your call with our professional experts today!

With the world moving closer to the new normal, now is the best moment to make a decision. Every challenge requires you to alter your business, and nothing helps you with this more than having a signed pick-up and delivery option.

It not only enhances your company’s capabilities but also aids in compliance with all safety regulations. Hire the right mobile app development company, and they will assist you in selecting the appropriate features for your pickup and delivery app solution. And they will also guide you to long-term success.