Basic things you have to know about Fulfillment Services

Here’s a question for new e-commerce business owners, “do you have adequate knowledge and full understanding as to what follows after an order is placed?”

For those whose answer is a clear NO or unsure what to say, then you are in the right place. One way or another, you have to bring the product to your customers, either you chose to let a drop shipper fulfill your orders for you, you do them yourself or you find a logistics company that will be in-charge of your warehousing and fulfillment.

Packing and shipping your own orders is the more flexible and cheap choice that’s why it is preferred by businesses that are just starting out, and businesses that have unique ecommerce packaging needs. Also, it is often better for business to handle things in-house especially if they are struggling with cash flow. So, they can compensate their lack of money with their time.

Meanwhile, for growing businesses that are financially ready to outsource, exploring third-party warehousing and fulfillment is a considerable option. Here we’ll discuss further more about it.

What are fulfillment services?

E-commerce fulfillment service is about hiring a third-party warehouse to process orders for you. This means preparing and shipping them from its fulfillment center. It’s perfect for businesses that are not up doing their own shipping or just don’t have enough warehousing capabilities and are unable to ship orders themselves anymore.

There are many large third-party fulfillment providers out there. But if you’re looking to optimize your fulfillment strategy, it is preferable to work with a provider that gives you flexibility with a central view of your data and smart inventory allocation across multiple warehouses.

Benefits of hiring third-party logistics

Aside from saving you from doing the work yourself, here are some things that can be contributed by outsourced warehousing and fulfillment service providers to the growth of your business.

1. Provides you experts and professionals

Aside from warehouse space, service providers also get experts who will be responsible for running the fulfillment center. Hiring your own staff is mandatory when fulfilling and shipping your own orders and it takes time to get a team in line. So, if you don’t have plenty of time and money to spare, you can just outsource the work to a logistics company and let them do the work of finding and hiring good people.

Each third-party logistics (3PL) has a whole team of experts and support staff who knows the right way to go. They are assigned with all of the labor needed for receiving, inventory management, and order processing and shipping. It makes progress much quicker compared to what you can achieve on your own.

2. Removes long-term leases to your list of needs

Thanks to the flexible pricing of many logistic companies and it will be easier for you to adjust in case you are growing or going through some dormant periods. This means their services and easily be modified to adapt to your needs based on your financial capabilities. You also don’t need to commit to renting your own warehouse space.

3. Give you more time to optimize

Managing and optimizing across the company should be your focus when doing business. That’s why it’s lot better if you just let someone else to take care of the logistics of order fulfillment while you see to it that more important aspects are being dealt with.

Take not that third-party warehousing and fulfillment isn’t for everyone, but if you find yourself in one of these situations, seeking help from the logistics company of your choice might be the best call.

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Bringing the In-Store Shopping Experience Online As Part Of The New Normal

Amidst the ongoing global pandemic that has taken the us all into a storm, it’s safe to say that the world
will never be the same. All of us at some point will need to adjust due in order to survive this unseen
virus just waiting for its next victim. Some things will remain but a lot will change in the way we live
every day, the way we interact with other people when going out, and the way we buy for our needs
and wants.
Online shopping is an obvious choice if we are going to talk about safety. Due to physical distancing
regulations, going to brick-and-mortar shops is only advisable if you are buying necessities. But how
about the other things that shoppers want to take home? Should they just wait till all of this is over?
Some probably can. But not everyone can stop everything they do. So, for those who want to go back to
shopping new outfits, jewelries and other stuff, online stores are there to accommodate them.
But what can these online shops do to attract more buyers? Is it promos and discounts? Sure, maybe it
can catch the interest of a couple but this strategy is now too common and everyone’s doing it already.
So, not everyone will buy it. Instead, in order to make a significant result, brands must give their
audience personalized shopping experiences that will make it as though the customer is visiting the
store in person. This can mean having an easier time finding what they are looking for and being offered
things that match their interests.
To owners, this doesn’t mean you have to know each customer by face but more on learning about their
information and using it to develop your approach, your products, and your marketing campaigns to
make it distinct to each of them. This is why many store owners are now using quizzes, concierge
services, and other personalized experiences to improve loyalty, boost customer happiness, and reduce
returns.
Let’s take clothing businesses as example. One of the major problems of customers that leads to returns
is not being able to get their correct size or desired color. So, it is important for brands to help their
customers get the right fit in order to minimize returns. They can do this through quizzes composed of
questions about body shape and needs that will make their size recommendations more accurate for
their customers. But the use of size quizzes and custom size charts is not only for apparel brands but
also for other businesses offering products made in multiple sizes or fits.
Other businesses also brought personalized product recommendations into a whole new level using
digital reviews and quiz-type tools that collect customer opinion and information to create personalized
offers and custom-made product opportunities.
Aside from all these, we can also learn from those that took the initiative to launch online educational
campaigns to inform their customers more about their products and how it can be suitable to them
personally. They do not only inspire loyalty by showing much they care about their shoppers and how
the products will affect them but they also want to give them a deeper understanding about what they
are buying.
Personalizing customer experience is not only about a business that knows their customers and their
needs but a brand that sees each customers as unique and assures that everyone will find an efficient
use for their products amidst their differences.

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What to Make Great POP Displays and What’s in it for You

Many people might think that products placed near the register (or any other point of purchase) are just
there with no particular reason. What’s not known to them is that it is actually a strategy to convince
them to buy additional items in the last minute.
Now you might be wondering, what products would pass as effective POS Displays? “Low-investment,
less expensive items” is the usual answer. But there’s more to POS Displays than just that. The space can
be utilized and retailers should carefully think about what product to promote here because this is their
last chance to cross-sell. Here are some strategies on how to have an effective POS display along with its
benefits.
POP Display as a Kick-Off for New Items
New products or items with an unfamiliar brand are seldom appealing to consumers, but this doesn’t
mean you can’t do anything about it. In fact, you can show them off on a point of purchase display to
boost their presence and make buyers notice them quicker and easier. It is a good way to create balance
between these and those with other brands on the shelves so they can also be given a chance to
perform well.
POP as a Combo Bundles Promotion
Retailers can take advantage of products that complements one another through POP display as it can
instantly promote multi-packed products or those that are separated on display. It would be easier to
convince people who are buying a product to take the other knowing that they work well when used
hand-in-hand. It is also an effective way to increase the chance of securing additional sales by making
sure buyers won’t forget about the complementary product.
Since we already talked about combo bundles it is also worth to mention seasonal promotions which are
also a great example for maximizing the effectiveness of stand-alone displays. A retail stand-alone
display showing different items intended for a certain season can greatly impact consumer purchase
decisions, brand recognition and impulse buys.
Benefits of A POP Display
Impulse Buys – As customers go around the store with their grocery lists, stand-alone displays are there
to encourage impulse purchases. Not because they already though of what to buy doesn’t mean they
can’t make instant decisions anymore. As long as the targeted retail display is well-designed, showcased
products can still capture purchases from people who are on their way to checkout.
Enhanced Visibility – Putting products on a point-of-purchase display will not only make them easier for
repeat buyers to find them but it also boosts sales and performance by making items stand out from
other similar products that they are up against on the store shelf.
Emphasis on Products – A stand-alone POP display means there’s more space to mention the benefits of
a product, explain its uses, and highlight the need to buy it. The sides of the display can be utilized and
additional signage can be put up to emphasize the product and its brand while raising the chances of
purchases.

Great help in easing the burden of in-store staff – Installing POP Displays is ideal for busy retail stores
with limited number of staff as it can stand on its own and put interest on a product without the need
for a sales person to talk customers into buying it. As long as they are informative and easy to use, rest
assured that they will work even on their own.

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Effective Inventory Management towards a Company’s Growth

Inventory management is being in control of a company’s stocked goods. Most of the resources of a business including cash are tied to it. So, effective inventory management is crucial for the company’s growth. In short, it can make or break your business.

Inventory management is also about monitoring the weight, dimensions, amounts, and location of the goods. The goal of inventory management is to minimize the cost of holding inventory by helping business owners know when it’s time to replenish products or buy more materials to manufacture them.

Why is it important?

Effective inventory management is vital in ensuring that a business has enough stock on hand to meet the demands of their customers. If it is not handled properly, it can lead to loss of money on potential sales that can’t be filled or wasted money due to overstocking.

1. To help avoid unnecessary spoilage

With effective inventory management, perishable goods like food or products that has an expiry date such as makeup will be handled more efficiently and significant loss can be avoided.

2. To prevent deadstock

There are lots of reasons why products cannot be sold anymore aside from them being expired. It can be because it has gone out of season, out of style, or otherwise become irrelevant. But with proper handling of inventory, you can come up with a strategy that will make you prepared for these kinds of situations.

3. To keep storage costs low

Storage costs soar high once you put too much product at once or end up with items that are difficult to sell. If you have effective inventory management, you’ll be easily aware of this. It means you can plan to avoid it and can keep your storage costs at a minimum.

How can you start being wise with your inventory management?

If you think an effective inventory management is what you need for your business, the first thing you have to do is to audit your current situation based on where your business is currently and where you want it to be. Think about the inventory challenges that might come along the way.

You also have to assess your technological capabilities and its efficicency to cater the amount of inventory you have. You can even consider an inventory tracking system if you don’t have one. But keep in mind that you only need it after having a certain level of inventory otherwise there might be other tools that might be better for your business.

Warehouse Management System

A warehouse management system (WMS) allows you to monitor what’s going on across multiple warehouses, regardless of whey they are. It also gives you the control to your inventory and warehouse operations, like receiving, supply chain management, fulfillment, distribution, and many more.

What do you need to improve inventory management?

The answer is simple. What you need is a system that centralizes all your data from all channels in real-time, so your decision making can be faster. In case there is an urgent scenario that needs to be acted on immediately. There are many available Inventory Management Systems online that can use with functions such as monitoring stock, generation of purchase orders, forecast demand, and many more.

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