“If you do build a great experience, customers tell each other about that. Word of mouth is very powerful.”
-Jeff Bezos
Did you know the size of the eCommerce fulfillment market worldwide was valued at a massive USD 86,449.97 million last year? It is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) as high as 9.5% from 2022 to 2030.
The way online shopping has been rising, especially since the pandemic, streamlining your order fulfillment process is now more critical than ever. Right from warehousing & packaging to shipping & returns management, your fulfillment operations need to be efficient at every step.
Getting your fulfillment strategy right can help reduce costs and give your business a competitive edge. There is added advantage, of course. You’ll be able to process your orders better, ship them more quickly, and track them more easily.
Your customers will be happier as they get a delightful experience. Hence, they’ll be more loyal to your brand. It is essential for your success in the long term. Although making an effective eCommerce fulfillment strategy isn’t easy, here’s how to excel at it:
eCommerce Fulfillment Strategies That Work
Stacking Up Your Storage
Make the best use of your storage space. The idea is not to just store your products but to store them in a way that keeps your order-to-ship time on the lower side. Whenever you receive an order, it should get ready for dispatch in the minimum possible time.
Kitting your inventory could be an effective way to ensure this. If you bundle two or more related items and store them together under a new SKU, it’ll become much easier to locate them in the warehouse. It also helps to increase your revenue and move products off your shelves. Most warehousing solutions have this facility.
Preparing for the Peak
Without a proper warehousing & fulfillment plan in place, your business is destined to lose two things during the peak season. One is a host of opportunities, and the other is a lot of money. You must design your eCommerce order fulfillment process to handle high demand while controlling your costs.
Increase your storage capacity according to the anticipated demand, so your order fulfillment process doesn’t collapse during an order surge. What’s even more crucial is how you distribute your inventory. Storing it closer to your customers means less shipping costs and faster delivery times.
Providing Custom Packaging
Good packaging not only protects your products, but it also protects your brand. While it’s often underrated, it offers an excellent opportunity to stand out against competitors.
So, how do you make it unique? It isn’t just about branding. That’s sort of a must-have. But going the extra mile and offering customized packaging options will make your customers feel truly valued, such as a card with a personalized message.
Cutting Down the Cost
Shipping costs have been shooting up lately all across the world. You’ll be surprised to know that about 48% of your shopping carts are likely to be abandoned if your shipping charges are too high.
Free shipping plays an important role in pushing your visitors to convert. There are multiple ways you can achieve it. One good practice is strategically distributing your inventory in different fulfillment centers close to your prospects. Another smart way is to ship your orders in bulk.
Stepping Up the Speed
More than 20% of your visitors might leave their purchase midway if your order delivery is too slow. Nowadays, consumers expect faster deliveries, and most businesses offer same-day and next-day deliveries.
To leverage this opportunity, you can also provide multiple expedited delivery options for an extra charge. This will depend mainly on how close your inventory is stored to your customers and how advanced your warehouse management and order processing systems are.
Repairing Your Returns Experience
Lastly, ensure your returns policy is crystal clear and painless. It should be such that even if a customer returns a product, they return to purchase from you again in the future. Also, process your refunds quickly.
Reduce the need to contact support multiple times. Make the process more interactive, where customers can simply choose an item they want to return, state their reason, and generate a return shipping label.
Make eCommerce Fulfillment Simpler
The easiest way to implement all of these eCommerce fulfillment strategies is to get an order fulfillment partner on board that offers you an end-to-end warehouse solution.
Firstly, your entire operations will be automated and driven by technology, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimum error. Secondly, you can access large fulfillment centers and a broad delivery network.
You can scale your business according to the demand. This flexibility will allow you to reduce your overall order fulfillment costs, deliver extraordinary customer experiences at lightning speed, and fulfill all your goals.
