eCommerce is no longer an industry, it’s a way of life. We’re all part of the revolution whether we like it or not. This has created a logistical challenge for retailers that they must overcome if they want to stay competitive in today’s fast-paced market.

eCommerce fulfilment is one of the most important parts of an online retailer’s business because it allows them to be agile, nimble, and better prepared for any situation. By using an eCommerce fulfilment service provider, companies can benefit from cost savings and convenience, and even take advantage of greater economies of scale by dealing with huge sales volumes at one time, instead of handling all aspects of order and inventory management themselves.

In this blog post, we’ll delve deeper into 10 reasons why eCommerce fulfilment is so popular and why you should be using it to your advantage!

1. The rise of social shopping

Social media is a fantastic way for companies and consumers alike to connect. The latest eCommerce trend? Social selling! Thanks to social media, people now have the opportunity to carry out mobile shopping from their favourite brands in seconds via these channels.

Faster ways to shop  means there is now a greater need for speedy and convenient order management and delivery. eCommerce fulfilment services handle a wide range of processes including packaging and tracking these customer orders,  as well as managing inventory to mitigate shortages and low customer satisfaction due to slow shipment.

2. Benefit from experience

The benefits of partnering with an experienced fulfillment center are numerous. You can work around the clock, as their employees will be on hand to take care of all your needs and ensure nothing goes wrong at any point in time.

Let’s face it, you’re not interested in being an expert at fulfillment – it’s a huge aspect of the business, of course, but certainly shouldn’t consume every last ounce of your resources or attention. Outsource this job to more experienced partners who know fulfilment inside and out – from packing boxes to shipping them safely and securely, l you’ll benefit from cost and resource savings – not to mention super fast and efficient delivery.

3. Brand protection

Many eCommerce businesses don’t have a dedicated fulfilment warehouse to store their products. This is where order fulfilment services come in. In order for your brand name and product quality to be recognised in this fast-paced industry you need excellent service from start (fulfilment) to finish (delivery), because no one likes receiving wrong or incomplete orders!

A good fulfilment service will handle this process for you and help with establishing a strong brand reputation if done well. A smooth and painless ordering process will ensure a reputable and trustworthy brand image amongst your customers.

4. Extended reach

The internet has drastically changed the way in which we live and work and this change has only progressed more rapidly since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Did you know that there are more than 2 billion people globally who regularly shop online? Clearly going global pays off. eCommerce fulfilment ensures widespread distribution meaning customers from all corners of the world have access to your products and services, not just locally but internationally too.

This isn’t necessarily as straightforward as it sounds as countries vary tremendously in their rules about eCommerce businesses operating within them – some require licenses while others restrict certain types or amounts or orders. Luckily, outsourcing your order fulfilment needs reduces a lot of this headache.

The world is your oyster with a fulfilment company that can ship internationally as these providers have the framework and infrastructure already in place for global shipments making sure any orders reach their destination quickly and without hassle!

5. More space

This is a no brainer! eCommerce businesses typically work out of small stores, basements and sheds – just about anywhere they can house their products and supplies. Imagine the amount of space you could save by outsourcing your fulfilment needs. No more organizing and boxing up those pesky bubble wrap rolls, boxes or other packing supplies! Your company will be able to focus on what really matters: keeping customers happy with their purchases from your online store.

A UK fulfilment service is the perfect solution for any business that needs to ship their products. With one centralised location, you can invest more time into your offerings and target audience instead of worrying about logistics like storage space and stock replenishing obligations.

6. Improved customer service

Customer retention is a hugely important aspect of any successful business. The key to which is great customer service. No matter how good your products are, customer experience can make or break you. Outsourcing your needs to an eCommerce fulfilment service means that 24/7 support can be available through email and phone. This will help your business differentiate itself from the competition by providing easy returns on products without having any hassle for yourself or the customers who are unsatisfied with what they have purchased.

Many fulfilment services also offer same day delivery options which gives them an amazing advantage over other competitors when it comes down to providing great customer experience – and same-day delivery is just the tip of the fulfilment iceberg.Customers are now demanding a range of delivery options to best suit their needs. These include click and collect,reserve online, and collect in store.

Although many retailers are employing these options to keep customers happy, offering such a broad spectrum of options can quickly become a logistics nightmare. However, order fulfilment providers can help. Fulfillment services can help companies offer these delivery and pick-up in store options to meet evolving demands and keep customers satisfied with minimal stress and maximum return.

7. Improved Focus

Business owners often juggle many things at once. They’re crafting products, building marketing campaigns and taking customer calls. Why take on packing and shipping too? Outsourcing your order fulfilment needs means you can focus more on scaling up your operation instead of becoming overwhelmed with order fulfilment.

One of the joys of being an entrepreneur is taking on many roles at once, but it is important to remember that you can’t do everything on your own. Some pitfalls are inevitable without proper support – one such pitfall being taking on tasks outside your expertise or comfort zone.  All the other responsibilities that need to be taken care of as a business owner are stressful enough without having to worry about managing orders and inventory as well.

8. Improved Scalability

In an age where eCommerce is growing in popularity, eCommerce businesses may find themselves at the mercy of their own success. As your company evolves and traffic increases, so will demand for your products and services. Companies lacking extra resource to accommodate this magnification may find themselves in trouble.

As a small eCommerce startup, you may be able to easily and efficiently handle your own order fulfillment for quite some time, but this can quickly become overwhelming for those who are unable to fulfill orders quickly enough as their success grows. The last thing you want is disappointed customers, or worse, losses. By outsourcing order fulfilment, this weight is lifted from your shoulders and you won’t have to spend unnecessary time worrying about your inventory – especially during already stressful seasonal periods or unprecedented circumstances.

9. Reduced operating costs

It’s no secret that storage and shipping can be expensive. By outsourcing fulfilment, you are able to eliminate the costs associated with hiring employees and buying packing supplies while also offering better prices due to economies of scale.

With eCommerce fulfilment services you will often only have one flat fee which includes everything from picking the ideal product packaging in pursuit for perfection, to finally delivering each customer their item at its intended destination. After this you often only pay for the shipments that are actually made successfully – very last detail in between is taken care of for you.

10. Using technology to your advantage

The rise of technology and digitisation offers many useful benefits for eCommerce retailers, from monitoring inventory to tracking shipments. However, to produce your own software solution is expensive and it’s a steep learning curve!

Most fulfillment providers already use their own cutting edge software to run their operations and perform a number of integral processes. By outsourcing to these companies you can acquire this state-of-the-art system at low cost and with minimal effort required on your part. This is an easy way to vastly increase efficiency in today’s competitive environment.

Cloud-based systems such as ControlPort order fulfilment software from James and James Fulfilment integrates with your eCommerce shopping service. It automates and streamlines the supply chain process including order management, inventory management, shipping, handling and tracking.

Final thoughts and transcending barriers

The online shopping experience has been a godsend for many people over the course of the pandemic, especially for those living in places where public mixing is restricted. It has been neither safe nor easy to go out to the shops and buy what you need at traditional brick and mortar stores.

Thanks to eCommerce, we can continue to buy online the essential items we need and love, from the safety of our own homes. With this method of shopping becoming more popularised, demand has once again increased. eCommerce fulfilment services have helped meet this greater demand from Covid-19 in a way that is more timely and cost efficient, meaning we have had one less thing to miss out on in the past year.

Do you currently use an eCommerce fulfilment service? Have you experienced any of the benefits above? Share your experiences with us!