Why Your Retail Supply Chain Needs a Digital Transformation

Nearly 60% consumers are now willing to switch to a competitor with quicker and cheaper shipping. 

Consumers are comparing their shipping options ahead of purchasing. They’re asking, “Can I find a better deal somewhere else?” 

And it’s not enough to just win the sale at check out— you also have to deliver as promised. A negative shipping experience can have irreparable damage. 83% of consumers are less likely to re-purchase from a retailer after a negative delivery or shipping experience. And, about a third of consumers will leave a bad review or post on social media about it.

But, a lot of sellers still struggle  to meet consumer delivery expectations. 95% of companies have experienced delays or bottlenecks in their order fulfillment operations in the last year [2019]. 45% faced issues with order picking and processing, while 37% struggled with inventory management.

What is Distributed Order Management (DOM) and Why Does It Matter for Retailers?

(This article was last published on April 21, 2017. We’ve updated it for accuracy and completeness.)

Today’s consumers want to interact and buy from your brand across different offline and online channels. No matter where they buy, they want that experience to be friction-less and intuitive. Consumers will even pick a favorable experience over shopping for the lowest price or top-quality product. 

This puts a lot of pressure on merchants to create a seamless experience. You have to be strategic and thoughtful to ensure your systems and processes support customer expectations. 

When it comes to order management and delivery, many retailers are turning to distributed order management (DOM) to achieve just that. The challenge? Distributed order management is a dynamic change from traditional order management. It can be difficult for merchants to make the necessary changes to support. 

But, those who do it right can gain a competitive advantage and better serve their customers. 

What Is a 3PL and Why Are They Important to Retailers?

(This article was last published on May 12, 2016. It has been updated for accuracy and completeness.)

Providing a good delivery experience can determine whether a customer buys from you again or not.  

According to ShipStation’s latest report, 83% of consumers are less likely to re-purchase from a retailer after a negative delivery or shipping experience. 

Unfortunately, a lot of online sellers struggle with delivery, causing their business to suffer. But, building and managing your own logistics network is challenging, as it’s expensive and time-consuming. 

To meet customer expectations and protect their bottom lines, merchants are partnering with 3PLs to outsource their fulfillment needs. In the years to come, 3PLs will be critical to competing online and growing your business.  

Shopify Plus reported that demand for 3PLs is set to nearly double to $408 billion in the first half of this decade. 

So, what is a 3PL exactly? What role can they play in your business? And, how to do pick the right one to partner with? 

Vendor-Managed Inventory Benefits & Advantages

(This article was last published on July 21, 2015. It has been updated for accuracy and completeness.)

While vendor-managed inventory (VMI) is not a new concept, it’s still not widely adopted by merchants. Yet, when executed correctly, a vendor-managed inventory strategy can bring huge benefits to your business (think cost savings and better customer experience). 

In this post, learn what exactly VMI is, it’s benefits, and how you can implement a VMI program for any size business.

Everything You Need to Know about Partial Shipment

(This article was last published on June 29th, 2016. It has been updated for accuracy and completeness.)

You can’t always ship an entire order at once. You might even prefer to ship items separately to ensure they arrive on-time. Some items could ship from a service like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) while others are fulfilled from your own warehouse.

Fulfillment of a single order in multiple shipments is referred to as partial shipment. While often necessary, it’s difficult to monitor on the backend of your operations. How do you track partial shipments in your systems? How do you ensure orders are mark completed only once all items are fulfilled?

Before executing partial shipment, you’ll need to know what the process is, why it’s important to get it right, and the best way to do it.