How to reduce fulfillment time?

In the ever-changing e-commerce marketplace, faster shipping is one constant. E-tailers are moving from faster to fastest mode on delivery. The faster the better. In repeated studies, it was found out that people liked to purchase more from the website with faster shipping rate.

However, it is also difficult to match the shipping duration set by e-commerce marketplace giants such as Amazon and Walmart or any other marketplace platform as they’ve huge sums to invest in shipping-related infrastructure.

Furthermore, if sellers don’t compete with the fastest mode, they are bound to be left behind. So what should sellers do in this situation? Here are some inputs to reduce shipping time:

1. Click and Collect Functionality:

61% consumers prefer to click-and-collect functionality which means order online and pick in store and is also adopted by marketplaces such as Walmart, Amazon, and Jet.com.

The factors responsible for this behavior are either consumer want their product immediately or they want to save money on the shipment.

Also, merchants get a great chance to showcase other products in their offline store. However, it should also be noted to mostly click-and-collect functionality is best products with shorter shelf life, fragile products or small products whose shipment shipping eats into your pockets.

However, if your purpose is to increase the visibility of the products inside the offline store then it’s a different story altogether, then you must offer the most popular products on the discounted prices. This way shipping time is reduced.

2. Use 3PL Warehouse:

Another option for merchants, selling on marketplaces, is to use the Marketplaces Shipment services. Amazon, Walmart, Sears all offer great shipment and fulfillment services.

Merchants must use these fulfillment services. Not only they offer discounted pricing for the merchants, also storing your stock in their warehouses enable them to ship the products as soon as they receive the orders as it convenient for them to pick your product.

Doing this prevents any pseudo losses in time. Another way to reduce the shipping time duration.

3. Invest in infrastructure:

This is the most common problem which can be easily solved by investing in technology. Mostly online sellers don’t have the auto-acknowledge factor in their stores. So when they’re not around and any order arrives, it gets difficult for them to initiate the fulfillment process.

Cedcommerce Multi-Channel Integration solution is one such solution, it has twin benefits, not only does it let you sell on different marketplaces but also auto accepts the orders even when you’re offline or not there.

4. Partner with the experienced company:

Shipping is no joke. It is a complex system and those who have years of experience and have already shipped tons and all types of products know the shipping like the back of their hand.

They have adopted ameliorated methodologies to streamline their process to fill any gap which might cause unnecessary delays and this is acquired only after the wealth of experience.

5. Choose Expedited Shipping Options:

Although choosing expedited shipping option is a no-brainer but it can backfire on small merchants who struggle to meet the expectations of the faster delivery. However, they too should opt for expediting if it not eating all of their profits. Once you offer 1-day or same-day shipping option, your products will sell more.

However, for big merchants, it is compulsory as they can easily meet the economies of scale and break-even.

Therefore adopting aforementioned practices help you save a great amount of time and get repeated customers, as only happy one returns.

More from CedCommerce:

1. Things to look out for product sourcing at Alibaba

2. Earn Globally with Fruugo Marketplace: The Complete Guide to International Shipping

3. 4 Reasons which can get your Walmart Seller Account Suspended

4. Explained: FBM (Fulfillment by Merchants) vs FBS (Fulfillment by Sears) on Sears