APS Fulfillment, Inc. (www.APSFulfillment.com), one of the nation’s leading and most cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, is commenting on the biggest challenges facing retailers in 2015 and weighing in on ways brands can streamline the e-commerce process.
“With U.S. sales expected to top $350 billion in 2015, e-commerce continues to dominate the retail landscape. Some of the biggest challenges retailers face in 2015 includes new technology, changing shopping habits, and competing brands,” says Charles Aultman, president of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “To stay competitive, brands need to find an efficient fulfilment company that both streamlines the warehousing and shipping process and improves their customer’s e-commerce experience.”
Aultman explains that while mobile devices are not technically a new trend impacting retail, mobile devices are an integral part of the consumers’ everyday life. Unfortunately, when it comes to shopping online, 56% of American smartphone owners have abandoned a mobile transaction during the checkout process. Factors that can lead to order abandonment include websites that are not mobile friends, a complicated payment process, and longer-than-expected shipping times. (Source: adweek.com, article, “Survey: 56% of U.S. Consumers Have Abandoned a Mobile Transaction, August 18, 2015; http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/survey-56-of-u-s-consumers-have-abandoned-a-mobile-transaction/625265.)
Another trend online brands face is higher customer expectations for shipping. In fact, shipping concerns now account for five of the top eight reasons why customers abandon their shopping carts. Customers are generally not aware of the enormous undertaking required to send and receive online orders, accurately pick and pack, and ship products. On top of that, according to Aultman, most brands do not have the means to facilitate an in-house fulfillment operation.
“The customer experience is the key to a competitive advantage. And what customers want is a quick, transparent, and seamless delivery process. APS Fulfillment’s real-time shipping solution can connect a retailer’s online shopping cart and receive them as they occur. Most other fulfillment companies use systems that batch orders together,” Aultman concludes. “And, because of our close proximity to all major transportation hubs, businesses that use APS Fulfillment can have their products received, inventoried, and shipped in just two days.”
APS Fulfillment, Inc. is one of the United States’ leading and most cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, offering affordable and real-time fulfillment services to small, medium, and large companies. Its state-of-the-art technology provides turnkey solutions for high-volume perfect-match mailings, personalized direct mail, snap-pak mailers, postcards, and triple-tabbed booklets. More information on APS Fulfillment, Inc. is available by visiting the firm’s web site at www.APSFulfillment.com or by calling 954-582-7450.
