The COVID-19 pandemic took everyone by surprise. Businesses were forced to close, and people were unable to shop and go about their business as usual. But even as many governments around the world have begun to reopen businesses and resume services, things still are not the way they used to be. The pandemic has reshaped the retail world and more consumers have started shopping online to get the products they need. If you operate an e-commerce business, here’s why contactless order fulfillment is the new normal for 2020 and onward.
Growing Demand for Contactless Order Fulfillment
The pandemic has accelerated a shift away from shopping in physical brick-and-mortar stores to shopping online. Department stores have seen significant declines and many smaller shops have had to shut down indefinitely. In fact, in the first quarter of this year, department store sales and other non-essential retailers noticed a decline of 25%. In the second quarter, this increased to a 75% decline.
It’s not all doom and gloom for small- and medium-sized business, however. E-commerce is projected to grow by nearly 20% this year, according to reports.
The United States has been one of the hardest hit countries around the world when it comes to the COVID-19 pandemic. Social and physical distancing guidelines encourage more and more people to stay home as much as possible and only go out to do essential errands. That means more and more people are placing online orders. As a result, business owners have been forced to rethink and reformulate their existing product fulfillment and distribution strategies to better meet the growing consumer demands.
The differences between business to business (B2B) and business to consumer (B2C) may seem confusing and complicated if you are new to either industry. There are many clear differences between these two operations, and each works in a unique way to help businesses succeed. Here’s what you need to know about each process and what makes them so different.
When fulfillment companies bring in new clients, they consider everything from order volume metrics, to product type, to SKU. Most fulfillment companies prefer clients with low SKU counts and high volumes, since these are the easiest to process. A high volume generates greater profits, and a low SKU count means more of the same products and as a result, easier inventory management. If you have high SKU counts, but don’t necessarily have a high volume of orders, it’s important to know what type of order fulfillment services in Florida can help. But first, here are the basics.
If you want a successful order fulfillment process in e-commerce, you need to make sure you’re getting the right products to the right customers at the right time. Although the final version of your e-commerce order fulfillment process may vary, there are key steps in the order fulfillment process that will help you ensure that you have an efficient system for your business. Keep on reading to find out what they are!
A fulfillment strategy for e-commerce refers to business strategies that get online product orders to the customers who ordered them. If steady growth in your business has been testing your ability to fill these orders and deliver them on time, it’s time to update your fulfillment strategy. Thanks to ever-evolving technology, there are many options at your disposal. All you need to do is choose the right strategy, and carefully put it into action. This can be done with the help of an 
E-commerce frauds happen when a customer receives a financial gain from the returns process by taking advantage of the business. This results in a loss of profits and inventory from the business. There are different types of e-commerce fraud and some consumers will try the same tactics online as they would in-store. Other types of fraud can only be done online. If you are operating an e-commerce business, it is important to be aware of instances of return fraud to protect yourself from loss of inventory and profit. Here is what you need to know about returns fraud and how you can protect your business.
Deciding whether you should manage your e-commerce order fulfillment on your own or work with a partner is one of the challenges you will have to consider as a small- to medium-sized business. If you choose to outsource your e-commerce order fulfillment you can get a lot of daily tasks and responsibilities off your plate, save money, and improve service and the brand experience for your customers. Still on the fence? Here are some solid reasons why you should team up with an e-commerce order fulfillment partner.
If you have an e-commerce business, returns processing is a solution you must provide for your consumers. Returns management in e-commerce is necessary as the possibility of consumers being dissatisfied with their order is higher than shopping in a brick-and-mortar store. Although e-commerce returns management costs money, it’s the right investment to resolve customer issues and boost the reputation of your online store. Here’s why product returns management is so important and the benefits of letting an e-commerce fulfillment center handle it for you.
