Category Archives: Shipping Fulfillment

There’s a lot to like about the winter months: beautiful snow, winter sports, a relief from exhaustively hot weather in southern regions. But with winter comes challenges for many businesses, especially shipping companies. The good news for shipping fulfillment companies, however, is that these problems are predictable—and addressable.

And remember that just because you may be doing fulfillment shipping in Florida or another state that doesn’t face too much winter weather, it doesn’t mean that you can totally ignore winter; your shipments, after all, are likely to go all over the country. Not to mention that the entire supply chain often faces challenges during colder months.

That said, see below for some useful tips on how to keep your company running smoothly throughout the season.

Tips to Prepare for a Successful Winter Shipping Season

Prepare for Inevitable Delays

You’re going to see delays—it’s unavoidable. Even the best laid plans can’t account for every eventuality. From unexpected inclement weather conditions like snowstorms and icy roads to holiday order volume increases and traffic, you’re going to have to contend with several obstacles that the winter season creates.

It’s impossible to foresee and resolve every delay (unless you’ve developed a way to control the weather and people’s holiday fervor).

What you can do, however, is be ready for these delays.

Being flexible and having contingency plans in place are crucial when dealing with these unavoidable delays. Backups like alternative routes for shipping can be hugely beneficial here. Tracking your carriers is also a great way to keep up to date with the logistics, so you can answer client questions whenever they arise.

Utilize All Available Shipping Resources

As mentioned at the top, the good thing about winter is that it is, to some extent, predictable.

Examining data of past shipping routes to determine which are the least likely to face weather issues is a good place to start when building your seasonal plan.

It’s also handy to provide services that account for winter. Products that are likely to freeze, for instance, will need special shipping protocols.

Communicate Effectively

Your customers expect your deliveries to arrive on time—it’s why they hired you, after all. But as we examined, there’s simply no way to guarantee that you won’t face some delays due to winter.

The key to avoiding a disgruntled clientele (which in turn will damage your reputation) is to maintain constant avenues of communication.

Make a team available to communicate with clients in order to head off customer frustration.

Being able to track your shipments is also a must as it allows you to provide accurate delivery estimates to customers as well as keep all your information up to date and as accurate as possible.

APS Fulfillment Inc.: A Top Order Shipping Company in Florida and Beyond

Winter is tough but conquerable. And you can conquer it. If you’re in need of extra help, APS Fulfillment, Inc. has years of experience in the supply chain industry. Offering premier shipping fulfillment in Florida and beyond, we are more than prepared to meet the winter months head-on and provide your company with reliable shipping solutions.

Get in touch with us today and one of our consultants will tailor a fulfillment plan that will help grow your business. To book a consultation, call (954) 582-7450 or email [email protected].

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Running an e-commerce business can get expensive, especially if you manage your shipping poorly. It’s important to do your research to find out where you can reduce costs and spend your money in the most valuable places without needless mistakes. Shipping mistakes are one of the most common errors that can jeopardize businesses, but these mistakes can easily be avoided with the right preparation. Here are the most expensive shipping mistakes to avoid, and how you can prevent them from affecting your business.

Traditional consumers may not realize there’s a difference between shipping and mailing, and maybe it’s not something they’re dying to know about. However, for those in the logistics industry, it’s a topic of interest. When searching for a logistics partner, how do you know what their services entail if they use the term “mailing” vs “shipping?” Is there even a difference to be noted? The short answer: yes. To learn about the difference between these seemingly identical terms, keep on reading.

There are many things to consider when setting up an e-commerce business. Some of these include delivery arrangements, inventory and stock locations, and finding the most cost-effective and least time-consuming way to organize products. Although many companies use drop shipping for their e-commerce web sites, there are many disadvantages of drop shipping that you should be aware of. Here’s what you need to know about the risks of drop shipping.

As you know, free shipping has become one of the most sought after and expected additions for consumers when shopping online. While the impact of free shipping on sales can be amazing, some companies don’t always have ways to offer free shipping to their customers. E-commerce businesses can generate even more business when they offer free shipping, from encouraging repeat purchases to attracting new clients altogether. Here are a few ways you can implement free shipping into your e-commerce strategy. 

Free shipping has become an expectation from online shoppers, rather than the bonus it once was. Offering free shipping options can be advantageous for your business, but there are certain things you’ll need to keep in mind when implementing it—things like the cost of free shipping, free shipping conversion rates, and how to advertise your free shipping all play a part in how valuable it ends up being for your business. The benefits of free shipping can be immense, but owners need to assess all of the associated risks and ensure they introduce it to their e-commerce business appropriately. Check out these common mistakes, and make sure you avoid them when offering free shipping.

Online shopping and e-commerce have become synonymous with sales culture in 2017. More and more people are choosing to browse the Internet over browsing the aisles, which is why e-commerce is such a booming industry right now. Since online shopping has become so popular, it’s become increasingly difficult for online retailers to win the loyalty of customers. A strategy many companies have used is to offer exclusive deals to online shoppers to encourage them to choose their store. One of the most common perks offered is free shipping—it’s become so common for companies to offer this that it’s now expected, and those who don’t offer it are seen as the exception rather than the norm.

The terms “shipping” and “delivery” have become more popular with the rise of e-commerce. Online shoppers often assume these two terms are synonymous when, in reality, their meanings are completely different. Whether you’re an online retailer or a consumer, it’s important to note the difference between shipping and delivery. As a retailer, you should be clear about letting your customers know what their shipping and delivery dates are to avoid complaints and unhappy customers. In addition, online shoppers should make sure that they observe both dates when ordering somethings online in order to avoid disappointment—especially if their item is time-sensitive. We’ve outlined the definition of shipping vs. delivery, so if you’re unsure of the difference, just keep on reading!

If you’re wondering how to figure out shipping and handling costs for your products, there are some important factors to consider. Product type, weight, dimensions, handling time and cost, customer location, and competition should all be considered before determining your average cost of shipping. Finding a middle ground between charging what benefits your business—and pleases the customers—is the mark you should strive for. Additionally, there are different ways to charge for shipping, and some may be more suitable to your target customers than others.

Technology has allowed for dramatic improvements in e-commerce business and enhancements to supply chains and logistics have improved delivery performance for the big-box retailers like Walmart and Amazon. This has caused customers to begin wanting—and in some cases, expecting—a larger number of services when they engage in e-commerce. Meeting these expectations and desires is an excellent way to improve the e-commerce shipping experience, but understanding what to do and how can be tricky. This guide will break down some of the more common expectations among the modern customer, and then offer some e-commerce shipping best practices to help you develop the best shipping solutions and fulfillment.