APS Fulfillment, Inc. Comments on Data Showing Online Retailers Drive Changes in Warehousing and Fulfillment

Miami, FL, January 27, 2016 – APS Fulfillment, Inc. (www.APSFulfillment.com), one of the nation’s leading cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct-mail marketing companies, weighs in on fourth quarter economic data showing that e-commerce is driving the economy and how e-commerce sales will coerce changes in warehousing and fulfillment distribution patterns.

According to recent data, retail sales for the holiday period increased 3.0%, which was less than the number of sales forecasted. It’s also significantly lower than the 9.0% growth from e-commerce sales, which were actually higher than what was forecasted. Sales for non-store retailers—like online sellers—increases by 7.1% in December; in contrast, general retailers only saw a 0.1% increase. (Source: Page, P., “Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ,” The Wall Street Journal web site, January 19, 2016; http://www.wsj.com/articles/todays-top-supply-chain-and-logistics-news-from-wsj-1453202559.)

“The sales gap is expected to widen later this year,” says Charles Aultman, president of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “Industrial production contracted in December for the third straight month. On top of that, the factory sector is also pulling back. Taken together, the economy is moving on two different tracks that are expected to drive changes in warehousing and fulfillment.”

Aultman explains that despite the mediocre sales data, online merchants are doing much better than traditional bricks-and mortar-stores. Strong e-commerce sales are being supported by increasing consumer sentiment, the improving job market, and rising wages.

“Merchants looking to take advantage of the improving e-commerce environment need to ensure that they use a comprehensive warehousing and fulfillment company,” Aultman explains. “It should be one that can meet their day-to-day needs and also keep up with seasonal demand.”

APS Fulfillment, Inc. is one of the United States’ leading 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-pack mailers, postcards, and triple-tabbed booklets.