APS Fulfillment, Inc. Responds to Study: Most Retailers Expect 2014 Holiday Sales Increase

Miami, FL, September 25, 2014 – APS Fulfillment, Inc. (www.APSFulfillment.com), one of the nation’s leading cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, is weighing in on a recent study showing the vast majority of retailers expect to report an increase in their 2014 online holiday sales.

According to a recent study, 86% of retailers expect their year-over-year online holiday sales to increase in 2014, more than a quarter of retailers surveyed (27%) expect to report an 11% to 15% increase in online sales, and almost half (46%) expect sales to increase between one percent and 10%. Ultimately, no retailers expect to report an annual decrease in holiday sales in 2014. (Source: Parry, T., “4 Key Findings from ChannelAdvisor’s Holiday Ecommerce Study,” Multichannel Merchant web site, September 23, 2014; http://multichannelmerchant.com/ecommerce/4-key-findings-channeladvisors-holiday-ecommerce-study-23092014/.)

“Not surprisingly, customer service features continue to be a dominant force when it comes to driving sales,” says Charles Aultman, president of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “Almost half of retailers expect to offer free shipping and returns, while one-third plan to stock more products.”

Retailers named free shipping as the most popular feature for increasing customer satisfaction, with 67% of retailers saying they have seen sales increase in the past when they offer free shipping and returns. In addition, offering discounts for select products is a strategy that 27% of retailers said they would use to generate higher holiday sales in 2014.

“It’s one thing for brands to say they are going to offer free shipping and returns and increase the amount of product they have on hand, but it’s quite another for them to actually be able to do it,” Aultman adds. “A brand’s reputation rests in its ability to follow through on what it promises.”

Aultman explains that that’s why it’s important for companies with an online presence to use a fulfillment company that can get their products received, inventoried, and shipped in two days. It’s also imperative that they have an experienced team that can handle time-sensitive seasonal order spikes.

“For brands to be more competitive, they need to streamline and speed up order fulfillment,” Aultman concludes. “APS Fulfillment, Inc.’s real-time shipping solution can connect a retailer’s online shopping cart and receive them as they occur. This means that APS Fulfillment, Inc. receives the order the second it’s placed, while most other fulfillment companies use systems that batch orders together.”

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-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.