APS Fulfillment, Inc., Florida’s Premier Fulfillment Company, Weighs in on Report Showing Retailers Expect to Conduct 50% of Sales Via Mobile

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 report showing that retailers expect to get 50% of their sales from mobile devices. APS Fulfillment, Inc. is also announcing its top fulfillment and distribution tips for businesses looking to capitalize on the changing mobile-commerce environment.

According to a recent survey, a growing number of retailers (11%) expect to conduct more than half of their online sales through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, by the end of 2014. When the same study was conducted in 2013, just four percent of retailers expected e-commerce to play as large a role. (Source: “Retailers expecting to conduct 50% sales via mobile,” EssentialRetail.com, April 7, 2014; www.essentialretail.com/news/article/534283e3edfe3-retailers-expecting-to-conduct-50-sales-via-mobile.)

“More and more customers are using their mobile devices to check online pricing, make purchases, and post product reviews on social media sites like Facebook,” says Charles Aultman, president of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “And as the most recent year-over-year data shows, the impact of mobile on e-commerce is only going to grow.”

While this study examined online businesses in the U.K., Aultman goes on to explain that the increase in online sales through mobile channels echoes similar data out of the U.S. In 2013, mobile commerce, or m-commerce, generated roughly $41.7 billion of the total $262.3 billion of e-commerce sales; this represents a 68% year-over-year increase and accounts for 16% of total e-commerce sales. By 2017, m-commerce sales are forecast to reach over $113 billion, representing a compound annual growth rate of 28%. (Source: Jones, C., “Ecommerce Is Growing Nicely While Mcommerce Is On A Tear,” Forbes web site, October 2, 2013; www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2013/10/02/ecommerce-is-growing-nicely-while-mcommerce-is-on-a-tear/.)

“This data shows that retailers are increasingly optimistic about the future of their online sales and growth over the next few years,” Aultman explains. “In order to streamline efficiencies, meet their customers’ online expectations, and focus their attention on generating revenue, many brands will need to use a third-party fulfillment and distribution company.”

He adds that it’s imperative that brands choose the right fulfillment company to pick, pack, and ship their orders; after all, a fulfillment company is the first impression a customer gets about the way an online company conducts business. Ensuring customers get what they ordered and when it was promised builds brand loyalty and enhances brand awareness.

In addition, Aultman notes that brands looking to enhance their customers’ m-commerce experience need to find a fulfillment company that is centrally located to all major transportation hubs. Some businesses want their fulfillment company to be close to their store or head office, while others want their fulfillment company to be closer to their customers. Selecting a fulfillment company in the right area can increase both online orders and protect a business’ bottom line.

“Finally, it’s important to take the size of a fulfillment company’s warehouse into consideration,” he observes. “Big businesses want to make sure there is enough room to accommodate their stock, while smaller brands want to make sure their products are going to receive the same attention to detail.”

“In today’s rapidly growing and competitive m-commerce environment, brands need to use a fulfillment company that puts their customers’ expectations first and can keep pace with their growing business needs,” Aultman concludes.

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.