APS Fulfillment, Inc. (www.APSFulfillment.com), one of the nation’s leading cost-effective fulfillment and integrated direct mail marketing companies, reacts to record 2015 Cyber Monday sales and explains that retailers will focus on cyber sales throughout the entire month of December.
Cyber Monday sales topped more than $3.0 billion for the first time, setting a record for a single day of online sales. Online sales increased 16% year-over-year to $3.07 billion; analysts were forecasting a rise of just 12% to around $3.0 billion. Sales for the five-day period beginning on Thanksgiving rang in at $11.11 billion, 2.4% higher than the expected $10.85 billion and a 17% increase over the same period in 2014. (Source: “Adobe Data Shows Cyber Monday Largest Online Sales Day in History with $3 Billion,” adobe.com, November 30, 2015; http://www.adobe.com/news-room/pressreleases/201511/113015AdobeDataCyberMondaySales.html)
“While Cyber Monday rang in record sales, it’s really the kick-off day for the holidays. Cyber Monday is no longer just a single-day event, the entire month of December will be a sales-focused period,” says Charles Aultman, President of APS Fulfillment, Inc. “In fact, seven of the top 10 sales days still remain in December, giving online retailers and traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses plenty of time to capitalize on the gift-giving rush.”
Even though sales were running at a record clip on Cyber Monday, so too were out-of-stock rates. Thirteen out of 100 online product views showed an out-of-stock message; two times the normal rate. Customer satisfaction in the United States is at its lowest level in nine years, with smaller e-commerce brands taking the biggest hit in customer satisfaction. And an out-of-stock message has been shown to reduce the satisfaction a customer has with a particular brand. (Source: Klie, L “Slumping Customer Satisfaction Takes a Toll on the Economy,” destinationcrm.com, December 1, 2015; http://www.destinationcrm.com/Articles/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=107808&tc=eml)
“When it comes to long-term growth, retailers are placing more importance on a strong logistics strategy,” Aultman adds. “Customers want to know that a product is going to be in stock and they receive it when promised.”
“Located in Southern Florida, APS Fulfillment is close to all major transportation hubs. Thanks to this proximity and the company’s state-of-the-art inventory technology and real-time-shipping solutions, businesses that use APS Fulfillment, Inc. can have their products received, inventoried, and shipped in just two days,” Aultman concludes. “On top of that, our fast and accurate pick-and-pack rate can keep up with seasonal demand. This prevents backlogs and enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.”
For more information on APS, visit the company’s web site at www.APSFulfillment.com.
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.