If you want to reach the growing eCommerce world, you need a robust plan for North American Fulfillment. With more than 579 million people across 24 countries, North America represents a massive opportunity for any company and class of products. You can grow by targeting a single location or many, and regional partners make this significantly more manageable.
Red Stag Fulfillment is a leading outsourcing option for your U.S. and Canadian fulfillment, for example, and we can help you support a network that reaches El Salvador, Belize, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and many more markets. With a potential customer base this size — and a continent that’s more than 9.5 million square miles — there are only a few universal considerations for your eCommerce business. Here are a few that your business should know about international eCommerce.
Your customers don’t think about North American fulfillment
One essential fulfillment lesson for eCommerce companies is that customers aren’t focused on your total service area. They want to know first and foremost if you provide quick, reliable delivery to where they live or where they’re sending a package. Coverage maps and two-day shipping promises are a significant help in relaying this information. Also, consider website plugins that give shipping price estimates inside of the shopping cart that follows customers around your site.
Information and maps provide an immediate answer to the question: “Can I order this?” They also make your fulfillment look more reliable and make promises more trustworthy. If you outsource your fulfillment, consider using coverage maps from those third-party logistics firms (3PLs).
See what this means for American fulfillment.
Promise them every service
Customers want to know that they can rely on you for everything you promise. That covers high-quality products, fast shipping, and even returns. If you offer a service, expand it to as much of your audience base as possible. Work with a company like Red Stag Fulfillment to help you handle shipping and returns across all North American fulfillment. Have a plan and partner that can manage the typical spike of year-end holiday returns with full processing and inventory updates at every location.
We’ll help your customers make their return to the closest facility, reducing your costs and speeding up the resolution as well as inventory reallocation. Your partner’s goal should always be to reduce the amount of time any product spends out of circulation. The more reliable your partner, the better you can avoid backorders too.
Seasonality is more than just sales
Seasonality differs significantly for eCommerce companies. Even when sales follow the weather, it flows across the continent to continually meet new audiences. Moving North and South around the continent also brings big swings in weather, temperament, and access at any point in the year. Your North American fulfillment should be able to follow these realities without interruption or any great difference. The best sales opportunities for you deserve a strong backing, no matter when they happen.
Your North American fulfillment partner should remove as many seasonal restrictions and limitations as possible to meet this. You should be able to scale up and down inventory and order support as your company needs it. Whether ahead of holidays or your busy season, space shouldn’t get in the way of fulfillment.
This need is the main reason eCommerce companies start thinking about outsourcing fulfillment. By working with a 3PL like Red Stag Fulfillment, you get access to the space you need as you need it. That means no signing another lease or breaking new ground to expand a warehouse or move operations. Shelves are ready and waiting for your growth.
In lean months, you can reduce inventory count and still only pay for what you need. Outsourcing lets you avoid expenses around empty space in your warehouse.
Continental reach, local service feel
By offering multiple fulfillment centers, 3PLs like Red Stag Fulfillment can help you reach customers across North America quickly and efficiently. Your audience places an order, and their package arrives in a few days with no hassle. They’ll appreciate your capabilities and give you credit while your eCommerce fulfillment partner ensures a smooth delivery.
One important thing to discuss with your 3PL is the location of their fulfillment centers and how these impact elements such as shipping time and import duties or customs. Using multiple locations gives you two benefits related to shortening the distance between starting point and destination. It’s faster for a carrier to move goods a shorter distance, and they charge you less because you’re shipping across fewer zones.
To make the most of any partnership, get a firm idea of their import support. Look for eCommerce North American fulfillment offerings that make it simple to ship to Canada and the U.S. A partner will help you calculate and predict costs, look for opportunities to minimize expenses, and work with carriers to establish rates right for your business.
Regulation and compliance
Your partner should handle regulatory requirements and shipping necessities for import and export. Ask directly how they do this and how it impacts your speed, cost, and other fulfillment requirements. We address this directly through our dashboard that works with freight forwarding and export partners to establish an unbroken chain of custody.
You get your needed documentation and protections, giving you a clear understanding of your supply chain. We’ll track government and carrier requirements for every order. That means your business keeps running smoothly while our experts minimize your costs, protect products, and keep customers happy.
Ready to expand your North American fulfillment reach?
You deserve a reliable fulfillment partner. That’s true if you’re a U.S. company looking to reach more customers or want to set a firm foothold in North America as your next export target. Instead of struggling with self-fulfillment or trying to master new carrier relationships and industry regulations, consider outsourcing your North American fulfillment to RSF.
Our experts can help you understand expenses, create predictable costs, and minimize shipping times and pricing. We’ll help you establish more locations and carrier relationships. Using a partner network that includes freight forwarders, we’ll assist you with exports and container consolidation, among other needs.
Reduce complexity and increase reach with a reliable partner.
