Most ecommerce businesses sell on multiple channels, including ecommerce platforms. You might have a website or a Shopify store, list products on Amazon Marketplace, sell on Facebook, and also sell in brick-and-mortar locations. If you take a multichannel approach to sales, your customers have a different brand experience depending on the sales channel. An omnichannel … Read more
You might hear the following terms used interchangeably: fulfillment center, warehouse, distribution center, and third-party logistics (3PL). While there is some overlap, each of these terms has a distinct meaning. Here’s what you need to know when comparing a fulfillment center vs. warehouse, distribution center, or 3PL. Fulfillment center vs. warehouse: What is the difference? … Read more
A reliable fulfillment house by any other name would be as sweet to your profit margins. If you’ve heard the term “fulfillment house” recently but aren’t sure what it means, you’re not alone. It pops up from time to time but has been replaced by “fulfillment service provider,” “distribution center,” and “fulfillment center,” among others. … Read more
Ecommerce can erase borders for sellers. But your online store is only open to the whole world if you have access to global fulfillment services. Because shipping ecommerce orders to other countries can involve complex paperwork, it’s a good idea to work with a 3PL rather than handling your own global order fulfillment process. The … Read more
Successful ecommerce businesses all have one thing in common: terrific ecommerce fulfillment. You can have the best product in the world, an inviting website, and a sales funnel that slides your customers quickly to the checkout, but if your ecommerce logistics don’t run smoothly, your web-based business will be all splash and no cash. Fulfillment … Read more
Amazon’s Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP) program lets vendors display the Prime badge on their products while maintaining control of their fulfillment process. With Amazon’s third party sellers generating billions in annual sales, this program offers significant growth potential. But the strict delivery requirements and nationwide shipping mandates mean SFP isn’t right for every business. This guide … Read more
As an eCommerce business, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in shipping and costs – both domestic and international — over the past few years. From the pandemic to rising inflation, shipping costs have gone up. And obviously these cost increases have had a dramatic impact upon your bottom line. The International Money Fund (IMF), studying … Read more
In 2019, Shopify built the Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) to provide storage, inventory management, picking, packing, and shipping for Shopify sellers. The network comprised a mix of warehouses owned by Shopify and independent eCommerce Fulfillment warehouses that Shopify subcontracted with. In May 2023, Shopify announced the sale of the Shopify Fulfillment Network, including Deliverr, to … Read more
A shipping container is a steel container used for shipping cargo. Shipping companies own shipping containers. They lease them to freight shippers for moving full container load (FCL) or less than container load (LCL) cargo. There’s also a growing trend of using refurbished containers to create everything from housing to offices. So there are two … Read more
You just received an angry email from a customer. Their order arrived damaged, and they want to know what you’re going to do about it. But here’s the problem: you have no idea who’s actually responsible for fixing this mess. Was it your fault for poor packaging? The shipping company’s fault for rough handling? Or … Read more
Logistics jobs span a wide range of career options, from entry-level to advanced. Because logistics and supply chains are so varied, you can bring almost any skill set and find a career in the logistics industry: warehousing, project management, operations, information technology, and more. With the rapid growth of ecommerce during the pandemic and beyond, … Read more
One of the questions we have heard often over the last year is, “Why is shipping so expensive?” Shipping rates have increased since the pandemic’s disruptions, and eCommerce companies are facing a new kind of supply chain difficulty: controlling shipping costs. So here’s the bottom line on why shipping is so expensive and ways that … Read more
