Consumers are getting better at navigating ecommerce on their own. But not every feature of customer care can or should be automated, leaving merchants to figure out where to lend hands-on support, and what to make self-service. An expert panel at Ecommerce Operations Summit 2019 provided 10 tips to help you navigate this issue.
While the prospect of increased sales volume is welcome, a barrage of incoming orders can overwhelm up-and-coming subscription box companies, or even established retail or ecommerce companies new to the game. How do you know when you need outside fulfillment help? Here are 6 signs that it’s time to engage a 3PL partner.
While the relationship between shipping options and cart conversion or abandonment is well established, the extent of the impact is shown in stark detail in a new report from ecommerce platform provider BigCommerce. More than two-thirds of consumers said they’ve abandoned a purchase based on poor shipping options.
After robotics and automation, order management systems (OMS) and inventory management systems were the highest priority for tech investment in 2019, based on the MCM Outlook survey, noted by 12% of respondents each. The results also reflect rising customer expectations for ecommerce fulfillment: make it cheap and fast.
About 70% of U.S. adults use one or more social media sites, according to Pew research, with many making direct purchases there, and savvy merchants are tapping into this trend. But they must be at the top of their order fulfillment game to succeed. Here are some best practices top brands are using in social commerce fulfillment.
Putting the customer first is what you typically hear from retailers. That isn’t wrong, but it’s also not the full picture. A customer-centric culture will not be sustainable without the commitment and conviction of those who design, build, implement and serve every day. Here’s how you can make it happen.
Amidst shifting consumer demand and a move toward true omnichannel, retailers’ ability to leverage their physical presence is vitally important. Options such as deliver from store, buy online pickup in store (BOPIS), buy online return in store (BORIS) and delivery drop-offs in lockers are a major advantage over online retailers.
In the never-ending quest for delivery immediacy, grocer Kroger is testing out 30-minute deliveries in its home market of Cincinnati, cutting the promised time from Amazon’s Prime Now in half. Called Kroger Rush, the service costs $5.95 per order, with the first order free, and requires an app download.
Shooting across Amazon’s bow with its FBA program, Shopify is going all-in on ecommerce fulfillment, tapping 3PL partners to provide two-day delivery across the U.S. for merchants on its ecommerce platform, many with physical stores, while letting them keep customer data and a branded packaging experience.
After weeks of concentrating its fire on Amazon, Walmart is now dealing with a flank action from Target as the latter has fully integrated its Shipt same-day delivery service with Target.com. Walmart, for its part, just launched a $98 per year subscription program for same-day grocery delivery, a service that normally costs $9.95 per order.