Back around the midpoint of October, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released its proposed postage rate increases for 2017, and a few days later the USPS also released its proposed shipping rate increases. Although these are proposals, it is prudent to assume that they will become finalized and plan accordingly unless further developments occur. These changes are expected to be put into action on or around January 22, 2017, following the end of the holiday shipping season. Obviously, how much any particular change will affect an e-commerce business will depend on the size and quantity of your average shipments....Understanding the USPS Shipping Rate Increases for 2017
Back around the midpoint of October, the United States Postal Service (USPS) released its proposed postage rate increases for 2017, and a few days later the USPS also released its proposed shipping rate increases. Although these are proposals, it is prudent to assume that they will become finalized and plan accordingly unless further developments occur. These changes are expected to be put into action on or around January 22, 2017, following the end of the holiday shipping season. Obviously, how much any particular change will affect an e-commerce business will depend on the size and quantity of your average shipments....
Top 9 Reasons to Outsource Warehousing
Warehousing solutions are important for many e-commerce businesses. They are often the only practical way to store large volumes of products and keep them ready to be shipped out to customers. The problem is that warehouses can be big, expensive, and tricky to manage for small businesses. Outsourcing your warehousing needs to another firm is the best approach in these cases since doing so enables you to get numerous benefits while keeping downsides to a minimum. Benefits of Outsourcing Warehousing Free Up Your Resources Almost all businesses with a physical product have some need for storage space. Warehousing for these...
Why Small Retail Businesses Need Real Order Fulfillment
Small businesses are unique in that their needs, operations, and processes are different from those of larger companies. Often times, many small businesses are still in a phase where they only have a few employees, yet they are relatively successful at the products and services they are offering. But there comes a time when every small business needs to create the conditions that allow for growth. That means more business, more staff, and allowing more parties to help streamline or optimize your process. The need for small-business fulfillment services is one of the main areas in which this growth must...
Understanding the Importance of Climate Control in Warehousing
Climate control in warehouse storage is, at its essence, all about reducing unpredictability. A warehouse is a large, open environment filled with large shelves and racks with people and goods constantly moving in and out. This naturally results in areas where temperature fluctuations will occur, such as cool spots near loading bays or hot spots where shelves can obstruct air flow. Climate control in a warehouse helps prevent these environmental discrepancies and produce consistent, controlled conditions throughout all operations. (more…)
Promotional Product Fulfillment & Shipping Services in Florida
Promotional Product Fulfillment Many businesses may be surprised to know that some fulfillment companies also offer promotional product fulfillment. This means that we provide branded promotional item fulfillment to go with whatever product you ship to your customers or even your employees. Some fulfillment companies either have a dedicated promotional products fulfillment center or partner with a promotional products company. In either case, the expectation is that they are able to carry out the selling and shipping of promotional items equally as effectively as they would their standard fulfillment services. (more…)
What to Know about e-Commerce Order Shipping for Small Businesses?
E-commerce order shipping is an increasingly common business practice and has seen an ever-increasing share of retail sales in the past few years. Since it has a relatively low barrier to entry, e-commerce shipping is popular for small businesses. Those same small businesses, however, may begin to face order shipping challenges that can weaken their competitiveness if not successfully navigated. Here is a handy guide to some of the common challenges faced when using e-commerce shipping solutions as well as the best practices in e-commerce shipping needed to overcome them and thrive. Common Order Shipping Challenges for Small Businesses Competing...
What Are Drop Shipping Challenges in e-Commerce Order Fulfillment?
E-commerce businesses are always looking for the most effective ways to deliver their orders. Drop shipping usually comes up as a viable option because it seems to take away some of the hassle. But some of the drop shipping challenges may not be immediately evident, and when a distributor or manufacturer takes on the responsibility of delivering their products directly to the consumer, there are several factors that need to be considered. (more…)
Understanding the Operational Challenges of Multichannel Selling in e-Commerce
Multichannel selling in e-commerce is simple to understand but tricky to master. In short, multichannel selling is the use of multiple venues to bring products to customers. In the old days, this meant brick-and-mortar stores plus mail order catalogs. Now, it includes online stores, public marketplaces (Amazon, eBay, etc.), shopping-comparison sites, and so on. Despite this evolution, the ultimate goal and benefit of a multichannel selling approach has remained unchanged: attracting more customers and bringing your products to people who wouldn’t otherwise be reached by conventional approaches. (more…)
What Are the Best Ways to Ship E-Commerce Packages?
By now you must know that shipping e-commerce packages take a lot of coordination. Finding the best way to ship a package involves many moving parts. And if you don’t have the correct system in place, it can be detrimental to your bottom line and negatively impact customer service. The best way to ship e-commerce packages takes some know-how. Unless you’re experienced in fulfillment services, partnering with a 3PL is likely your best bet. In this article, we’ll discuss some basic strategies for successfully shipping packages that will work for your e-commerce business. (more…)How to Ship a Wedding Dress to Your Customers in Florida
Weddings are always popular and most, if not all, bridal stores have been tasked with shipping a wedding dress to a bride's town or to a destination wedding locale. Given the importance of the dress when the big day comes around, there is a huge incentive to make sure the shipping goes off without a hitch. So, how do you ship a wedding dress successfully? Read on. (more…)
