As an eCommerce store owner, your duty doesn’t end when a customer orders a product, that’s when it starts. You need to take care of order fulfillment, including packing, delivery, inventory management, packaging, returns management, etc.
You need to make sure your product shipping is done right so you can get positive feedback, repeat business, and increase your bottom line. This can be a complex process that requires careful planning and management of shipping and transporting your products to the end consumer. The good news is that with the rise of Amazon and two-day delivery standards, a host of order fulfillment services are entering the market to help online merchants manage inventory and shipping.
In this article, I’ll introduce the best fulfillment services you can use for your Shopify store . Let’s get straight to Thill Inc!
How do fulfillment services work?
Although the exact method is slightly different between fulfillment providers, the order fulfillment process typically begins when the customer makes a purchase and the fulfillment provider receives the product information. The system involves logistic storage of inventories, receiving orders, collecting (searching) for ordered items, packing (packaging) merchandise, shipping orders, and notifying customers of the status of their orders.
Read more:
- How to start a DropShipping business with Shopify?
- Increase conversion rate for Shopify store
- How to launch or publish the Shopify Store?
- How does drop shipping work in Shopify?
The 7 Best Fulfillment Services for Shopify
Let’s take a look at the best fulfillment service providers you can work with to streamline how your Shopify store works.
ShipBob Fulfillment Services
Ranked #99 on the 2019 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the US, ShipBob is one of the most reputable third-party logistics companies on this list. It is known to offer the best shipping and logistics solutions at the most reasonable price. ShipBob provides service for both small and medium-sized businesses, with its distributed distribution centers. The best part of this provider is that it provides complete transparency in its operations.
It also offers convenient integration with eCommerce technology resources like WooCommerce, Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and many more. In addition, ShipBob offers fast delivery, which is critical to delivering the best results for customers. Affordable shipping helps small businesses generate more revenue and profit.
Additionally, ShipBob helps businesses manage their online orders, inventory, SKUs, and customer management effectively at no additional cost. Companies often have their own dedicated account manager who helps them run all operations efficiently while also fostering their business development. ShipBob retains complete oversight of warehouse management, inventory software management, and back-end.
FULFILLMENT SERVICES AND RATES:
- Setup – Onboarding setup is completely free.
- Receiving – ShipBob charges $35 for registration, unpacking, and receiving of incoming stock.
- Inbound Shipping – Inbound shipping is offered at discounted rates.
- Returns – ShipBob offers returns free of charge.
- Inventory Storage – Pricing for inventory storage starts at $5 per month.
KEY FEATURES:
- Orders management
ShipBob’s order management system tracks the entire shipping process from A to Z. From manufacturing to distribution and return of goods, every detail is handled efficiently.
Any orders you receive are processed in the order management system so that the orders can be assigned to the correct fulfillment centers. In addition, the system accredits a correct order tracking number so that both consumers and companies can monitor the status of the order.
- inventory management
Inventory management helps businesses get an accurate view of how much stock they need. ShipBob uses third-party software that provides solid insight into correct inventory distribution. For example, in the inventory system, you can set up a reorder notification to help you accurately meet customer demand.
- advanced filters
ShipBob also allows stores to find out what they need to get the process done and help them create detailed reports. Users can filter all orders by setting order date, hub location, tracking number, and region.
- Returns management
Returns management is essential for all businesses, as many consumers today make a purchase decision based on ease of return. And this is where ShipBob hit the nail on the head. It enables automatic returns processing so companies can handle returns without any hassle. A return connection is sent to a company’s website that allows customers to create a return shipping mark.
- advanced reports
With ShipBob’s advanced and detailed reports, you can keep track of the entire logistics process. Reports include cost breakdowns, profits, order sales, channel sales, peak production times, projected profits, and much more. On top of that, advanced filters help you make more accurate inventory decisions.
HOW TO START:
You can easily contact the company’s sales representative by submitting a form on their website.
After submitting the form, a sales representative will contact you to discuss your specifications and needs. Then you’ll get a quote and you can go from there.
FedEx compliance.
FedEx Fulfillment provides an electronic commerce system that involves distribution, packaging, warehousing, storage, and order fulfillment. FedEx is a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., which manages the inventory of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses by combining multiple distribution networks.
BETTER FOR:
With full visibility and clear inventory, product, and monitoring policies, FedEx Fulfillment is ideal for small, fast-growing businesses. Also, the service empowers small businesses smoothly with the help of its professional employees. The customer service they provide also makes a big difference in any process, including throughput, warehousing, outsourced logistics, and transportation.
Best of all, they appoint a committed specialist to help small business owners understand and complete the process efficiently. In addition, you can also store your products at FedEx warehouses, which will save you a lot of overhead costs.
FULFILLMENT SERVICES AND RATES:
- Setup: Account setup is free.
- Receiving: FedEx offers free receiving of packages when shipping standards are met.
- Inbound Shipping: FedEx offers package shipping at significantly discounted rates.
- Returns: It costs $2.50 per order for returns and quality control.
- Inventory storage: It costs 19 cents per cubic foot at FedEx for inventory storage.
- Pick & Pack – The pick and pack service costs 40 cents per unit; Filling material and shipping box included.
KEY FEATURES:
Here are the key features of FedEx Fulfillment:
- eCommerce Integration
FedEx Fulfillment offers integrations with all popular eCommerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and more.
- personalization
FedEx enables packaging customization and value-added services that help small businesses build their brands.
- Provide tracking and visibility in one place
FedEx allows you to use a single platform to monitor all orders and inventory. This makes it easy to analyze and improve your compliance process.
- experience consulting
FedEx Fulfillment also has experienced logistics professionals who can help you streamline your process.
HOW TO START:
It’s simple and easy to work with FedEx, and you can sign up by completing this form . After submitting the form, a support representative will contact you to provide a quick quote and explain their process.
