What Is 3pl Ecommerce Fulfillment

Order fulfillment is one of the most important aspects of the customer experience. How and when a customer’s order arrives will make a big impression on whether they want to shop with a particular brand again. Once an order is placed, it’s on you to get it to the customer as seamlessly as possible, down to the last mile. Last mile delivery refers to the last leg of the shipment journey, when an order ships from a transportation hub to its final destination.

Your shopping cart or eCommerce platform integration is switched on and orders are automatically imported into our fulfillment centers for processing. Orders are shipped out quickly and cost-effectively.

Consumers’ expectations for faster delivery have forced online retailers to keep up with this trend. The survey also found one of the main reasons that online shoppers did not purchase items in their cart was because their estimated shipping costs came out higher than anticipated. Clearly, shipping is important to online customers.

You've got customers across the country. We’ve got fulfillment centers across the map. Don’t overspend on expedited shipping— reach 98% of the U.S. within two days via ground shipping with our nationwide network.

Of course, we all know that not every order will come with free shipping. Yet, online shoppers find limited reasons to pay for free shipping. Thus these online shopper reasons are instructive and can help retailers know when these fees are deemed acceptable among the online community. Simply wanting the product is highest on the list for 41% of respondents. 32% look at the cost of the order and, if palatable, will pull the trigger. Knowing they can’t meet the threshold in the cart was a factor for 26%. In the same vein, 19% paid for shipping when receiving a product discount greater than shipping. And let’s face it, with private label products, there may only be one choice for buying a product. Lastly, fast matters and 18% of those surveyed wanted same-day delivery.

Most of us seem to be on the same page: it can work—or not—depending on whether or not there is sufficient in-store staffing so as not to neglect in-store customers (yes, not everyone shops online…really!). I would think those retailers who “get it (staffing) right” are the same ones who get other retail issues “right”…and those who don’t are the same underperformers who will be the subject of future RW “how can they get back on track?” articles.

ShipNetwork offers fulfillment services to ecommerce retailers, and has a network of fulfillment centers in the US. It has facilities in the eastern and western regions, with new facilities planned in the future.

In short: e-commerce fulfillment is a crucial part of the buyer’s journey. Thus, it’s important to develop a strong fulfillment strategy that will keep your customers coming back for more. But to do that, it’s helpful to take a look at exactly what e-commerce fulfillment is.