Reading gives you superpowers

By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO at ShipHeroIt is inescapable; COVID is still continuing to wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of people across the globe, and there appears to be no real end in sight. While many eCommerce retailers have likely felt the pinch from a compromised supply chain, there was some hope at the beginning of the summer that shipments and material movement might get back on track to ensure a smoother Q4 2021. But it’s just not the case.

Supply Chain Strain

We’re seeing the effects of this strain on the supply chain throughout various steps in the process. At the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there was initial concern about the arrival of products due to factories and warehouses shutting down or moving to skeleton crews to maintain social distancing guidelines. However, the strain has now spread to just about every inch of the supply chain.

• Impromptu Warehouse Shutdowns

• • COVID outbreaks in countries like China, can result in impromptu manufacturing and shipping delays. With very little warning, these facilities are closing for 5 to 10 days at a time and that length of time is certainly felt further down the line. These shutdowns have affected other Asian countries, too, where the United Nations estimates that 42 percent of all global exports are sourced.

• Loading and Delivery

• • Once a product is manufactured, it must be delivered to warehouses for shipping and then loaded onto cargo carriers to make its way to the U.S. There has been a decrease in the number of available cargo containers as the time to unload materials has increased. Cargo containers are loaded and unloaded with the unloaded ones being placed back into circulation. With more and more containers sitting on ships sitting in the ocean - and not a port - these containers are not available.

This situation is also exacerbated by a delivery driver shortage. While the U.S. trucking industry has said they’ve been experiencing a labor shortage for about a decade, the true extent of this labor gap has been put into stark relief as products remain sitting on a dock or warehouse, instead of traveling where they need to go.

• Shipping Times/Speeds

• • All of those obstacles lead to longer shipping times and slow shipping speeds. Which is exactly what consumers don’t want. Some larger brands like Walmart and Target are chartering private cargo carriers for shipment and delivery, but this is not an option available to many eCommerce retailers.

• Increased Pricing

• • Supply and demand is in full effect, meaning that as some products and component parts become harder to source, those products might see an increase in price. This was experienced at the start of the pandemic with toilet paper and during last spring with the shortage of building materials like wood. Additionally, issues like the semiconductor chip shortage have had a far-reaching impact on industries like automotive, healthcare and consumer tech.

Awareness of the Shortage Grows

As you’ve probably already experienced, the message of supply chain breakdowns and product scarcity are huge topics in global, national and local media. This trend will more than likely continue as we creep closer and closer to Christmas, when the sight of empty store shelves on the news can send consumers into a frenzy. It’s important for eCommerce retailers to understand that while there is an increased awareness regarding shortages and the reason for them, there is still little in the way of consumer patience for delayed deliveries. While it is logical to understand that supply chain shortages will be a persistent issue throughout 2022 and 2023, when a consumer orders something, they want it NOW. This is the Amazon-effect in all its glory, but it is also a fact of 2021 holiday supply issues.

How to Make It Better

Unfortunately, with the supply chain compromised, a lot of the control has been taken from eCommerce’s hands. However, you can look at working closely with your suppliers as you start to review inventory for the holidays. It is said that 80 percent of revenue comes from about 20 percent of skus. If this is true for you, stock up on the items that you know sell - don’t try and grab a little bit of everything this holiday season. Instead, analyze previous sales and focus your efforts on acquiring the products you know will move. Another idea is to clearly communicate your shipping deadlines with clients. Do the math; if your cut off date to receive orders for Christmas delivery is Wednesday, December 15th at 8am EST, state that specifically on your website, across your social channels and in your app. You want to be sure that there are no misunderstandings amongst you and your customers when the delivery of a long-wanted Christmas gift is on the line.The outlook for the supply chain is not the best. There is very little doubt that we will still be feeling the effects in 2022 and 2023. However, in your corner of the world you can take steps to overcome materials shortages, chip shortages and the like by focusing on the things you can control when it comes to your inventory.If you’re new to ShipHero Fulfillment, please schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about how we can help you get your orders picked, packed, and delivered with our fulfillment service. No setup fees, no minimums, simply pay as you go. ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success. Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COOShipHeroAbout the author: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial and administrative procedures, reporting structures and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance and mitigating risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.Follow Maggie on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO at ShipHeroTechnology is pretty miraculous. Tracking your flight from your own airplane seat; watching your Uber approach your location; even clocking the progress of a DoorDash driver as he circles your complex because he can’t find your apartment - all of these would be impossible without technology, and more specifically, technology in the last mile.However, eCommerce fulfillment and delivery are high ticket items for eCommerce retailers, and it can be a struggle to justify some of the more robust tech offerings and upgrades with a P&L that barely passes into the black. How can you justify some of the cost to upgrade your current technology? And should you? We’re going to examine five of the biggest benefits of using last mile technology, especially as it relates to route optimization and demonstrate the benefits of these upgrades.

Last Mile Delivery Defined

First, let’s define last mile delivery. In the world of eCommerce and shipping, this is the phase of delivery where a product or shipment leaves the warehouse to make it to the customer. This is the route that the Instacart driver takes from Target, with your groceries and random beach towel order in his backseat. It’s the route the UPS truck takes from Amazon’s Fulfillment Center to your customer’s front door.Optimizing the route in the last mile leads to a host of benefits for both you and the consumer. Here’s how.

5 Benefits of Route Optimization

1. Increased Visibility

Tracking technology, like those mentioned above, have resulted in one giant change for consumers - they know where their stuff is at all times. This means, they know when it shipped, they know what distribution hub it’s at; and they know when it’s out for delivery. They also know when it’s late. By investing in technologies that expose the last mile, consumers get peace of mind, and eCommerce retailers get a bit more leeway. If a customer can see a product has left your warehouse and has been sitting in a post office three miles from their home for the past four days, the onus of late delivery is technically off of the retailer (you). Now, it is the post office’s fault (for better or worse), that their product is late. This means that the retailer can cut back on the number of “where’s my package?” emails, chat requests and phone calls and focus back on the process of shipping. It might be hard to put a price tag on the time you’ve gained back in your day, but consider the employee hours necessary to respond to these messages or to track down orders when this type of tracking wasn’t available.

2. Faster Delivery Times

The fact is, the more you shine a light on something, the clearer it becomes. By providing end-to-end shipment tracking, order delivery times have come under more scrutiny, encouraging questions of some retailers and carriers as to why it can take so long for one item and not as long for another.This is all part of the “Amazon Effect” - the erroneous belief held by many consumers that just because Amazon can deliver fuzzy dice and a gallon of ranch dressing in 2 days, that any eCommerce brand should do the same. Regardless of how plausible this is, it is a concern that has forced many eCommerce companies and carriers to confront their delivery process and speed to make improvements.

3. More Accurate Delivery

Another stalwart of the last mile delivery process is the proof of delivery. It’s no longer acceptable for a carrier to throw a package on the porch and call it a day. Now, carriers and eCommerce fulfillment providers are requiring more evidence that the package was delivered. This typically takes the form of photos showing the package and delivery address in the same shot; a signature by the package’s recipient; and/or barcode scanning. Once again, exposing the entire delivery process from warehouse to doorstep has led to higher accountability for carriers as consumers now know when a package was supposed to be delivered and can easily tell when a carrier has missed the mark.

4. Lower Costs for Gas and Maintenance

Some organizations, especially those in larger cities, have started to experiment with urban warehousing and micro-warehousing. Both of these are exactly how they sound: retailers use warehouses located in urban centers; or use smaller locations to store a fraction of their most popular inventory to cut down on fulfillment and delivery times for these orders.Urban warehousing was again popularized by Amazon when they began their same-day delivery in major U.S. cities. However, it does more than just shrink delivery windows; it also allows for lower emissions from delivery vehicles, and lower costs for gas and maintenance. These are all places where carriers have struggled to cut costs in the past, and with the always fluctuating cost of oil, it’s nice to know that there is some way to keep these expenses in check.

5. Getting More From What You Already Have

One more tactic that some retailers are taking in order to cut down on delivery times and enhance last mile delivery, is the use of brick-and-mortar retail locations as fulfillment centers. In some cases, this could mean using a store that is currently open for shopping to also fulfill orders for nearby addresses. However, it has also given rise to a phenomenon of dark stores. Dark stores are repurposed brick-and-mortar storefronts that are now optimized for picking and packing and order fulfillment. This was first seen on a large scale during the pandemic, when grocery store chains like Whole Foods and Kroger converted some of their locations into dark stores. This is an especially handy option for retailers to leverage the proximity of their retail locations to major areas to convert online purchases into Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) sales instead.

More Changes, More Opportunities

If the past 20 months have proven anything, it’s that people and organizations, even businesses can be adaptable when conditions warrant it. What that means for last mile delivery and every other process on the supply chain is that more changes are sure to come. However, what type of opportunities these changes will bring is the more exciting question. If you’re new to ShipHero Fulfillment, please schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about how we can help you get your orders picked, packed, and delivered with our fulfillment service. No setup fees - simply pay as you go. ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success. Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COOShipHeroAbout the author: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial and administrative procedures, reporting structures and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance and mitigating risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.Follow Maggie on Twitter&LinkedIn.

ShipHero, the shipping and logistics provider for over 5,000 eCommerce brands, has just announced their first Accelerator Program for eCommerce Startups. This brand new program, conceived by ShipHero’s Founder and CEO, Aaron Rubin, is meant to help eCommerce startups get the mentorship and support they need while giving them shipping software on steroids for a highly discounted price.

Access Shipping Software on Steroids

The program is structured as follows:

• Up to 5 businesses will be selected as winners each quarter.
• Selected startups will receive ShipHero’s superpowered shipping software for one year at a discounted rate of $199/month. That is 90% off the regular price!
• The program also includes a monthly 1:1 call with ShipHero’s subject matter experts to provide eCommerce insights; a shared Slack channel for all program participants; and a monthly roundtable to discuss bigger issues in eCommerce.
• ShipHero has also secured discounts from two of its partners, Loop and Shippo, to help Accelerator Startups get even more out of their program
  • Loop - 30% discount for one year (up to $5,000 in savings!), find out more about their solutions HERE.
  • Shippo - $1,000 USPS postage credit, find out more about their solutions HERE.

Here are the requirements for eCommerce Startups to qualify for ShipHero’s Accelerator program:

• Company must be less than 2 years old
• Ship less than 5,000 orders per month
• Received less than $1 million in investment funding
• Be new to ShipHero

*To qualify for the Loop and Shippo discounts, startups must also be new clients for these two partners.

Helping eCommerce Startups Succeed

The accelerator program stemmed from CEO and Founder Aaron Rubin’s own experience as an entrepreneur, building the foundation for ShipHero. Aaron bootstrapped the company with a $435,000 investment from friends and family in 2013. Eight years later, in 2021, ShipHero received $50 million in investment capital with plans for continued growth. “The ShipHero Accelerator Program is a project I’ve been working to bring to life for some time now,” said Rubin. “Our industry is showing no signs of slowing down and, with ongoing disruptions throughout the supply chain causing delays, it's critical for emerging brands to be armed with the best tools and knowledge to grow their businesses. This is our way of continuing to support the eCommerce community moving into 2022 and beyond.” ShipHero hopes that this Accelerator Program will stimulate growth for eCommerce startups and lead to long-term relationships that will promote success for years to come. “We want eCommerce brands to succeed,” Rubin said. “And if ShipHero’s software can help, then that’s what we want to do.”Ready for lift-off? Applications for the ShipHero Accelerator Program are now open, and will close on October 15th at 11:59pm PT. For full information on participation, including applicant rules and program details visit: https://shiphero.com/software/accelerator/.

By: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COO of ShipHeroDespite everyone’s best efforts, the strain from COVID-19 is not diminishing. And it seems as though it will spill over into the holiday season. Oh good. (That was sarcasm.)There’s been a lot of news lately about carriers and the challenges they’re facing, as well as how some larger brands are handling this challenge. There’s also been discussion about how these supply chain disruptions could easily get passed along into 2022 and 2023. The intent of this article is not to make anyone panic, but it’s important to level-set expectations and understand where things stand in the eCommerce space.

Delays, Delays and More Delays

According to data from the Port of Los Angeles, the time it takes a shipment to travel from China to the U.S. has increased 83% over pre-pandemic numbers. That’s an additional 73 days. And in retail, that is an eternity. There’s also been reports of materials shortages. The chip shortage affecting the auto industry is the splashiest one, but now toy manufacturers are raising their hands to say that a shortage of resin is impacting their ability to make toys and get them to suppliers and retailers. So, not only are manufacturers and retailers finding it difficult to get product from China and other countries to the US and into their warehouses, now there are shortages that could prevent those products from being created at all.

The Big Guys Will Spend

Another recent development this week was news that large corporations like Home Depot and IKEA are willing to spend big bucks to charter cargo carriers in order to ensure delivery. This has resulted in some organizations also purchasing their own shipping containers (which are also facing a shortage). As demand for charters has increased, so has the cost. Larger companies can afford to pay these exorbitant fees, but of course, smaller eCommerce retailers cannot. Plus, eventually the additional cost will have to be passed on to the consumer somewhere. There is very little chance that these companies will see these additional fees as just “the cost of doing business.” This could lead to inflation that for the most part has stayed relatively steady throughout the pandemic.Chartering cargo planes has also become trendy for larger companies. Overall, the pressure to receive goods in time for the holidays is real. Shipping containers full of sellable merchandise won’t do the retailer any good, if it’s still sitting in a port halfway across the world when Christmas rolls around.

No One is Immune

A labor shortage combined with a supply chain shortage is a recipe for disaster, and we seem to have just yelled, “Bingo!” With companies, including carriers like FedEx still struggling to hire, packages are now taking even more circuitous routes to get to their destinations. FedEx Ground recently reported that around 25% of all of their shipments are being re-routed to different distribution centers to offset the labor shortage. Currently, FedEx estimates they are working with around 65% of the staff they need.The United States Postal Service is set to levy surcharges to retail customers in an effort to deliver the mail on time. With horror stories in 2020 of people not receiving holiday gifts until January or February, the post office is enacting additional charges in an effort to get things delivered on time.

Is There Another Word for Unprecedented?

It’s been said often enough since March 2020 - everything we have experienced, whether personal or professional has been unprecedented. The 2021 shipping carrier crisis seems to be another item to add to the list.Anecdotally, consumers in general are really starting to feel the effects of empty shelves. Earlier in the year, missing or understocked products were the exception. Now, people are noticing more and more items missing. Everything from sports drinks to Steam Fresh bags to canned goods to chicken wings have been running in short supply. While the USDA says there is currently not a nationwide food shortage, the pinch of low inventory is being felt by more consumers than earlier in the year. And the haunting look of empty shelves doesn’t help to quell consumer anxiety.These shortages could lead to more consumers shopping earlier for the holiday season, choosing to snap up gifts and items they need instead of waiting for a sale or promotion. However, it’s still too early to tell if this is a trend that will bear out. As with many things surrounding the pandemic, we are in wait-and-see mode.

Keep Calm and Ship On

The best advice for any eCommerce retailer right now is not to panic. Stock the products you can get; use your historical reporting to make a list of SKUs that drive revenue. Focus on the things you can control, like warehouse efficiencies, employee satisfaction and shipping, and do your best to let go of the things you can’t (like cargo ships sitting in the Pacific Ocean). With so much uncertainty surrounding us, focusing on yourself and your organization is the key to success.If you’re new to ShipHero Fulfillment, please schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about how we can help you get your orders picked, packed, and delivered with our fulfillment service. No setup fees - simply pay as you go. ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success. Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., COOShipHeroAbout the author: Maggie M. Barnett, Esq., is the COO of ShipHero. She is responsible for planning and executing the overall operational, legal, managerial and administrative procedures, reporting structures and operational controls of the organization. Barnett’s greatest strengths are leadership, risk mitigation, change management and a passion for business transformation. She is known for her expertise in delivering operational excellence and an ability to provide guidance and mitigating risk. Her leadership of ShipHero is grounded in a servant mentality, always doing the right thing for our stakeholders. Her passion for ShipHero comes from the ability to drive operational excellence throughout the organization impacting the lives of our employees, customers, and partners.Follow Maggie on Twitter&LinkedIn.

One day, robots will run most functions within a warehouse. Outfitted with the latest in artificial intelligence, they’ll be able to manage warehouses very efficiently. However, we’re not there yet. In the interim, you have to find technologies that can give you more flexibility and agility, while making the lives of employees and customers better.

Automation is the Big Umbrella

Underlying all technology in a warehouse is automation. Automated processes, tools and machines make your daily warehouse life easier. Warehouse management software (WMS) has grown in its functionality over the past 10 years, often incorporating some of the latest technologies to make running your business more efficient. No doubt you already use some of these features in your warehouse operations. Let’s examine a few different aspects of this type of automation and identify ways to know if your organization is ready for it.

Software Automation

At the center of any warehouse automation is WMS. It is the engine that makes your warehouse technology run. Without the right software in place, automated processes wouldn’t be possible.

This is true because WMS incorporates a wide range of your warehouse processes, including receiving and put-away, inventory management, order fulfillment, picking and packing and shipping. In every step, there is an algorithm or a program or an advanced piece of machinery that makes things more efficient and each of these is controlled by WMS.

Physical Automation

Since the invention of the conveyor belt, workers and companies have been automating physical procedures in the modern warehouse. Conveyors, lifts and other machines that work to make warehouse employees’ lives easier are the first step in warehouse technology, often referred to as basic automation. These are the types of tools and features you would expect to see in any modern facility.

Other common automated tools include barcode scanners and smart devices. Each was designed to streamline warehouse and eCommerce fulfillment processes to reduce errors.

However, more advanced technology has brought more advanced automation with things like automatic pickers and labeling machines. The most recent introduction and perhaps the most progressive of these technologies is autonomous robots. These can include everything from shelf loaders to forklifts with sensors so that they can operate without human supervision.

There is the concern that so much automation and the advancement of robotics and artificial intelligence could lead to reduction in the workforce. A recent article in MIT Technology Review, discussed this topic, and concluded that while that may eventually happen, there is still a large gap between the number of warehouses that have robots and the ones that don’t.

The adoption process is steady, but slow. Additionally, companies view the role of human workers changing in this new workplace, moving from manual labor to more oversight and maintenance of the machines. So, you’re probably not going to lose your job to a robot, you’re just going to end up doing something different.

Committing to Automation

Automating warehouses comes with an upfront cost that is off-putting to many business owners. Especially since the true benefit of the automation won’t be felt for a few months or a year until after implementation. However, there are some tell-tale signs that your company is ready to take the plunge. Review the list below and see if any of these instances apply to you and your organization.

• You’re still using a legacy warehouse management system that relies on manual inventory counts that are housed in spreadsheets.
• Your order fulfillment capacity is declining.
• Your warehouse processes and procedures are labor-intensive.
• Your inventory counts are always inaccurate.
• You’re receiving negative feedback from customers regarding shipping delays.
• Your total number of employees fluctuates due to high/low demand or seasons.

If any of these sound like your organization, it might seriously be time to investigate WMS options. In the long run, increasing customer satisfaction, ensuring employee morale and maintaining accurate inventory counts will lead to more success across the board; and higher revenue.

Embrace Automation

There has always been a slight resistance to technology. However, it has become apparent in the past decade that in order to be competitive, successful and profitable you must adopt technology and automation to its fullest extent. If you’re ready to do so, ShipHero is ready to help.

By:  Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

It’s hard to look at the 2021 holiday season without seeing the cloud cast over it by COVID. While there had been some hope just a few months ago that life might go back to “normal” by this holiday, the chances are there will still be daily challenges to living a normal life.

This means your customers are going to keep many of the shopping habits they adopted in 2020. Taking those lessons (read our blog about this topic HERE) into 2021 has given eCommerce retailers a solid framework for how to think about Black Friday Cyber Monday and the holiday season in general when it comes to planning and preparing.

However, what are five concrete things you can do to incorporate recent changes and capitalize on them? Let’s review some tactics you can make into actionable goals to help propel your holiday 2021 sales upward.

Preparing for the Holiday Season

Aside from the regular prepping you would do for the holidays (hiring more employees, ordering more packing materials, checking for carrier surcharges, etc.), here are five ways you can specifically prepare that you might not have thought of.

Maximize your Social Channels

People use their mobile devices to not only shop for themselves, but to browse for gifts for friends and family. According to a study done by AdWeek, 45% of holiday shoppers last season stated that they discovered a product or gift via social media. Also, it is estimated that social eCommerce will account for 11% of all retail eCommerce next year, which adds up to $474 million. Obviously, with numbers like these, it’s easy to see how your social channels can be lucrative. Make sure you’ve done your due diligence in regards to retargeting, keyword research and creative. If there was ever a time during the year to take extra steps with your social media strategy, it’s definitely the next 4-5 months. You also have enough time to do some testing of keywords and retargeting in August and September, before you commit your full holiday social media spend.

Build Brand Awareness

It’s estimated that when shoppers begin their shopping search online, only about 4% of them are actually ready to buy. And in 2019 online shopping cart abandonment was measured at almost 70%. This means that remarketing and following up on abandoned carts could become a key holiday season strategy.

Being top-of-mind is the quickest way for customers to discover you. You’ll want to run brand awareness campaigns starting as soon as possible (which can also tie into your social media strategy) and keep those ads running through Q4. Following up with these same shoppers if they leave behind full, but abandoned shopping carts is another key strategy. And you don’t necessarily have to send a discount code to entice them to finish their purchase. Sometimes, just a friendly “you forgot to check out” will net you the sale.

Plan for Earlier and Longer Promotions

Last year, more than 40% of shoppers stated that they started shopping earlier for the holidays than the year before. So far, there’s been no evidence to contradict this behavior. Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) has even expanded to Cyber 5 to include Thanksgiving as one of the main holiday shopping mainstays.

Early shoppers will be looking for helpful tools like gift guides, promotional offers and personalized recommendations very soon. Start working on this content now and make sure your team is aligned on timing and goals.

On the flip side of this coin is the management of your returns process. Make sure that you have a strong and easy-to-understand returns policy and that it is well-communicated before, during and after purchase, especially if you have different policies for items purchased on sale or promotion.

Expand Your Payment Options

A proliferation of “buy now, pay later” payment vendors have flooded the market in the past 18-24 months. If you haven’t yet partnered with one of these vendors, it might be time to do so. Even Apple Pay recently entered the mix with their Apple Pay Later functionality. It’s also been shown that having a diverse range of payment options lowers cart abandonment. Find out how feasible it would be to expand your payment options on your site.

Address Supply Chain Strain Early

Take a look at your big sellers for this year, as well as predictions for holiday 2021, and talk to suppliers now about stocking up on these products. Remember that supply chain issues are still plaguing the industry. Also, examine ways that you can leverage your warehouses and in-store inventories to fill orders faster even as people start shopping earlier and earlier.

You more than likely have been speaking with your suppliers throughout this unprecedented time, but it might be a good idea to spend a few extra minutes getting a feel for what they are experiencing in their day-to-day business. Having as much information and forewarning as you can will go a long way toward making you more prepared.

The Holidays Don’t Stop for Anybody

While death and taxes are a fact of life, so is the holiday season. Make sure you’re leveraging all of your institutional knowledge, past experiences and eCommerce expertise to prepare - maybe even over prepare - for the holidays. Follow these steps and you’ll be on the road to more eCommerce success.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our warehouse management software built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By:  Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

‍The definition of the prefix omni - is all, whereas the definition of multi - is many. So, how do you enhance your eCommerce business, marketing, sales and fulfillment to encompass everything, not just a lot of things? Since this is the future of eCommerce retail, it’s imperative that you and your organization figure it out.

Moving from a multichannel approach to omnichannel hinges primarily on how you think about your customers and their buying journey. Instead of selling and marketing to your customers via different channels - online, in-store, mobile - you’ll have to start thinking more globally. Let’s examine how this works.

Your Customer Journey Should Be Cohesive

Customers expect a unified customer experience. This means that if they visit one of your brick-and-mortar locations, they want it to look and feel like visiting your website, scrolling through your social media accounts or using your mobile app. It’s about making the experience as seamless as possible. This also ties back to buy online, pick-up in-store (BOPIS), curbside pick-up and DTC.

Target and Kohl’s are great examples of how to make omnichannel work. Both retailers have mobile apps that allow consumers to search for products in their local store or across all their stores; order directly from the app; order and pickup in store; and use their app-based wallet to keep track of all specials, coupons and payment methods. Additionally, both of these retailers leverage their in-store inventory to fulfill orders if the product is not available in the warehouse.

To the customer, this is a seamless and integrated experience. Now, you may not have the footprint of a store like Target, but your warehouses and stores can still be leveraged together to offer the consumer the best experience and make the buying journey more enjoyable.

The Four Basic Tenets of Omnichannel eCommerce

To enhance the effectiveness of your omnichannel-centered tech, you also want to be sure you’re addressing each of the four essential keys to Omnichannel eCommerce: sales channels, marketing and advertising, operations and shipping and fulfillment.

Your operations and fulfillment processes will fall flat without a strong sales funnel powered by the right marketing and advertising plan. These are the “first four” aspects of your business that must work together to get the kind of omnichannel eCommerce results you want.

The Right Technology is Your Best Investment

Now, to complete all of these tasks as outlined above, there is one particular tool you need - technology. And instead of just one or two pieces of tech, you’re going to need to make sure that your entire platform and its infrastructure are built to handle omnichannel eCommerce and enhance your success.

Three Keys to Omnichannel Tech Infrastructure

• Headless Commerce: Quite simply, headless commerce means that neither your front-end systems (POS, customer interface) or your backend systems (inventory/order management) are leading the way. Instead -  your front and back-end act independently of each other. Why does this matter? It’s a more flexible way to manage your eCommerce business and allows you to make changes easier than ever. This can include upgrading certain features or adding new options all together.
• Customer Data: In order to provide a seamless and customizable customer experience, gathering, analyzing and using data of your customers’ behaviors is imperative. Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) can help you gather data from different sources like your website, social channels and mobile to bring everything together to create cohesive customer profiles. This data can then inform your omnichannel strategy as you strive to provide the best customer experience backed by actual data.
• Omnichannel Marketing: Marketing to different consumers on different platforms is only a part of what omnichannel marketing really is; the true magic happens when you can target different messaging to customers depending on how they choose to engage with your brand. While your customers share many similar traits, they’re not all the same. The message you serve to Instagram is more than likely not the same message that will work on TikTok.  

In all of the instances above, having a flexible and well-appointed infrastructure will make it much easier for you and your team to manage an omnichannel approach.

Partner With Experts

The best news about omnichannel eCommerce is that it’s not a road you have to navigate alone. Warehouse management systems, shipping and fulfillment providers, as well as customer data platforms all work together to help you build the best omnichannel strategy for your business. Find the right omnichannel partner and you’ve already taken a step further than many of your competitors.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our warehouse management software built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By:  Aaron Rubin, CEO and Founder of ShipHero

‍It can seem that managing a warehouse is a full-time job for at least 100 people. For many smaller eCommerce businesses, devoting that type of people power and resources to one aspect of their operation just isn’t feasible. That’s why it’s so important to implement a strong, robust and fully functional Warehouse Management System (WMS). And it will also save you money, time and frustration.

Warehouse Management System Explained

First, let’s talk about what a WMS can do. Primarily, it manages every aspect of your warehouse operation. This includes receiving inventory, counting and storing inventory, laying out the warehouse and picking and packing. It manages everything that happens from the time a customer places an order to the time the order is placed on a truck for shipping.

That is a big lift, which means the software needs to not only work flawlessly, but people in the warehouse must be willing to learn the system and capitalize on all that functionality.

Managing so many things also means that having WMS will close the gaps in your processes. Gaps where errors, revenue or wasted effort might escape. And this is the real beauty of WMS - it saves you time and money and makes the entire customer experience just that much better.

Ways WMS Reduces Errors

So, what is that magic that WMS performs? How is it possible for a software system to address physical and logistical problems, like mis-picks and inventory errors? Let’s find out.

1. Provides Inventory Management: If you’ve ever worked at a brick and mortar retail store for a large company, there are the two dreaded times a year when inventory must be counted. It’s a nightmare, have no doubt. Tracking down barcodes for the smallest tchotkes, scrambling to find the last piece of clothing to make sure it’s all counted. And it all happens while the store is closed, meaning you were probably pulling an all-nighter. With a warehouse management system your inventory is tracked daily, down to the last barcode and managed as shipments are received. Because inventories and manifests are reconciled on an ongoing basis, it is easy to keep track of all of your product and even easier to keep inventory levels up-to-date in your point-of-sale system. This enables you to sell the products you have (earning revenue), to not sell the products you don’t have (losing revenue), and re-order the products you need to as soon as they run low. The less down time between replenishments, the quicker you can make a sale and make money. To be clear, you will still need to run inventory counts, but it will be so much easier.
2. Provides Fail Safes and Backups: Inventory managed with barcodes makes it easier to pick, pack and prep for shipment. It also means that there are fail safes built into the system to reduce errors. With ShipHero, our pick and pack functionality is mobile. Warehouse employees take their order (on a mobile device) to the bin that has been identified (via the mobile device) and pick the product, scanning it before preparing it for shipment. It is then scanned again before it is packed, ensuring that the right order was picked. This reduces a multitude of errors. In fact, some of our clients see a 99% reduction in mis-picks and mis-ships. This is a huge cost savings and also helps to build customer loyalty. Customers aren’t happy when they’re anticipating a delivery and open the package to receive the wrong item. Accuracy is key and warehouse management software can help you meet that challenge.
3. Provides Storage Optimization: The data gathered by a warehouse management system is invaluable to not only your warehouse team, but the entire organization. One of the most overlooked opportunities is warehouse layout. By analyzing your pick, pack and ship data you’ll quickly be able to see what products are the most popular, which products are most often shipped with others and the length of time it takes to pick orders. This gives you the chance to completely rearrange how the warehouse is laid out, bringing popular items closer, group like items together and in general, making it easier for your pickers and packers to do their jobs efficiently.
4. Provides Better Forecasting: Managing your warehouse efficiently means that you have a much better picture, all the time, of what is needed, what’s working and what needs improvement. Knowing this information is already a huge step toward reducing errors. It’s also a big step towards enhancing other areas. One such benefit from this organization is your relationship with suppliers. Ordering and restocking will no longer be “hair on fire” scenarios - you’ll now be able to communicate your needs to your suppliers far in advance of when you actually need the product, meaning you won’t need to lean on this 3rd party for favors or miracles because you were unable to accurately forecast. It will make your business life much more smooth and enable you to forge lasting supplier relationships.
5. Provides Peace of Mind: Maybe this isn’t the biggest error reducer, but knowing that you have a well-run warehouse filled with employees who know how to manage it will save you time and anxiety, especially when busy seasons or holidays roll around. You’ll no longer have to cross your fingers and hope that everything runs smoothly; now you’ll know with confidence that you have the systems and tools in place for your team and your business to succeed.

Major Benefits, Major Commitment

It’s true that Warehouse Management Software can do everything listed above, but there is some responsibility on you. Adopting and implementing WMS takes time and patience, and requires that you and your employees buy into all the benefits this new technology will afford you. In many cases, this may mean ditching the old “tried and true” methods that so many long-time warehouse employees rely on. There could be some resistance to a paperless picking process or hesitancy about how to use the new technology.

Make sure you’ve set aside the time and patience to handle the challenges that will come with transition. While the benefits far outweigh the obstacles, it’s still important to set everyone’s expectations. However, based on past experience, ShipHero is confident that you won’t regret making the change.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMS software built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

‍As much as you might wish to hold off discussing the holiday shopping season until the Halloween candy bowl is empty, as eCommerce retailers, you just don’t have that luxury. As evidenced by the sometimes crazy, always unpredictable season of holiday 2020, 2021 doesn’t appear to be any less wacky than its older sibling.

As an eCommerce retailer, you’ve probably struggled with this new post-pandemic norm, especially as it has seesawed between optimism (economically and otherwise) and despair. With the Delta variant inspiring statewide lockdowns once more, entering this high-volume season has come with additional questions, many that appear to already be answered.

Anxiety is only diminished by being prepared, so, let’s get prepared. Below are some of the key lessons eCommerce retailers, warehouse managers and fulfillment teams learned during 2020 and how ShipHero imagines they’ll be applied in 2021.

Start Shopping Early

The proliferation of online shopping 2020 made the novelty of historical mainstays, like Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday promotions, less enticing. Last year, many shoppers couldn’t even go to a store if they wanted to; in 2021, while that option may exist, all evidence suggests that online eCommerce, across categories and industries will remain strong.

In 2020, eCommerce grew by over 32% year over year, and was up by 31% in Q1 2021, according to reporting by Digital Commerce 360. There is no evidence these numbers will be on the downswing anytime soon.

However, there is an indication that a trend that gained steam in 2020 will continue to expand in 2021, click and collect, otherwise known as buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS). The prevailing wisdom is that this allows shoppers to enjoy the instant gratification of shopping in-store without incurring the risk of contracting COVID (or standing in line, or fighting traffic or juggling a toddler, a stroller and a handful of shopping bags).

Supply Chain Disruptions are Year-Round

While it was hoped that the delivery delays and empty shelves that were seen in 2020 (and 2021 if we’re being honest), would be a thing of the past, facts are that these types of disruptions will continue to affect the supply chain from manufacturing to distribution to retail for quite a while. Manufacturers have been unable to increase their output back to pre-pandemic levels and even if materials are ready to ship, there have been issues finding truck drivers (a chronic issue to be sure, but put into starker relief by the rise in demand for shipped goods).

What does this really mean for eCommerce? It means that consumers will continue to push buy online pickup in store options to ensure that they can physically get the product they want in time for gift-giving or holiday entertaining.

Settle In - eCommerce is Here to Stay

There is no doubt that the one key takeaway from Holiday Season 2020 is that consumers will continue to consume, even if they can’t leave their homes. While the rise of eCommerce isn’t new, recent behavior indicates that a variety of shoppers, even those not typically known to shop online (i.e. older adults), have adopted the switch to eCommerce. While the most recent information shows growth for in-store sales, there is uncertainty regarding the Delta variant and how that might impact in-person sales going forward.

The moral of this story is retailers shouldn’t scrap their direct-to-consumer (DTC) fulfillment or eCommerce operations that were brought online throughout 2020. The EY Future Consumer Index released in May 2021, showed that 80% of consumers are changing the way they shop - including 43% who stated they now shop online more frequently for items they had previously purchased in-store.

More Lessons to Learn

As Holiday season 2021 truly takes shape we will no doubt see even more changes to how consumers shop, how eCommerce retailers meet their needs and how businesses are staying agile in order to better understand and satisfy their consumer base.

ShipHero is excited to see what this holiday season brings and how we can better help our clients weather these sometimes disruptive, oftentimes invigorating situations. We look forward to working with our current partners and clients to help make Holiday 2021 better than ever, whether through solutions, support or superpowers. We will be posting helpful tips throughout peak season HERE, so be sure to check back frequently!

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMS software built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero

‍About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.

By: Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO of ShipHero

The changes to the world economy have been many and varied since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. However, perhaps the largest change has been seen in eCommerce, where 2020 projections were blown away by a population of shoppers trapped in their homes, with little else to do except shop online.

While this surge in eCommerce has been a good thing for most businesses, perhaps the largest concern moving through the 4th quarter of 2021 is how to maintain the increase in eCommerce sales without overreacting – growth is wonderful, but with the resurgence of the Delta variant, things are a bit more uncertain than they were two months ago, and it appears that eCommerce may be due for another uptick in revenue. Which means a downturn could be on the horizon.

Meet the Ebbs and Flows on Even Footing

But how can you meet the challenge of ongoing revenue growth without expanding your business to the point that you cannot sustain it when the eventual lull comes? While this has always been a concern for retailers, virtual or not, maybe there’s a better way to manage these ebbs and flows. Let’s examine five ways you can grow your online business and revenue through efficiency and optimization, instead of expansion that often hits your bottom line.

5 Ways to Grow Your Online Business

1. Optimize, optimize, optimize. According to a recent report by EuroMonitor, eCommerce businesses have managed to handle the influx of orders by optimizing their current tools or investing in new ones.With a warehouse management system like ShipHero, these online businesses were able to more accurately track their inventory, nullify pick and pack errors, and more quickly move product out the door and into customer’s hands.By using already installed systems, these companies have discovered that they can do more with the same, and by not increasing overhead, they will be able to better sustain any ebbs or flows brought about by another round of COVID-related lockdowns.
2. Keep your focus. While it is easy to get wrapped up in the allure of attracting brand-new customers to your virtual storefront, it can also lead to additional spending and time away from your core customer. In the midst of uncertainty, it might be better to focus more squarely on your base, using channels and media you know will work. You always want to strive for growth, but take the time to really dive into your current outreach channels and see what else you can mine from them. You may find it easier and more profitable to secure sales from your core customer base, as opposed to a brand-new customer demographic.
3. Leverage current partners. Whether it’s the company that supplies your shipping materials, or the one that runs your software, chances are these companies have additional tools and insights they can provide. Leverage these already established relationships to get more value. While this will more than likely require an additional spend, you will save time and headache by having integrations in place that will make implementation much easier.
4. Rely on your retailer network. This is the time to really emphasize the partnerships you have with other retailers. Whether it’s Amazon, Walmart or Shopify, the wide reach of these brands will help your business grow further and faster. Take advantage of any programs or promotions they may offer, especially as 4th quarter approaches and the holiday season ramps up.Also, make sure that all of your store integrations are working with your inventory and warehouse management systems. You don’t want to sell products you don’t have, or not sell products you do have, and the only way to keep it straight is to ensure those connections are in line. Also, investigate the ability to add a return management process to your existing system, so that you can more easily track and resell returned products.
5. Remarketing wins retail. You have probably heard the old adage that someone needs to see or hear something three times before they act. This is still true, and that means, you need to reach your customers or potential customers three times before you can even hope to convert the sale. Fortunately, remarketing has become one of the easiest and most effective ways to bring those “window shoppers” back into the fold.

More than likely, your current advertising platforms allow you to remarket without too much additional effort. Google and Facebook make it surprisingly easy to use these features and it can greatly impact your revenue stream. Also, never underestimate the allure of an abandoned cart. Remarketing to folks who have taken the extra step to “add to cart” is an easy way to make some sales.

Planning for the Future

By implementing some or all of the steps above, you’ll have a better chance of maintaining balance throughout this unprecedented time. And you’ll be poised for future success. It is predicted that eCommerce sales will account for 1 out of every 4 retails sales by 2025. At the height of the pandemic, it was estimated that 3 out of every 10 sales were transacted online.

While experts are not predicting that we will return to such a high number in the next year or so, it is important to realize that higher eCommerce volumes are here to stay and learning how to manage the highs and lows now will better prepare you for success in the future.

How ShipHero Helps you Grow

ShipHero’s Warehouse Management Software is a complete system that allows you to manage inventory, connect directly to all of your third-party selling channels and provides you with better pick and pack capabilities to reduce errors. ShipHero also has:

• Order tracking
• Label printing
• Automation rules (AR)
• Automation rules and Smart warehouse routing
• Cycle counting
• Kitting
• Logs and reports
• Guided pick routes
• Automatic batch creation
• BulkShip
• And so much more!

Stay in Front with Backend Support

If you’re looking for the easiest and most efficient way to grow your eCommerce business, even in uncertain times, we invite you to take advantage of all ShipHero has to offer. You can find a way to stay steady even as the business landscape changes, and often the easiest way to do that is to lean on your partners with superpowers.

Schedule a meeting today with our experts to learn more about our WMS software built for ecommerce brands & 3PLs looking to run their best warehouse and how ShipHero works to ensure that organizations invest in the solutions that match their needs, to improve productivity, revenue, and success.

Click HERE to Schedule a Meeting Today

Aaron Rubin, Founder & CEO

‍ShipHero‍

About the author:  Aaron Rubin is the Founder & CEO of ShipHero. He is responsible for planning and executing the overall vision and strategy of the organization. Rubin’s greatest strengths are leadership, change management, strategic planning and a passion for progression. He is known for having his finger on the pulse of ShipHero’s major initiatives, his entrepreneurial spirit, and keen business acumen. His leadership of ShipHero is grounded in providing excellent customer service that drives improved business operations. His passion for ShipHero comes from the culture and his ability to have an impact on the lives of employees, customers, partners, and investors.

Follow Aaron on Twitter&LinkedIn.