After a while, however, that setup begins to show its limitations. You might find that your home is becoming overrun with inventory, or that you’re spending too much time going back and forth to the post office.
Even if you can manage, these disruptions can take time and energy that would be better spent on growing your business.
And of course, there may well come a time when you can’t manage.
During spikes in demand, many eCommerce owners find that keeping on top of orders is a lot more stressful than they’d like it to be.
The good news is that there’s a clear solution that can quickly remove these problems, as well as provide a host of additional benefits.
With 3PL — third-party logistics — services, eCommerce businesses can hand over the task of storing, packaging, and shipping their products to the experts, saving considerable time, energy, and money.
Still on the fence about whether utilising 3PL fulfilment services is right for your business?
We’ve put together a list of just some of their many benefits, which might just convince you that now’s the time to take the plunge.
They Help You Grow Your Business
The number one reason why 3PL services are so in-demand?
They can help you to grow your eCommerce business.
All too often, owners end up spending far too much of their time managing the logistics of getting their products to their customers.
With fulfilment services, that task is essentially removed from your to-do list.
If you feel that your business is being held back because there’s only so much that you can personally pack and post, then it’s time to contact a 3PL service provider.
In fact, it’s generally best to make this move just before it’s required, since that can help you to keep momentum going.
They Offer Fast Delivery Times
Your customers expect fast delivery. Why? Because it’s essentially the expectation. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a small, home-based business or a multinational giant: when a customer makes an order, they want to see that it’s packaged, shipped, and at their door as fast as humanly possible.
And that’s just what fulfilment services provide. By working with a UK 3PL provider that offers same-day shipping for next-day delivery, you can ensure that your customers don’t have to wait any longer than necessary for their items to arrive. And that doesn’t just increase the chances that they’ll have a positive experience — it also makes it much more likely that they’ll order from you again in the future.
They Work Across Multiple Channels
There’s a lot of value in selling your products across multiple channels (such as Amazon, Shopify, eBay, etc), but things can quickly become complicated without having the right systems in place. Without them, there’s a risk that you’ll sell a product that you don’t actually have in stock.
The best 3PL providers offer multi channel fulfilment, which means they can handle orders regardless of which website the customer used to make the purchase. Not only that, but you’ll also find inventory levels are synced across all platforms. That ensures that you can always get real-time insights into your inventory levels.
Plus, even if you only currently sell on one platform, choosing to work with a 3PL company that provides multi channel support from the beginning can open up the possibility of expanding in the future without having to worry about finding a new fulfilment service partner.
You Can Access Better Delivery Rates
Most eCommerce businesses choose to work with a 3PL provider because of the sheer amount of time and energy that they can help them to save.
But it can also help to save businesses money. These providers ship so many products that they’re able to unlock the best shipping rates. That not only means that you spend less money on shipping, but also that your customers spend less money, and that can provide a big competitive advantage.
They Offer B2C and B2B Fulfilment
Selling to customers directly via your website, but have plans to sell to other businesses in the future? The best 3PL service providers offer both B2C and B2B fulfilment, so that you can easily ensure that your customers get products regardless of whether they’re an individual buyer or an independent shop wishing to sell your items in their store.
You Can Still Use Branded Packaging
One of the main reasons why eCommerce store owners are hesitant to use 3PL services is because they believe that doing so means sending their products in boring, generic boxes that undermine the customers’ product opening experience.
And that’s a valid concern, given just how impactful branded packaging and inserts can be on customer retention.
However, it’s also not a real concern, or at least it doesn’t have to be. Leading 3PL providers can send products out in your very own branded packaging, which allows for a cohesive brand experience.
They Can Streamline Returns
No one wants a customer to return a product, but it happens. The best 3PL service providers don’t just send products; they can also accept and process returns, too. That makes it as easy as possible for your customers to return their goods, without you having to worry about adding to your workload.
This can have knock-on effects that benefit your business, too. Even if a customer returns an item, they'll be more likely to buy from you in the future if the returns process was straightforward.
They Free Up Your Time
Finally, fulfilment services simply help to free up your time. Instead of picking, packing, and shipping orders yourself, you can have the peace of mind in knowing that an expert team is handling that time-consuming process on your behalf. In the meantime, you get to focus on the things that really matter — such as growing your business.
