3pl

Missed drop-off. Depending on the price or nature of an order, a package may require a signature upon delivery. If no one is home to accept the order during the delivery window, the delivery cannot be completed. Good carriers will inform customers of this issue and the next step they should take, such as picking up the package at a carrier location or rescheduling the delivery. If no notice of the missed drop-off is provided, this issue is more likely to reflect badly on retailers than carriers because the retailer chose that specific carrier. Damaged package. An order will be delayed if a shipping label, package, or product is damaged. In many cases, the order may need to be canceled and reshipped.

Strategic opportunity, tactical challenges and a developing operating model. In-store picking (shopper for hire) seems like a sensible pick-up in-store option, and perhaps one for quick need items, while other retailer profiles might be better suited for centralized picking. Challenges for stores: Is the inventory count right? Dedication of resource to the task? Filling the cart or helping the customer? That and more—but the strategic value of turning up at a store and having the shopping bags filled for you? Only time will tell.

I’ve raised red flags about this issue several times this year, as the practice has spread. Omni-channel retailers run the risk of overburdening their brick-and-mortar locations in a few key ways:

"With its 1–3-day transit times, Xparcel Priority means our eCommerce clients can provide their customers with rapid, reliable, and still affordable delivery," Manzione said. "Leveraging our network of regional and national shipping carriers allows RSL to pass along shipping savings to our valued clients, thereby both ensuring customer satisfaction and boosting their bottom line."

Over the past 20 years, RSL says it has successfully evolved with the ever-changing e-commerce industry to stay ahead in the order fulfillment industry and position itself as a leader in the 3PL business.

Sometimes I harken back to when free shipping became a phenomenon online. For me, it was L.L. Bean’s announcement in 2011 that all orders would ship for free. Not everything lasts forever, as their current policy is free shipping with a $50 threshold or being part of their credit card program. But ultimately, Nordstrom extended free shipping that same year, which turned the tables, causing many other retailers to follow suit.

Our logistics experts will work with you to determine the optimal fulfillment center locations closest to your customers to decrease transit times. This allows you to save time and money on each and every package shipped.

The lesson for online retailers looking to overcome these challenges is to not assume transit times and shipping costs “are what they are.” The factors that most directly influence these things are the location(s) of your fulfillment centers and the carrier options you provide to customers.