If you're a professional reseller, working with one or more fulfillment centers simplifies your life. Centers can store your different products, and as orders flow in, they can pick out products and finally, ship them. If you've done your due diligence and are working with good centers, you should also be working on your end to keep the relationship positive.
Use Gaylord Boxes
When shipping items out to your fulfillment center, it's likely that you'll send several pallets' worth of products. Many resellers just wrap the pallets in plastic and send them on their way. However, boxing up items in a so-called Gaylord box makes more sense. Those enormous corrugated boxes help protect your products more than just plastic would. Gaylord boxes can also be used for any odd-shaped pieces that don't seem to properly fit into anything else. Not only that, but if you have fragile pieces, you can ensure that your Gaylord boxes are even more protected by using packing materials to create a buffer that will be difficult to breach.
Make Your Own Kits
While some centers will be able to assemble kits made of the products you store with them, you might want to make them. This can reduce the workload for the center, but it can also ensure that you're able to add personal touches that make the kits special. This kind of activity can build brand loyalty from your customers; you might even split the work and allow the center to do some kits while creating a smaller line of personalized kits created by you.
Read Reports Frequently
The fulfillment center may send you regular reports about stock and other issues, but you may be so busy that you don't read the reports as regularly as you should. If there are no emergencies or big mistakes, they might just go unread for a period. However, making time for these reports can help you identify your sales trends and alert you of different issues, such as people who return most of what they buy from you. When you have the information in mind, you can make smarter choices about how to go forward.
Send Inventory Regularly
You might wait for warning notifications from the fulfillment center before you send in new products. You might think that this is a smart move because you won't pay to store additional items there, but that could result in longer customer waiting periods. Instead, use your own calendar to regularly send in stock, even if you think there is currently enough. If sales pick up quickly, the fulfillment center can then easily cover the orders.
Share21 May 2021
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