Online retailing is big business: 80% of online users have purchased something online and 50% have done something more than once. Predictions show that it?s only gong to continue to grow, experts predict that by 2018, e-commerce sales will reach almost $500 billion.
In a survey done of online shoppers, 83% are most satisfied with how easy it is to check out, 82% like the variety of brands and products, and 79% like the ability to track the shipping of their purchase online. When shoppers were asked what they would like to see improved upon, almost 60% said they?d like free or discounted shipping.
With the holidays coming, and bad weather, and shipping choices to make for ecommerce order fulfillment on top of everything else? it?s time to get help with marketing supply chain management. Hiring a company to help with logistics solutions will free you up to do what you do best, run your business, while experts in marketing supply chain management drive custom to your site.
You?re not alone in needing assistance. As an e-commerce business, marketing supply chain management is so important that nearly 40% of managers plan to implement or invest in a new logicstics system in 2015. That?s almost doubled from just over 20% in 2014. And a part of that newly planned logistics management is increased visibility. In fact, in 2014 only 28% of managers were focused on increasing supply chain visibility, but by 2015, 59% of managers, more than twice as many, were refocusing on marketing logistics and supply chain management.
The use of third Party Logistics (3PL) ? companies that help to provide services to their customers, by outsourcing logistics services for some or all of their supply chain management ? is growing at a rate of 12 to 15% a year. Where once five and 10 year contracts were typical when hiring e-commerce 3PLs, clients are, more and more, looking for contracts with shorter-terms. Today contracts of three to five years have become standard. So you can get the support you need without such a long term commitment.
The year is whizzing by. Don?t let the holidays give you a headache this year. Make the most of them, get a jump on the shipping and craziness by finding a terrific 3LP company to help you with all your logistics management solutions.
