Category: News

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USPS Disruptions and Delays

USPS Announces Delays

We were just on a call with the United States Postal Service. They are clearing a lot of the backlog of mail, but delays still persist. Some of the ongoing issues are due to the lack of air transportation and delays with Customs.

Please note the additional countries suspended from service. For a full list please refer to the Post Office’s link below.

https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/

We are sorry for the delays as this has been both unprecedented and unforeseen. Every day it seems that we are facing new challenges. Rest assured that shipping quickly to your customers continues to be our top priority.

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USPS Announces New Software Changes Today

Today, Wednesday, April 29, 2020, from 10:00 AM CT to 2:00 PM CT, the United States Postal Service will implement the following software change: Package Platform Release 2.1.4.0.

Delivery of packages will not be impacted during the implementation and validation window, there will be processing and reporting delays related to receipt of the following data:

• Pricing Data
• Fee Assessment Data
• Final Notification Data
• Informed Visibility Mail Tracking and Reporting (IV-MTR) Data
• Enterprise Payment System (EPS) Reporting Data
• Package Platform “USPS Automated Returns” Data

Notification will be provided immediately after release-related activities conclude.

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Why Offering Free Shipping will Increase Your Online Orders

During the Coronavirus Pandemic Boost Sales with Free Shipping

Shipping plays a huge role in e-Commerce.  Free shipping is increasingly the number one promotional tool used to entice online shoppers during the virus pandemic. Many of the major online players including Amazon and Walmart offer free shipping. Free shipping is a major tool retailers use to attract new customers and keep existing customers.

According to comScore, a leading Internet marketing research company, during the first three weeks of the holiday season in 2010, 45 percent of transactions included free shipping, the percentage rose to 50 percent by the 21st of November, increased to 55 percent in the week ending November 28 and was still at a high rate of 51 percent in the week ending December 5. It’s important to note, transactions using free shipping for the week ending December 5, 2010 averaged $125.20, 45 percent higher than orders using paid shipping.

> Consumers Expect Free Shipping

Due to the prevalence of free shipping in online retailing, consumers expect it when shopping on the Web. A recent comScore survey showed 84 percent of consumers indicated free shipping was somewhat or very important when making purchases and may be even more important during the virus pandemic.

Jeffrey Grau, principal analyst at eMarketer, said “Free shipping makes e-commerce more appealing. A lot of people won’t buy from a website if there isn’t some sort of free shipping. It’s almost a requirement.”  He went on to say “Retailers have to decide for themselves whether the potentially higher sales can justify absorbing the shipping costs. They’re going to hope for higher volume and slightly lower margins. They’ll try to make up the cost in higher volume” (E-Commerce Times).

Free Shipping Day, held on the 17th of December, is an example of the power free shipping has on consumers. In 2009, Free Shipping Day accounted for $586 million non-travel retail spending and surged to $942 million in 2010, a 61 percent increase (comScore).

Azita Arvani, principal of the Arvani Group, said “The biggest friction points in online shopping are payment and shipping. By offering free shipping, it reduces a key friction point, which should result in more sales, provided the offer is not too restrictive to a point of being meaningless to the consumer” (E-Commerce Times).

> Don’t Ignore the Trend

The free shipping strategy includes the prospects of thinner margins or higher prices on merchandise, however online retailers who ignore the trend will likely have lower transaction volumes. By enticing consumers with free shipping, retailers may be able to avoid offering deep discounts on their merchandise.

Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT stated “Free shipping is always a bonus, especially when money is tight, consumers are getting creative. They want a high-dollar item that won’t have a stiff shipping fee. Getting the shipping free makes sense” (E-Commerce Times).

> Free Shipping, a Daily Promotion

Increasingly, free shipping has become a daily promotion in online retailing. According to comScore, in the third quarter of 2010, 41 percent of all online retail transactions included free shipping. Gary Reblin, Vice President, Domestic Products , U.S. Postal service, believes the growth trend in e-commerce transactions coupled with free shipping in the business-to-consumer segment continues to be the number one compelling force in the shipping industry (Source: PARCEL).

Free shipping is a great way to stay competitive and increase sales. Free shipping is also a good way to get rid of last year’s merchandise. However, to keep a healthy profit margin   it’s vital for retailers to partner with a savvy, experienced fulfillment service such as Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics to keep shipping costs low. A knowledgeable fulfillment company knows how to take care of a large increase in orders and can negotiate based on volume for the lowest packaging and shipping rate possible.

As you plan your virus pandemic selling strategy, consider that consumers have come to expect free shipping during the year and in the holiday season – free shipping can make or break your own promotion projections.

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Don’t Let Your Business Suffer Due to Amazon’s Policies, You Have Options!

Learn About the Amazon Effect

We’re all about solutions here at Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics. The coronavirus pandemic demands that we think outside the box to keep businesses growing and homebound customers satisfied.

Amazon froze shipments from March 17th to April 5th, and now states the following on their website:

“While we will continue prioritizing the products we can receive beyond April 5, we are now able to broaden the list. Given our constrained capacity, we are doing this on an item-by-item basis. We have updated the Restock Inventory page and Restock report in Seller Central so you can check which products are eligible for shipment creation. We consider many factors when determining eligibility, including high-demand products customers need now; current inventory levels and inventory in transit; fulfillment center capacity; and our ability to adhere to the latest health guidelines.” Read the full article at Amazon Seller Central.

What we are hearing from Amazon sellers is that Amazon is restricting their incoming stock replenishment shipments. Interestingly, when you order Amazon products like the FireStick, as one of our team members did recently, there was no shipping delay for a purchase of Amazon’s branded products.

To solve “unfair practices” that Amazon is enforcing as policy, we have developed a special program called FBM (Fulfillment by Medallion). The FBM program allows you to ship product to both or either of our East Coast or West Coast warehouses, and gets you back shipping goods to customers the day after we receive your products. This redundancy with FBA lets you be proactive to the current business and virus situation. And, our FBM allows you to leverage sales to homebound workers; who may be shopping to pass the time, or who are buying items for family members to stay entertained with while home from school. With no shipping or stock restrictions, our program can get you back in business fast!

You can easily select to move to Fulfillment by Seller within Amazon Seller Central and not be held hostage or be affected by Amazon’s policies.

With a growing dissatisfied Amazon warehouse staff that has done a limited walkout and has expresses fears of contagion requiring management to provide temperature checks and masks in warehouses, FBA now seems a less stable option for businesses in the coronavirus era.

Here’s how our FBM (Fulfillment by Medallion) program works:

1. Ship your goods, or a selection of goods, to our East Coast or West Coast warehouses or to both.

2. Our special dedicated FBM On-Boarding Team fast tracks processing and works with you to implement your ordering and shipping fast. We can start shipping orders the day after we receive your products in our warehouse.

3. There are no long term contracts and you can even get a formal and affordable price quote today.

4. Get back in business – shipping to homebound and internet-connected potential customers in one day after receipt of your products in our facility. Don’t miss a beat and make your sales projections this quarter, even with communities and workers on lockdown.

After the threat is over, we think you’ll stay a Medallion FBM customer due to our affordable pricing and can-do attitude. Don’t let your business merchandise be held hostage by Amazon; you have an affordable option – FBM (Fulfillment by Medallion).

Give us a call today and let us show you how we can get you back in business fast.

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How to Reach Customers Now During the COVID-19 Crisis

How to Reach Out to Customers in the COVID-19 Crisis

With shut downs, shipping delays, and customers sitting at home, there’s never been a better time to keep you name in front of anxious buyers using an e-newsletter.

The COVID-19 epidemic is of unprecedented proportion. Many people have never experienced a work stoppage or for that matter a quarantine. While customers wait for orders that may be delayed due to shipping issues or supply chain problems, email is the best way to soothe worries and keep customers loyal to your business.

Here are some tips to take to heart with how to communicate with customers during these unusual times.

1. Be honest of what is going on with your business. If there are delays due to supply chain issues – share the challenges in a positive manner.

2. Accept and acknowledge the uncertainty of the situation. Be real, people truly want to connect with you during this crisis.

3. Express gratitude and appreciation for orders and for those that will wait to receive their goods due to unforeseen delays.

4. Keep a regular connection with your client-base. Specifically, contact during this uncertain period should be several times a week or once or twice a month.

If you need help setting up an e-newsletter we have expert providers that are ready to set up an account at iContact for you, load your list, and even customize our own mobile-friendly reusable HTML e-newsletter template. Just let us know and we will put you in contact with one of our experts or get you started fast.

For Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics clients, our provider has created a special mobile-friendly template for newsletters that can be updated with your logo and content. Ask us for more information about this concierge-level e-newsletter program including setup, implementation, content creation, and scheduling. Pricing is customized based on your need.

http://medallionenterprises.com/newsletters/medallion-sample-template.html

For do-it-yourselfers, an iContact account provides access to easy to use templates. You can enter in your own e-newsletter information and set up your own e-newsletter issues to send on your own schedule.

Our team or our experts can work with you directly to assist with your needs. Just give us a call and let us know that you would like to reach out to your clients by email – fast!