Category: News

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Shipping Issues Expected for Summer 2023

image concept of transportation.

Over the last few years, the global supply chain has been an indirect victim of the pandemic. Widespread shutdowns caused unprecedented interruptions in both consumer purchasing and availability of goods and materials.

Are there any lingering effects from this historic event? Our fulfillment company staff shares industry expert predictions about what to expect this summer.

Freight Rates

• During the pandemic, logistics costs rose sharply, which was one of the elements contributing to high inflation. Over the last year, ocean freight charges have declined, with some lanes back to pre-pandemic levels.

• Falling rates are attributed largely to a drop in consumer spending, which had risen over the last two years as importers enjoyed increased sales.

• Carrier alliances are in a period of flux, as seen with the pending split between Maersk and MSC. Some experts believe this may be the beginning of a rate war.

Despite these changes, experts caution that freight rates and shipping prices have not yet leveled off.

Shipping Demand and Inventory Volumes

• Consumer spending remains low, with more money being spent on services rather than goods.

• Job markets and wages continue to be strong. Whether this leads to growth in spending depends on consumer sentiment in the face of recent bank failures and rising interest rates.

• Shipping demand is beginning to creep back up as inventory levels are depleted. Import volumes saw monthly increases during spring, and this trend is expected to continue into July.

• Labor disputes involving Local 13 of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) may impact traffic at the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports.

Streamline Operations With Our Fulfillment Company

Experts recommend partnering with a fulfillment warehouse to mitigate the effects of demand fluctuations and changes in shipping rates. Contact Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics for a solution to fit your specific needs.

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Ecommerce Management Resolutions for 2023 – Are You On Track?

businessman looking at hand drawn business concept sketch

For 2023 you made a resolution to lose weight, read more and eat your vegetables. Have you given any thought to New Year’s resolutions that you made for your Ecommerce business? With May upon us, it is time to review what you resolved to do with your business now to see that you are on track to meet your goals.

Our fulfillment warehouse team is here to offer some helpful suggestions to help you stay on track or catch up.

1. Step up your customer service.

If December is a month of sales, January is a month of returns. People are taking stock of their gifts, sorting out which ones to keep and which ones to send back.

While no business enjoys dealing with returns, how you handle them will greatly affect how customers perceive you. Gracious and professional customer service will leave people with a favorable impression. In many cases, you may even manage to turn those refunds into sales.

If you did not review your return policy and customer service, now is a good time for a checkup.

2. Get creative with marketing techniques.

Post-holidays, customers go into January with a shopping hangover, leaving sales as cold as the temperatures. Dig deep into your marketing bag of tricks for creative ways to generate sales. There is still time to do some constructive promotion planning this month to assure you meet your sales goals.

Consider these possibilities:

• Review abandoned shopping carts from the last few months and send emails to gently prompt customers to complete the sale.

• Encourage shoppers to redeem gift cards at your online storefront.

• Make judicious use of discounts and coupons. For example, make them contingent on a minimum purchase to drive multiple sales.

3. Analyze your inventory.

After the controlled chaos of the holiday season, inventory numbers may be off. Now is the time to reconcile quantities on hand and current pricing to avoid disappointed customers.

Did you turn up some products that didn’t move as well as expected? Run a sale to help clear out those items and make room for new products.

If you skipped this review earlier in the year, now is a good time to take stock of your inventory and do clearance sales or routine reorders.

Team Up with Our Fulfillment Warehouse

Inventory reporting and quality customer service are just two of the benefits provided by partnering with Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics. Contact us today for more information.

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Four Tips About Selling On Amazon and the Benefits of 3PL

Consider Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics for your Fulfillment Warehouse

When you have products to sell online, Amazon offers a convenient way to market your products and process sales, but keep in mind that it’s not foolproof. You’ll need to spend time and effort making the most of your Amazon store in order to attract customers and grow your business, which includes exploring third-party logistics (3PL) provider options for fulfillment and shipping. From marketing your goods to using a fulfillment company to meet customer demand, the following tips can help you sell on Amazon.

Build Your Brand

Amazon won’t bring customers to your Amazon shop for you. As the store owner, you’ll need to find ways to drive traffic to your shop. This involves optimizing pages for each product you sell, gathering positive reviews, and earning a reputation for providing outstanding service.

Become a Professional Seller

Anyone can sell products on Amazon, so it’s important to stand out. Registering as a professional seller provides you with a good way to set your online shop apart from individuals who are selling similar products. When you have a professional seller account, you’ll also save money, since there aren’t any listing fees for these accounts.

Fulfill Orders Promptly

Processing and fulfilling orders as quickly as possible is essential in order to succeed as a seller on Amazon. Having a fulfillment warehouse available to help you meet these needs is important, especially as your business grows.

Focus on Customer Service

Customer service is the key to thriving on Amazon. Come up with policies that help keep customers satisfied, such as replacing products quickly or issuing refunds. Reach out to customers who leave negative reviews to learn more about how you can improve.

If you’re searching for a reliable fulfillment company to help your online business, please contact Medallion Enterprises.

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Finding the Value in Your Fulfillment Partner – Does Yours Measure Up?

Young woman comparing with two things.

With the school year over and summer in full swing, this is a perfect time to ask yourself: what grade would you give the performance of your fulfillment warehouse? Do they get a passing grade or below average? Use this scorecard to determine whether your fulfillment partner is making the grade or flunking out.

Pass or Fail: Performance Metrics

No matter what you sell, from accordions to zippers, your customers have many sources to choose from. Elite customer service is what will set you apart from the competition. Your fulfillment partner has a responsibility to uphold the commitments you make to customers regarding delivery time, presentation, accuracy, and other measurable factors.

Service level agreements, or SLAs, are a standard way to document what you expect from your fulfillment partner.

Use these metrics to answer key questions such as:

* Are same-day, next-day and two-day delivery windows met consistently?

* Are you processing a high number of returns because of damages or product quality?

* Are customers receiving the correct items in the correct quantities?

* Is inventory updated at least once a day? Are discrepancies addressed promptly?

Pass or Fail: Open Channels of Communication

We all know (and have experienced) the horror stories of being stuck in voicemail limbo when contacting a company’s customer service department. But when it comes to your fulfillment warehouse, you are more than simply a customer. You are partners, with both of you invested in the same goals. If you have concerns about your fulfillment partner’s performance, do you get passed off to an account executive? Even worse, do they simply ignore you?

A dependable fulfillment partner will offer full transparency in their business relationships. If you do not have access to contact their leadership team for open and honest discussions, that is a red flag. But keep in mind that just talking to leadership is not enough. They should also be responsive to your concerns and create acceptable solutions in a timely manner.

Pass or Fail: Up-to-Date Technology

In the fast-paced world of e-commerce, you cannot afford to be left behind due to outdated technology. A web-based portal allows you to access your information 24/7 without the need to contact your fulfillment warehouse. Make sure they use encryption or other appropriate measures for data security.

Even the most sophisticated technology is bound to hit a snag now and then. Ask about support protocols and whether upgrades are performed on a regular basis.

Pass or Fail: Initiative-taking Improvements

Do you sit back and let your e-commerce business roll along, content with the status quo? Of course not, and neither should your fulfillment warehouse. A good partner understands that improvements benefit both of you. Ideally, they are constantly seeking out ways to boost productivity and decrease costs. If your fulfillment warehouse is not presenting you with ideas to improve efficiency, that is a sign they are not as committed to your success as they should be.

We are glad to offer a free review of your service with us for recommendations or review your current fulfillment provider and let you know what we can do better. Just ask us!

Pass or Fail: Safety Precautions

Accidents and disasters can result in problems ranging from returns of damaged products to complete loss of inventory. What measures does your fulfillment partner implement for protection from fire or theft? At minimum, they should have a 360-degree monitoring system with no dead ends.

Safety does not stop with the products themselves. A high rate of workplace injuries can seriously compromise productivity. The warehouse should have an efficient layout and the company should have an established set of protocols to enhance employee safety.

Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics is a Fulfillment Warehouse that Scores High on the Satisfaction Scale

Find out why clients from coast-to-coast have chosen Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics to be their partner in success. Contact us to learn more about how our services can enhance your business and why we are the fulfillment warehouse choice for a wide variety of businesses around the nation.

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An Important Note from Our Company President

Read and important note from our company president.

Dear Valued Partner,

As we enter the holiday shopping season it is important for all of us to recognize that the logistics business is under a lot of stress.

• Inbound stock is running behind schedule with many container ships still queued outside of L.A. and other major ports.

• Acquiring quality staffing and packaging supplies remain an issue.

• Last year our carriers sometimes restricted how many packages they would pick up per day.

Even though we are faced with these challenges, be assured we will continue to do our very best to process your incoming stock and outgoing orders in a timely manner.

However, due to the difficulties we face, we ask for your patience… especially if you are running sales that create order spikes.

Although we do not anticipate it, unforeseen spikes in our aggregate order traffic MAY lead to longer processing times and possible shipping delays if carriers enact volume restrictions.

As always we will work hard to process all orders quickly and efficiently.

We wish you all the best for the holidays,


President

Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics – West Coast

Sprocket Express – East Coast