Predictions for 2024 eCommerce and Fulfillment Trends

Happy Customer That Received Their Package from a Fulfillment Warehouse

As each new year arrives, people turn to their crystal balls to predict trends that will shape the next 12 months. Our fulfillment warehouse experts share some of the top eCommerce trends you can expect to see in 2024.

1. Value-driven loyalty programs take center stage.

If your eCommerce business doesn’t include a loyalty program, you’re already playing catch-up. Today’s consumers participate in an average of more than 15 loyalty programs per person, finding these perks even more attractive than discounts. Many eCommerce companies are boosting their social awareness profile by tying loyalty programs in with charities and environmental causes.

2. Third-party cookies turn stale.

As concerns about online security grow, Google and other platforms have been phasing out third-party cookies. While this may feel like a blow to accessing valuable data, eCommerce businesses can pivot by returning to the use of metrics and creating a robust retention marketing program.

3. AI is here to stay.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a one-time trend that is rapidly becoming a fixture. Thanks to the predictive power of AI, the brass ring of 1:1 marketing is truly within grasp. With careful planning and investment, you can incorporate AI without the need for extensive technical know-how.

4. Customer retention becomes a primary focus.

For a while, eCommerce companies bucked the conventional business wisdom that it costs more to acquire a new customer than it does to keep them. Now that acquisition costs have tripled, many eCommerce companies are shifting marketing dollars to their customer retention programs and tools such as mobile apps, exclusive benefits, and brand subscription.

Plan for Future Success with Our Fulfillment Warehouse

Partner with a full-service fulfillment warehouse that scales to meet your needs, now and in the future. Contact us at Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics to learn more.

Why a Fulfillment Partner is Crucial to Retail Success in an Omnichannel World

Omnichannel Fulfillment Partner

From demands for fast shipping times to the ease of online shopping, finding ways to streamline these different processes is essential for retailers. Omnichannel fulfillment offers an effective approach. This involves integrating different processes to ensure prompt order processing, picking, packing, and shipping. Find out why a fulfillment partner is an important part of achieving success in today’s retail environment.

What Is Omnichannel Fulfillment?

Omnichannel fulfillment is taking the retail world by storm. This involves optimizing the fulfillment process through seamless integration. Rather than having inventory management, order processing, and other processes handled separately, omnichannel fulfillment combines them into one smooth system. This approach is considered a key part of ensuring success as a retailer as more consumers turn to online shopping and expect quick delivery windows.

How Can a Fulfillment Partner Help?

Working with a fulfillment partner can make it easier for your retail business to ensure that different processes are handled as efficiently as possible. Fulfillment warehouses can take care of multiple processes, such as processing orders, picking and packing merchandise, managing inventory, and shipping products to consumers. This approach takes all of these tasks off your hands, so you can focus on other parts of your retail business.

A fulfillment partner can also help your business offer more options as part of omnichannel fulfillment. Consumers expect to have options when purchasing products. Some prefer having items shipped to them, while others prefer curbside pickup. Fulfillment partners can ensure that your customers have different options to choose from, such as having items shipped from your store or purchasing products online and picking them up.

If you’re exploring fulfillment warehouse options, contact the experts at Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics. We can provide more information on our services to help your business make the most of omnichannel fulfillment.

Happy Holidays From the Team At Medallion Fulfillment: Avoiding the Post Holiday Sales Slump

post holiday slump

No matter how successful the holiday selling season is for your eCommerce business, there’s no time to rest on your laurels. You can’t afford to ease up and have a soft start to the new year. Let our fulfillment company team share some valuable tips to help avoid that dreaded post-holiday sales slump.

1. Conduct a post-holiday sale.

Sales and discounts are part of your holiday marketing plan, but there’s no reason they can’t be part of after-holiday marketing as well. Top global brands such as Nike are known to run clearance sales straight through the month of January. This strategy can pay some additional benefits:

  • Offering deep discounts or buy-one-get-one sales is a good way to clear out old inventory and make room for new merchandise.
  • Great pricing can mitigate the effect of post-holiday returns by enticing customers to spend more money to upgrade.

2. Retarget your existing customer base.

When email ads are retargeted, studies show that the click-through rate is 180.6 percent higher than the initial email run. This plan also builds loyalty that pays benefits in the long run.

3. Highlight season-appropriate items.

This is where your market research will come in handy. Have you identified any specific buying patterns during the beginning of each year? In addition, there are many products such as outerwear and snow removal equipment that are sure-fire sellers during this time of year.

4. Up your social media game.

Holiday activities may have slowed down social media use, but during the post-holiday lull, old habits are sure to come back. If you’ve been meaning to try TikTok or include more interactive content, there’s no time like the present.

Partner with Our Fulfillment Company in 2024

Let Medallion Fulfillment & Logistics help make 2024 your best year yet. Contact us to learn more.

Steps to Prep Your Business and Fulfillment Company for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023

Fulfillment Worker Getting Packages together for the Holiday Season of Black Friday and Cyber Monday

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, it’s important to make sure your business is ready. That involves ensuring you have plenty of products available and being able to guarantee fast and dependable shipping. A fulfillment warehouse or third-party logistics (3PL) provider can help your company prepare to handle these seasonal challenges. You can also take the following steps to get ready.

Create a Sales Plan

Coming up with a sales plan for the holiday season involves taking a look at how your sales have been in previous holiday seasons. You’ll also need to determine which products you want to promote, what kinds of deals you should offer, and how to spread the word about them.

Order Inventory Now

When you have your sales plan, it’s time to place orders for products. Make sure you’ll have plenty of inventory to pack and ship to customers. If you work with a 3PL or fulfillment company, order now to ensure that they receive these items ahead of the holiday season. This helps reduce the risk of running out of stock or being low on inventory, which can send customers elsewhere to shop.

Focus on Prompt Fulfillment

After stocking up on inventory, your next focus should be ensuring that orders are fulfilled as soon as possible. This includes having items picked, packed, shipped, and delivered in a short timeframe. A 3PL or fulfillment company can handle this for you, so you can focus on marketing or other aspects of your business. These companies can often have items shipped as quickly as possible and at lower costs.

If you need a fulfillment warehouse as part of your holiday season preparations, contact Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics. Partnering with us can help ensure that your business is fully ready for this busy time of year.

Ecommerce Store Owners’ Top Ten Challenges – How to Overcome Them and Succeed Online

Male entrepreneur standing surrounded by product in an office.

With more consumers turning to online stores for their purchases, this is a great time to run an eCommerce business. However, online store owners face certain challenges that can make or break their business. From protecting consumer information online to finding better ways to fulfill orders, such as with help from a fulfillment company, these are some of the top challenges eCommerce store owners face.

1. Building Customer Loyalty

With so many online stores to choose from, having customer loyalty can be tough. Encourage customers to be loyal to your business through online interaction, loyalty programs with rewards, transparency, and content marketing. Taking these steps can help you engage with your customers and build a rapport with them.

2. Labor Shortages

Labor shortages have been making it harder for online stores to find staff to handle orders, customer service, and other aspects of keeping businesses up and running. Making improvements to your recruiting process and offering good benefits can help you find employees to help you with your online store.

3. Problems with Logistics

Global supply chain issues have led to logistics problems for online stores, especially when it comes to tracking inventory. Hiring a reputable fulfillment company can help your eCommerce business keep track of products that are in stock, so that you’ll know when it’s time for you to restock.

4. Lack of In-Person Contact Before Purchasing

Customers aren’t able to examine products physically before buying them when they purchase goods online. This can cause some customers to avoid shopping online. ECommerce store owners can make use of newer technology, such as virtual realty or augmented reality to make up the inability to physically try on or feel or hold merchandise.

5. Low Conversion Rates

Conversion rates can be a problem for online store owners, especially for those who are just getting started. Focusing on driving conversion through search engine optimization, calls-to-action, and the targeted messaging can help you increase your online store’s conversion rates.

6. Fraudulent Transactions

Fraud can easily happen in online stores when secure payment methods aren’t being used. This can lead to financial and legal problems while also discouraging customers from doing business with your eCommerce store. Watch for signs of suspicious activity with customer purchases, and use software solutions to make the payment process as secure as possible.

7. Customer Support

Although you can use chatbots for convenient customer support, many consumers would rather talk to customer service personnel on the phone, especially when dealing with complex issues. Offering phone support that allows customers to speak to someone can help improve customer support.

8. Customer Experience

Customers have raised their expectations in recent years when making online purchases. Ensuring that customers receive their orders promptly is crucial for your online business. A fulfillment company can provide you with peace of mind while also meeting the higher expectations that today’s customers have.

9. Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity threats can put customer data at risk and harm your online business in other ways. To lower the risk of these threats, you should update your online store platform on a regular basis, back up data routinely, and use security solutions.

10. Product Returns

Online stores have a higher risk of fraud or other issues when it comes to product returns. Having clear return and refund policies can help lower this risk. Giving customers different options for returns or refunds or offering coupons for those who aren’t satisfied with their purchase can help encourage customer loyalty.

Ready to Get a Price Quote for Our Services?

If you need a fulfillment company to help overcome challenges with your eCommerce business, please contact Medallion Fulfillment and Logistics today. We offer dependable, quality fulfillment services on both the East and West Coasts.