What is E-commerce Inflation? Despite the fact that inflation has not been significant for e-commerce throughout its history, everything changed at the start of the pandemic in 2020.  Since then, inflation, shortages, and supplies have only become worse, impacting most e-commerce businesses around the world. According to the July 2021 Report by Adobe Digital Economy Index, online prices have increased 3.1% YoY. “In January and February 2022, these higher costs drove $3.8 billion in online sales growth.  That same rate of inflation could lead consumers to spend nearly $27 billion ..read more

Help Your E-commerce Save Money with a 3PL Wanting to own your own time is a common reason why people decide to launch their own businesses. They want to be the master of their own schedule. However, many business owners quickly realize that when you launch an e-commerce it can eventually begin to own you. Two of the largest and most critical elements of any e-commerce are shipping and fulfillment. Doing it yourself in-house can save you some money in the short term but it could hinder your growth in the long run. Let’s walk through a few ways your e-commerce can save money with a 3PL. 90% o ..read more

Unlock Profit Potential: Leveraging Right-Size Packaging for Enhanced Profitability Selecting the right-size packaging for your e-commerce product(s) not only showcases your brand but also boosts profitability. There are several costly outcomes of poor package sizing. First, you are likely paying more for shipping. Secondly, is the excess cost of packaging materials. Lastly, you are more likely to experience returns and refunds due to damaged products. Today, let’s examine four ways that right-size packaging can boost profitability. Reduce Packaging Spend If you are using standardized siz ..read more

3PL vs 4PL, What Are They? 3PL vs 4PL, what are they? How do they differ? What can e-commerce businesses stand to gain or lose by using one over the other for their fulfillment needs? We hope to shed a little light on which type of fulfillment company you should choose for your business needs. What is a 3PL Third-Party Logistics is an industry term most are familiar with. For companies looking to outsource their entire logistics process, 3PLs are the answer. They are able to handle the management of receiving, inventory warehousing, packaging, and shipping services, letting e-commerce ..read more

What is Dropshipping? Dropshipping involves an e-commerce fulfillment method where online retailers source products from third-party suppliers upon customer orders. This model effectively delegates inventory management, shipping, and fulfillment responsibilities to external vendors, alleviating merchants from these operational tasks. When orders are received, dropshipping suppliers take charge of product manufacturing and shipping, acting on behalf of the seller. However, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of dropshipping. What is a Dropshipper? A dropshipper, typically a manufacture ..read more

3PL vs 2PL – Which Fulfillment Partner is Best? If you are a growing e-commerce business that has been handling your fulfillment needs in-house, you may be considering how to scale effectively. Understanding your requirements, time constraints, and growth trajectory is crucial in deciding whether a 2PL or a 3PL is more suitable for your business. The ideal fulfillment partner will align with the needs of your business and your customers. In this article, we will define and outline the advantages and disadvantages of using a 2PL versus a 3PL partner. Ultimately, which fulfillment partner is op ..read more

We’ve talked about the environmental impact of e-commerce in other articles. We have also discussed what ways businesses can reduce their own negative impact on the earth.  Today, we’ll be discussing the effect that e-commerce has on the world’s oceans and water supply. Oceanic Pollution Human activities on land are responsible for over 80% of oceanic pollution. While the majority of it is attributable to non-point source pollution, which is pollutants that fall into rivers and inevitably end up in oceans, river-borne litter and plastic account for a significant fraction of the poll ..read more

How Inflation is Impacting E-commerce Inflation is on the rise, and e-commerce businesses are feeling the uncertainty. According to Pew Research, inflation is 8.6%, the highest since 1981. American consumers haven’t seen this kind of inflation increase in four decades. With the fed raising interest rates, capital investments and consumer spending are drying up. This unsteady economic climate is causing more panic than preparation. The main contributors to the inflationary period are continued supply chain issues, the Russian/Ukrainian crisis, and new COVID-19 lockdowns in China. Knowing how i ..read more

Expanding Your Network with a 3PL 3PL partners offer logistics services and supply chain management. They are logistics experts, specifically; warehousing, picking and packing, inventory management,  transportation, fulfillment, packaging, and returns management. Because of the focused nature of a 3PL, they typically have a broad network of partners related to all aspects of the logistics industry. How can you expand your network with a 3PL? Transportation Network 3PLs boast relationships with multiple carriers spanning the transportation industry. These partnerships extend to variou ..read more

6 Indicators You Should Stop Dropshipping Dropshipping is a great way to start an e-commerce. It is a direct partnership between suppliers and manufacturers to accept orders for their goods or products. The startup costs are minimal, and it is an easy way to test products in a new market. However, there are several drawbacks to dropshipping and some significant limitations. Here are six indicators to stop dropshipping and consider fulfillment alternatives. Product Delivery Times Don’t Meet Customer Demand Suppliers and manufacturers are not agile in servicing and fulfilling individual ord ..read more