Ship from store during a pandemic
Ship from store is a fulfilment option that utilizes the stock in your stores for online orders. It has been around for a few years already. During the pandemic of the past two years, ship from store became a popular fulfilment option for retailers and customers. In this article, we will discuss what ship from store has to offer and if implementation is worth the investment, during and after this pandemic.
During a pandemic, retailers can experience challenges when it comes to keeping a steady sales flow. The interests of consumers are changing and stock can run low due to limited production- and transportation possibilities. Ship from store can (partly) solves all these challenges. Do you want to know more about the basics of ship from store? Read along here.
Advantages for retailers
Ship from store offers some advantages for retailers during a pandemic:
- Making use of all stock: by adding store stock to your online sales, you can make optimal use of all your available stock. This is extra interesting during a pandemic, because stock supply might have issues and store stock can’t be sold when shops have to close. By using ship from store, you’ll tackle both problems.
- Keeping store employees busy: nobody wants to be bored all day. And no employer wants their employees to sit around all day. Ship from store keeps your store employees useful and profitable when there are fewer customers in store.
- New shipping possibilities: stores are in most cases closer to your customers than your DC. By shipping from the store, you can make use of new, short-distance delivery options, like a more sustainable bike delivery. Offering these delivery methods can give you an edge over your competition.
Why offer ship from store?
Besides the advantages for retailers, offering ship from store has some other important arguments for your customers as well. Your customers might see it as a big plus to your current services. Especially during a pandemic, when opening hours can fluctuate, stores can be experienced as less safe. Since consumers are at home more often, ordering and receiving packages at home, can be a very attractive option. Customers may also experience ship from store as “supporting a local”, which gets extra attention during a pandemic.
Does ship from store still fit after a pandemic?
Ship from store can be a big investment. That’s why you might wonder: will it still be useful after the pandemic? Facts are that, also after the pandemic, you will still be able to make optimal use of your stock. You can expand your online assortment because you’ve just gained so much more warehouse. And you can easier integrate local and green delivery options, which are gaining more and more popularity amongst customers. So instead of seeing ship from store as a short-term solution, you may as well see it as a long-term investment!
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