The 13 Best Platforms for Small Businesses E-Commerce Distribution and Fulfillment
The COVID-19 pandemic created a huge shift in retail toward online spending. As Forbes explains, “the pandemic boosted online spending by $183 billion over the past year, and it has permanently accelerated e-commerce, with Americans on track to spend $1 trillion online - a record amount - in 2022”, according to an Adobe report.
The number of companies in the e-commerce space is also growing rapidly, and you need reliable systems to compete for business. An e-commerce business must have an online checkout process that is easy to use, and a fulfillment system that gets the product to the customer quickly.
If you’re trying to improve your e-commerce business operations, here are the 13 best platforms for distribution and fulfillment:
1. ShipBob
ShipBob reports that 99.95% of orders are filled accurately, and 99.89% of orders are shipped on time. This company has 10 fulfillment centers in the U.S. and Canada, where clients can choose to store inventory, and they offer two-day ground shipping in the U.S. at affordable rates.
2. Fulfillify
Fulfillify provides same day pick, pack, and shipping services using UPS, Fed-X, and USPS. The company has four fulfillment centers with over 350,000 square feet of warehouse space. The firm uses technology to automatically fulfill an order from the warehouse that is closest to the customer. The company software integrates with Paypal, Shopify, and other businesses.
3. ShipHero
ShipHero gives you the ability to pick, pack, and ship orders for as little as $5.58, with no surcharges or hidden fees. The company recently shipped nearly 4 million packages in one month. ShipHero does not charge for setup, and there are no long-term contracts.
4. Shipfusion
Shipfusion markets its real-time technology to manage inventory and to ship products. When an order is placed, you receive an order notification, and inventory levels are updated in real time. They offer competitive shopping rates, and Shipfusion manages customer returns. You can track every stage of fulfillment on their system.
5. ShipMonk
ShipMonk uses customer API integrations to sync with your online shopping cart and to automatically import orders. The company immediately picks, packs, and ships each order, and the system is scalable to handle your firm’s growth. ShipMonk also offers discounted freight rates.
6. Whiplash
Whiplash allows customers to set granular rules for fulfillment, and to make decisions using real-time data. The company has a network of 22 facilities in the U.S. and UK. If you’re a U.S.-based e-commerce company doing business in Europe, you can take advantage of the Whiplash UK facilities. Users may also use the software for product bundling.
7. Red Stag Fulfillment
Red Stag provides cloud-based order fulfillment for B2C and B2B online retailers. Since 2015, the company has delivered 99.997% of orders accurately, and 100% on time. Red Stag was created by founders in the e-commerce business who were frustrated that they couldn’t find a reliable fulfillment company. The company operates four fulfillment centers.
8. Ships-a-Lot
Ships-a-Lot focuses on the direct-to-consumer market, branded products, customers with a limited number of SKUs, and products that are relatively small in size. Management believes that this type of focus benefits customers, because Ships-a-Lot can speed up fulfillment.
9. Fulfillment.com
Fulfillment focuses on high-volume fulfillment worldwide, and the firm has shipped millions of orders for thousands of clients since 2010. If you do business globally, Fulfillment has facilities in the U.S., Canada, UK, Europe, and Australia. The company also offers pre-negotiated volume discounts with quality product manufacturers.
10. eFulfillment Service
https://www.efulfillmentservice.com/
The eFulfillment Service site has helped businesses succeed for more than 20 years. The company offers simple pricing, with no setup fees, long-term contracts, minimum order requirements, hidden fees, or tricky terms. The firm has a 99.7% customer satisfaction rating, and has received a number of distinguished awards.
11. Ingram Micro Services
Ingram Micro Services provides fulfillment services, and tools for reverse logistics, including the ability to customize the returns process. They offer services to repair and refurbish inventory for resale, and the company also provides IT asset disposition services.
They offer a host of specialized services to repair and refurbish inventory in preparation for resale. The reverse-logistics market is growing alongside ecommerce and you can be a part of it. There are a host of specialized services to repair and refurbish inventory in preparation for resale.
12. Rakuten Super Logistics
Rakuten Super Logistics has over a dozen U.S. fulfillment centers to manage product shipments. They can leverage existing relationships with shipping carriers to save on shipping costs and transit times. Their software integrates with online shopping carts and order management software.
13. Sprocket Express
Sprocket Express allows your business to easily expand from a single e-commerce channel into multiple marketplaces. Sprocket integrates with Shopify, Amazon and other large online shopping carts and payment systems. By outsourcing order fulfillment, you only pay for what you need.
Improving the customer experience will increase repeat business, and allow you to compete in the crowded e-commerce marketplace. If you’re interested in selling your ecommerce business now - or down the road - consult with an experienced business broker.
How An Expert Can Help
A business sale may be the largest financial transaction that you ever complete, and you need a long-term plan to increase the value of your business before a sale. The experts at Raincatcher have helped thousands of owners sell their businesses, and their brokers can help you improve your business results.
Meet with the experts at Raincatcher to build and sell a more valuable business.
