The buying habits of consumers are constantly changing, and if you have been in the business long enough, you are fully aware of this. Consumer behaviour is quite volatile and it can be influenced by a number of factors. Today, because of advancements in technology, consumers have become even savvier and more demanding. So, what should you know about consumer behaviour and buying patterns, and how will all of this affect your ecommerce fulfilment process? Let’s have a look at some trends that may have an impact on your ecommerce fulfilment system in 2018.
More buying options
Customers today look for the convenience of buying products at any time, from anywhere. Consumers expect more options when it comes to purchasing – be it in the shop, online, or both. If your customer has more options, they are more likely to be a repeat shopper. But the challenge for many ecommerce businesses is that they don’t have the systems required to serve customers on multiple channels; there are simply too many moving parts. This is precisely the reason why more businesses are turning to an ecommerce fulfilment partner which can seamlessly incorporate the essential functions of the company’s fulfilment process for all channels of sales, which includes not only order processing but also inventory management systems, shipping, refunds and returns, and more.
Better transparency
Another expectation of consumers today is better transparency. Consumers want to be fully aware of the ordering process – from the time they place and confirm their online order to the time the order is delivered to their door. But if you want to give your customers this kind of visibility, you can be presented with many challenges. The good news is that bigcommerce speed optimization fulfilment partners can make it entirely possible for you to provide better transparency – in real time. The tracing of orders can be made easier, and this includes the entire process – from the time the email confirmation is sent to the tracking of the order to the proof of delivery.
A faster delivery process
In the past, express delivery usually meant delivery in 5 days. Today, shipping and delivery times have changed, and 2- to 3-day delivery has become the norm. In fact, even 2- to 3-day delivery is slowly being replaced by ‘next day’ delivery or even ‘same day’ delivery. If your business isn’t able to process and ship orders from one single, centralised location, your delivery process will be slower, and you will be outdone by your competitors. But with a fulfilment service as a partner, you can benefit from faster delivery from one single location, and what’s more, fulfilment firms often have good relationships with parcel delivery services and carriers, which can provide you with a better method of shipping combined with lower prices as well.
