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The Transformative Impact of E-commerce on Shipping
15/08/2024
Convenience, accessibility, and choice are all core components that make e-commerce incredibly valuable for businesses, and highly important for customers.
In recent years, e-commerce has experienced a meteoric rise, empowering consumers by providing them with personalized recommendations based on browsing and purchase history. Not only has this enhanced how people shop, but also transformed the retail landscape, by reducing reliance on physical storefronts and instead encouraging more people to browse online.
Subsequently, consumer behaviour has changed. With the ability to easily compare prices for the same products from different retailers, and with product reviews only a matter of clicks away, customers can find the best deals and make more discerning choices when purchasing. Equally, the loss of traditional brick-and-mortar stores means e-commerce businesses can reinvest the money used for overheads in providing the best deals for their customers.
As the rise of e-commerce makes the retail space increasingly competitive, businesses involved in the industry are looking at ways to stay ahead of the opposition by investing in their shipping and technology usage.
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How E-commerce Rewrites Consumer Expectations
With mobile, social, and the advent of immersive commerce, to stay relevant, businesses must become increasingly innovative and adaptable to meet changing consumer expectations and needs.
Along with expecting to be able to shop anytime, anywhere, consumers are also used to increasing levels of personalization in their shopping experience, such as tailored recommendations, targeted adverts, and customized user journeys that cater to their preferences.
How E-commerce Rewrites Consumer Expectations
With mobile, social, and the advent of immersive commerce, to stay relevant, businesses must become increasingly innovative and adaptable to meet changing consumer expectations and needs.
Along with expecting to be able to shop anytime, anywhere, consumers are also used to increasing levels of personalization in their shopping experience, such as tailored recommendations, targeted adverts, and customized user journeys that cater to their preferences.
Beyond this, consumers are also becoming used to omnichannel retailing, and expect to be able to interact with brands at numerous touchpoints including online stores, mobile apps, social media platforms, and physical stores. As a business, it’s important to be present across as many channels as possible and to ensure that you’re meeting consumer expectations on all levels.
There is also an increasing pressure on transparency and sustainability. Not only do people want to trust the brands they’re buying from, but even more importantly, they want to work with companies who are environmentally conscious. As a business, not only should you be focusing on how to be more sustainable, but also how you can share this with your target market. Whether it’s environmentally friendly packaging or using greener technologies in your product development and shipping, it’s important, to be honest and open with what you’re doing to make a difference to the environment.
When it comes to shipping, the rise of e-commerce has been revolutionary. Increased online shopping has seen a rise in the volume of packages being shipped. As a result, logistics and shipping operations have grown in scale and capacity to accommodate for the higher number of parcels being shipped at any one time.
Similarly, e-commerce has also impacted international shipping, since customers are able to purchase products from anywhere in the world. As a business, cross-border e-commerce presents a fantastic opportunity for growth, however, also requires additional customs and regulatory compliance and procedures. Furthermore, international shipping also requires enhanced logistics and supply chain management in order to account for longer transit times and customs clearance delays.
International e-commerce shipping has also had an impact on ‘last mile’ shipping. To ensure your cargo reaches consumer’s homes as quickly as possible, your end-to-end transportation systems are crucial. Whether it’s by road or rail, the journey your cargo makes from ship across the shore is just as important as the journey it makes across the water.
Unleashing the Power of Technology in E-commerce Shipping
As well as its impact on consumer behaviour, the rise of e-commerce has also had a significant influence on shipping and the use of technology throughout your supply chain. In order to meet consumer demand and expectations, as a business, one of the most significant changes you can make to your approach to shipping is to utilize all digital solutions available throughout your supply chain and logistics operations.
Unleashing the Power of Technology in E-commerce Shipping
As well as its impact on consumer behaviour, the rise of e-commerce has also had a significant influence on shipping and the use of technology throughout your supply chain. In order to meet consumer demand and expectations, as a business, one of the most significant changes you can make to your approach to shipping is to utilize all digital solutions available throughout your supply chain and logistics operations.
The Importance of Automation
Not only has automation streamlined order fulfilment and operations, but the use of AI, robotics, and other machine learning techniques can also reduce manual labour and enhance overall productivity. This serves to make your overall shipping process smoother and reduce the risk of delays. It can also allow you to utilize your workforce in more creative and impactful ways as an organization.
There are several ways in which automation can be implemented across your supply chain, including:
- Automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) within your warehouse to optimize inventory and ensure accurate stock levels and packaging.
- Using AI-powered algorithms for order processing and tracking to enable your customers to monitor their orders through the use of GPS, RFID, and other tracking technologies.
- Expediting order processing and fulfilment to ensure, next-day, same-day, or prompt delivery to your customers.
- Personalization of your products for your customers, including recommended shipping options and recommendations based on purchase history.
Not only does automation help to speed up various packaging and monitoring processes, but by utilizing technology you’ll also be offering your customers enhanced visibility of their orders. As well as enhancing their customer experience, you’ll also be increasing your transparency as a brand and building a positive reputation which could lead to return business.
Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
Beyond this, leveraging technology in an impactful way can increase the number of opportunities to connect with potential customers around the globe. Not only does this expand your opportunities for business growth, but also offers you the chance to collaborate with different companies on a global scale.
Equally, having these levels of increased communication also means that you can stay connected with different areas of your supply chain operating around the world, enhancing your overall logistics efficiency.
Increasing Customer Confidence Through Secure Transactions
Implementing payment gateways to provide streamlined transaction processes not only creates a better customer experience but also a more secure one. By following all data security protocols and utilizing additional technologies such as address verification service (avs) and card verification value (cvv), businesses have the opportunity to proactively combat payment fraud and protect their customers. Again, not only does this enhance your brand reputation but also encourages return business by creating a positive online experience.
Increasing Customer Confidence Through Secure Transactions
Implementing payment gateways to provide streamlined transaction processes not only creates a better customer experience but also a more secure one. By following all data security protocols and utilizing additional technologies such as address verification service (avs) and card verification value (cvv), businesses have the opportunity to proactively combat payment fraud and protect their customers. Again, not only does this enhance your brand reputation but also encourages return business by creating a positive online experience.
Data-Driven Decisions
As well as using technology and automation to enhance your relationship with your customers, as a business you can also leverage the data gained through technological enhancements to optimize your decision making. Whether it’s understanding consumer behaviour, inventory levels, and shipping patterns, the more you know the easier it is to make more strategic decisions for your business.
Elevating Your E-Commerce Shipping with MSC
To stay ahead when it comes to e-commerce, as a business it’s vital that you utilize all available technology and industry experience to ensure that your operations remain as streamlined and customer focused as possible.
At MSC, we have decades of experience shipping across numerous industries, meaning we understand the potential challenges you may face. Furthermore, our continual investment in our digital technologies means that whatever you’re needing to ship, our team can help you find the right solution for your business. Contact us today to find out more.