Articles Effective Fulfillment for Social Commerce
Nearly 40% of business owners are using social media to generate sales, a recent Forbes article reveals. From traditional retailers to digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs) to subscription box companies, companies are finding value in social commerce.
In order to meet or exceed expectations for this social-minded audience, merchants must make sure that they are at the top of their game when it comes to order fulfillment. Perry Belcastro, Saddle Creek’s senior vice president of fulfillment services, recently shared several best practices with MultiChannel Merchant.
Following are excerpts from the article…
Facilitate Research Process to Fast-Track Buying Decisions
More than 40% of digital consumers use social networks to research new brands or products, making the channel second only to search engines, according to GlobalWebIndex’s 2018 Flagship Report.
To make it easy for consumers to research their purchases, merchants not only must provide detailed product information, reviews and chatbots, but they also must let consumers know if and when the products they’re interested in will be available. Shoppers not only want to be able to check item availability but also need visibility into actual inventory levels. Inventory management is key.
A robust order management system has become a virtual necessity for today’s merchants. An OMS lets them see enterprise-wide inventory (fulfillment centers, drop-ship vendors, in transit and available to promise). If the desired product is not in stock at the FC closest to the consumer, the system can readily identify alternative fulfillment sources.
With this visibility, merchants can share detailed real-time information with customers, including product availability and backorder status. This helps not only with the customers’ research process but also with managing their expectations for improved service.
For more best practices, read the full article.