It’s that time of year when we all start to look ahead and think about what will be coming down the line for 2022. That said, the eCommerce and fulfilment space can be a particularly difficult fish to land when predicting the future because so many factors affect it. Despite the unusual circumstances we have all been dealing with in recent times, there are few predictions we can be confident in for 2022.
Demand will be king
What we mean by ‘demand will be king’ is that the rise in the requirement for 3PL services will be one of the primary factors for next year. Covid has had a significant impact on the eCommerce industry and, whether we see more covid restrictions or not, demand will continue to increase. The last two years of the pandemic and lockdowns have changed the way people buy forever. The trend towards online buying has accelerated, and the demand for perfect fulfilment has naturally increased with it. Here at Synergy Retail Support, we are committed to ensuring we satisfy the need for reliable, third-party logistics solutions.
eCommerce success in 2022 will be dependent on having the experience to understand the impact of growth on operations and how to continue to deliver a smooth experience for your customers.
Investment in the Environment
Sustainability needs to be more than a buzzword if the country is to reach its environmental goals. The fulfilment arena has its part to play in the move to a greener, more environmentally friendly world, and this is going to be a growing focus area. eCommerce shoppers are already beginning to look for assurances that changes have been made to reduce carbon footprints. That means transparency in the supply chain and long-term implementation of carbon reduction initiatives. For eCommerce brands, this means considering things such as how you’re packaging orders through to the sustainability initiatives of your 3PL partner.
Want to learn more about the importance of sustainability for eCommerce? Check out our recent blog here.
The increased importance of fulfilment as customer service
Great customer service has always been important, but it will be key to maintaining a loyal customer base as the market becomes more crowded. An agile fulfilment partner with the technology to offer real-time updates will help facilitate customer support with clear stock information and flawless tracking of despatch and returns. Without a trusted 3PL partner, both B2B and B2C vendors could find themselves lagging behind the competition.
The rise of omnichannel
Omnichannel fulfilment has been gathering momentum and will undoubtedly continue in 2022. Fulfilment is key to the success of an omnichannel vendor because, unlike multi-channel, it relies on shared resources in the supply chain. At the risk of oversimplifying what a very complex area is, omnichannel fulfilment makes a central reserve of stock available to any and all connected sales and returns points. That means total control over inventory, clarity of supply and returns, fully integrated warehouse management, no more stock silos or inter-stock transfers, and everything must be linked to multiple points of sale.
Whatever happens in the fulfilment space in 2022, we will be here; we will be maintaining our expected high levels of service, and, of course, we will be putting you first when it comes to eCommerce and your fulfilment needs.
Contact us today if you would like to discuss how we could help your brand grow in 2022.
