As consumers continue to navigate the rising costs of everything right now, retailers and eCommerce businesses are beginning to notice the effects of slowing consumer demand.  

Many retailers began pulling back on massive investments in warehousing and distribution capacity following the 2022 peak holiday season, knowing that data suggests we may be nearing the never-ending growth of online shopping that the Covid era brought for eCommerce and retailers.

February is traditionally a slower month, but the warehousing and storage industry has cut 5,500 jobs in the past month— one of the largest drops in employment in the past decade in an industry that has added more than 600,000 jobs since February of 2020. 

Trucking employment fell by 8,500 jobs in February, also the most significant drop since April of 2020, but executives at many trucking companies have anticipated freight demand will rebound in the second half of the year.

With many experts thinking we have a challenging few months ahead, how will you make the most in of this slower time to improve processes and be prepared for when it picks back up again?

Automation Simplifies your Fulfillment and Shipping Processes 

As eCommerce ebbs and flows with consumer demand, the slower market is an excellent time to make adjustments.  Errors are more costly with the logistics industry reducing in size to weather this and automation in fulfillment and shipping will drastically reduce costly mistakes.

When looking for a software solution—many of our clients are seeking options that are customizable to their individual needs.  A supplier of Kitchen & Bath Décor, as well as an OPAL fanatic, was seeking a software solution that focused on automation of their biggest bottleneck – fulfillment and shipping.

They were manually processing orders – a process that is very time consuming because the fulfillment team would consolidate orders from different eCommerce channels, manually generate shipping labels and then manually upload tracking into each partner’s vendor portal.  

Manual processes provide a large margin of error because the team is human and mistakes happen that unfortunately result in shipping wrong products and/or to wrong addresses.  

Upgrading their automation and processes with OPAL improved order processing by automatically generating labels and pick lists, as well as made the fulfillment process more efficient.  They were able to process more orders in less time with drastically reduced errors.

To learn more about how OPAL provided peace of mind as their team was able to clean up processes and become more efficient – click here and scroll to case study #6.

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

As your business looks to be proactive to improve processes in this potentially slower season of 2023, OPAL is here to partner with you and have you ready for your next season of growth.

To learn more about how your eCommerce business can thrive this new year, click here!

The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride for eCommerce. But thanks in large part to mobile (also known as digital commerce), eCommerce has passed the $1 trillion mark in a single year for the first time ever.  

Of the top five fastest-growing categories, apparel and accessories claim almost 40% and home and garden claim 25% of the growth.  As we approach spring, home and garden projects are top of mind as consumers think ahead to what they want their outdoor space to be.  

Whether it’s entertaining in your backyard or looking to be more eco-friendly with sustainable planting and a vegetable garden, knowing the trends and what consumers are looking for is half the fun (and stress) in eCommerce. The flip side to those looking to stay home and enjoy their gardens, are those who are looking to travel and will desire new apparel and accessories for their trips ahead.  

Either way, setting your business up for success in a year that has consumers facing challenges left and right will be critical for your success.  Has your business done what it can to stay competitive as we approach the spring and summer shopping season?

Remaining Competitive

In today’s rapidly changing market, it is critical to make the most of the quiet phases between holiday rushes.  With the spring and summer rush ahead of us, if not already upon us, it’s a great time to look at successes and weaknesses from this past holiday season and seek ways to make systems and processes more efficient.

If your eCommerce business has yet to automate through software, there are several benefits that may help push you towards selecting one soon.  Remaining flexible is made easier through automation with a software package because it shifts from manual steps to autonomous processes that not only increase your capacity for additional and more accurate orders, but may do so without the need to hire additional employees.

Your eCommerce business will also have accurate real-time inventory reporting across multiple sales channels and retailers.  This prevents over and underselling across the multiple channels to consumers, as well as simplifies the buying process for your team with access to which products are flying off the shelves and which should be retired.

Automation through software also improves order accuracy up to 99% and reduces processing costs to just cents per order. Maximizing warehouse efficiency is also a benefit that ultimately increases the number of shipments per day and allows your business to ship to customers faster.

Improved data and analytics are additional benefits to automation. Manual processes and multiple software packages make it difficult to compare apples to apples and capture accurate data.  However, having reliable data will not only improve processes, but understanding the top performing areas of your business so that you can continue to scale and understand the return on investment.

eCommerce with its record banner year this past year will most likely see another record year, especially as companies like Target invest $100 million in hubs to speed up delivery to consumers.  As this financial investment continues to grow throughout the industry, suppliers who have processes in place to scale and grow quickly will be entrusted by retailers in this growth and expansion.

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

As your business looks to improve its processes and efficiencies through automation to keep up with the ever-growing market, OPAL is here to partner with you in your season of growth.

To learn more about how your eCommerce business can thrive this new year, click here!

The very first Super Bowl game was in January of 1967 and ever since then, Americans across the country have been hooked on this single football game providing some of the highest viewership records across sporting events and creating bidding pools for companies willing and able to pay the large dollars to advertise.

In 2023, a 30-second Super Bowl commercial costs a record-high average of $7 million, according to Forbes.  In one year, the value of 30-seconds has increased by half a million dollars – but with such high inflation and tight times for consumers, many are starting to ask what they get in return?

As an eCommerce business, you may not have the money to market front and center on screen the day of the game, but there are many ways to be present and available to consumers.

Social Media to Boost Exposure

Many small businesses will look for opportunities for exposure during the big game.  It’s not feasible financially to pay the price for 30 seconds of ad space, but posting content through social media platforms that is relevant to the topics and hashtags present will help give your posts a natural boost.

Using paid ads and influencers to market your products is another way to get your ads in front of users.  Having influencers highlight your products at a super bowl party with links and discount codes will provide access to a wider audience than your typical posts or marketplace sponsored ads. Utilizing keywords and hashtags similar to those of the competing teams and products will also help increase your impressions and clicks.

Customer Service is Key

With money tight and inflation, consumers are incredibly price sensitive and utilize eCommerce to find the best price available.  When price is the same across competitors, providing strong customer service is a valuable differentiator.  If you’re currently only marketing products through marketplaces, the absence of errors – whether in inventory or shipping efficiency — provides strong customer service and helps build loyalty to your product and marketplace.

Be Ready for Anything

Part of the excitement is not knowing what will succeed and which ads will take off.  A large company that advertises during the super bowl could bring added awareness to similar products and being ready to fulfill orders and having accurate inventory across your various platforms could be the difference in you getting the sale over competitors.

 As an estimated 96 million viewers join together to watch ads and football over a 4-hour time block, may the odds be ever in your favor!

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

As your business looks to improve its processes and efficiencies to keep up with the ever-changing market, OPAL is here to partner with you in your season of growth.

To learn more about how your eCommerce business can thrive this new year, click here!

Click here to book your customized demo today.  We are here to support you through this time of change and are here to help you innovate and thrive!

Inflation has a ripple effect for both individuals and businesses, something we have all felt in the last six months. As of October 2022, the Consumer Price Index was up to 7.7% from the same time last year, with shelter, food and gas leading the top of the list.  As prices continue to rise and you have to make choices on what inventory to carry for consumers, your profit margins may become slimmer and slimmer. 

Even amidst the inflation today, eCommerce continues to grow at rapid rates.  In 2022, eCommerce hit more than $1 trillion for the first time in the US, with the last quarter totaling close to $350 billion. Forbes also reports that the key driver to the continued growth is mobile phone use – which grew twice the rate of desktop eCommerce many years ago.

Is it possible to remain profitable and grow your eCommerce business during a recession?

Simplify Through Software

Implementation of a single software solution like OPAL allows little to no manual input, allowing your team to process 95% of orders without ever touching the computer. This also reduces the cost of doing business by increasing your team’s efficiency, as well as reducing the cost of multiple software packages needed to manage order management, warehouse management and shipping processes.

Know Your Inventory

When consumer behaviors are difficult to predict, knowing how to manage inventory is critical to get ahead of shortages or excess pieces remaining that will not sell. A software solution helps to understand the analytics behind the peaks and valleys – is there a time of year that particular products sell faster, is there a color or style that sells much quicker?  All things to consider when looking through reports for purchasing in months ahead.

Eliminate All Extra Expenses

One of the biggest perks to selecting a software solution is the ability to eliminate EDI.  Today’s consumers require such quick shipping that it’s challenging to bundle orders and take advantage of efficiencies in shipping, but reducing the per piece transaction will add up over time and keep profits in your pocket.  With OPAL, EDI is 100% included no matter how many orders you fill, allowing your team to focus on other areas of your business to make more efficient.

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

As your business looks to be proactive to better handle this ever-increasing inflation, OPAL is here to partner with you in your season of growth.

To learn more about how your eCommerce business can thrive this new year, click here!

Click here to book your customized demo today.  We are here to support you through this time of change and are here to help you innovate and thrive!

The past few years have been challenging to say the least, but eCommerce continues to grow at a steady pace despite inflation and worries about consumers’ willingness to spend money.

In 2023, more than 265 million US consumers are estimated to shop online, which equals 2 percentage point increase in eCommerce market share.  Growth is also expected to continue, reaching 23% by 2025, which translates to roughly 5 percentage point increase in only five years.

Another shift that occurred this last year was fashion overtook electronics as the top-performing eCommerce category.  Electronics has been the most lucrative sector for online suppliers and retailers for years, but saw a 17% drop in sales in 2021.  

As consumer preferences evolve in this economy, is your business ready to handle your current growth or use this time to prepare for busy seasons ahead?

Automation is Key

Increased efficiency through data collection and analysis is the critical part to most successful businesses today and automation most certainly simplifies processes to do so. It allows your business to utilize a software package to make the shift from manual steps to an autonomous process, which not only increases your capacity for additional and more accurate orders, but it may do so without hiring additional employees.  

Accurately representing inventory across multiple sales channels – which could include retailers, market places, website or social sales – is critical to prevent overselling and underselling of products.  Automation not only simplifies the customer ordering process, but improves accuracy up to 99%. And, as trends continue to evolve, knowing accurate sales and inventory levels helps to make proper buying choices.  As certain products sell quickly, it will be more profitable to order inventory quicker than those that are lagging on the shelves.

Staffing has proven challenging for most businesses the last 6 months, and automation not only improves efficiencies, but allows for unlimited order capacity without having to hire additional employees – reducing processing costs to just cents per order.  

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

As your business looks to improve its processes and efficiencies through software automation, OPAL is here to partner with you in your season of growth.

To learn more about how your eCommerce business can thrive this new year, click here!

Click here to book your customized demo today.  We are here to support you through this time of change and are here to help you innovate and thrive!

Improving Key Performance Indicators This Holiday Season

As “Black Friday” has evolved over the years, it has shifted from a single shopping day after Thanksgiving, to more of a season from the beginning of October through Thanksgiving weekend. 

According to Adobe Analytics data, consumers spent $72.2 billion online in October 2022, up 10.9% from the previous month and on par with the $72.4 billion spent online in October 2021. In spite of the recent inflation and fear that consumers would not shop, many are choosing online shopping to buy early with many of the deep discounts available during Black Friday sales. 

This lengthened holiday season for suppliers and retailers shifts operations from a sprint to more of a marathon mentality because the season has evolved from the last five weeks to the last three months of the year.

What key performance indicators does your eCommerce business focus on to make sure they can withstand the holiday season?

What are Key Performance Indicators?

According to Investopedia, key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measurements used to gauge a company’s overall long-term performance. There are strategic KPIs that focus on a high-level snapshot like the return on investment or profit margin.  

There are also operational and functional KPIs that measure over a specific frame of time and focus on particular functions of business. For instance, in addition to more strategic KPIs like sales, profit and traffic, knowing which indicators like inventory levels or the amount of time it takes from receiving an order to shipping is critical.

Top eCommerce KPIs

There are tons of KPIs available to choose from, but knowing what will benefit your business will be critical to your success. Monitoring performance manually is timely and not without error.  Automation and software are critical to knowing real-time data so that you can make accurate and timely decisions across several key areas.

Inventory: 
Access to real-time data on what inventory levels are and reporting accurately across multiple sales channels is critical to sales and maintaining trust.  KPIs include inventory turnover rate, days or weeks on hand, sell-through rate, backorder rate, rate of return, etc. and knowing which of these may impact your bottom line and how your team can make smarter purchasing decisions will help with smarter purchases.

Fulfillment:
This is the process of fulfilling a sales order to the customer’s specifications and delivering goods as promised.  Understanding data on what is received from suppliers and how it is stored in the warehouse will ultimately impact how your team processes and packs.  KPIs include internal order cycle time, order picking accuracy, inbound orders received, orders shipped per business day, percentage of orders shipped by expected ship date, etc. In tough labor markets, knowing how to simplify and streamline processes so that your team can keep up with demand and high order volume, while keeping errors low is critical for success.

Shipping:
Understanding your business shipping metrics is critical for success in supply chain performance.  If your team can have inventory on hand, make the sale and pack the box, but is unable to ship it correctly, then the error costs you in loss of product and potentially in refunding the customer.  Consumers today are also very particular about shipping and do not allow for much wiggle room when it comes to shipping errors.

KPIs include shipping time, order accuracy upon delivery, delivery time, total order cycle time (includes both fulfillment and shipping), transportation costs, warehousing costs, on-time shipping percentage, peak warehouse capacity used, etc. Quality of delivery is just as important as the time of delivery and all part of ensuring customers have a positive experience with your product and the sales channel or retailer.

Simplify with OPAL’s 4-in-1 Software Solution
EDI | Order Management | Warehouse Management | Shipping

OPAL is the innovative solution to simplify your small to mid-sized to enterprise business fulfillment needs in today’s rapidly transforming retail world.  

If you’re looking to better understand your eCommerce business KPIs, automation and software are critical components to success so that you can have access to real-time data and make informed decisions.

To learn more about how OPAL has partnered with many to scale their business to new levels of success, click here.

Click here to book your customized demo today.  We are here to support you through this time of change and are here to help you innovate and thrive!