The Coronavirus not only cripples our social life but also has an undeniable impact on our economy. Multiple shops and companies had to preventively close without any further notifications. Sales through the known physical channels came to a standstill or are under severe pressure.
While much of the world has slowed down, e-commerce seems to make its way with exponential speed. However, there are also some challenges that make us reflect on the sales strategy.
Amazon drastic measures during COVID 19
For a while Amazon temporarily disabled all US and EU inbound shipments for Fulfilment by Amazon except for a few key categories.
On top of that, it banned all B2C shipments of non-essential products to Italy and France. It was the company’s response to the escalating coronavirus situation in these regions. By doing so, Amazon could fully utilize its logistics capacity for the essential products of high demand.
From a social and business point of view, there is certainly some degree of understanding. After all, you have to make a choice if your capacity is under pressure. However, such decisions put those companies who fully rely on FBA in a tricky situation.
How to keep your marketplace sales running smoothly
Luckily there are still options to continue your business at full speed using an alternative logistics approach.
Together with our partner ChannelEngine.com, we offer our clients to use their store or back end system to sell around the world. By creating a seamless integration between businesses and marketplaces, we empower them to automate and maximize their sales potential.
They can use a single stock point for all online sales channels and process the orders according to their specific demands.
ChannelEngine.com is in charge of your connection process, and BME takes care of the processing and shipment routine.
What are the 3 benefits of using an external fulfillment agency?
While being far from your ideal operational decision during normal business cycle, external fulllfilment can offer you quite a few valuable benefits nowadays:
1. The opportunity to reach new target groups on marketplaces without being dependable on their logistic operations.
2. The possibility to personalize your logistic flow, so it suits your brand experience and meets your strategic goals. For instance:
- Different picking processes for different online/offline channels.
- Different Value added Logistics (such as leaflets, giveaways, …)
- Different carrier solutions so you can optimize your transportation and we communicate with the carrier in case of problems.
3. The possibility to go international avoiding complex logistics constraints.
It does not matter, if you are selling non-stick ceramic coated pans or hair products, there is an ultimate approach to benefit your sales.
Let’s turn these challenging times to step back, realize your options, and benefit from new opportunities in the short and long run. Let us and ChannelEngine.com keep your marketplace orders running smoothly.
