Ship-from-store is for your customers who shop from home

The development and rising popularity of online retail sites such as Amazon and advancements in technology has come with an increase in convenience for the consumer.  Buyers want their products as soon as possible with as little trouble as possible.  Even though purchasing goods online may be easier than physically going into stores, some consumers worry about how their packages will arrive.  Many individuals complain about receiving packages that are damaged or thrown onto their doorsteps and missing items. In fact, package testing centers report that on average, a package is dropped 17 times during delivery. With this rise in online shopping and the growing expectation for top-notch delivery, ship-from-store is a plus for many retailers. And Packsize is here to help set that up.

Just like the phrase implies, ship-from-store means that, rather than outsourcing to a fulfillment center, a retail store mails out items right from the nearest store.  Customers make purchases on the company’s website, and the company fulfills the order itself with shipping products such as those offered by Packsize.  One benefit to this method is that it saves time, as there is no middleman between the store and the customer.  Buyers will be pleased to receive their packages sooner, and shipping will be less expensive.  The company can also make sure the product is packaged to their standard and with proper care.  According to USPS, “More efficient turnover provides space for newer products on store shelves for a better customer experience.”  Rather than dealing with inventory at a warehouse, a retail business can know exactly what is going in and out of the store, keep customers informed, and more efficiently update stock.

So, after a retailer has decided to switch to ship-from-store, how do they proceed?  USPS shares a few helpful tips on running ship-from-store, such as making the time in the workday for shipping and having ample space.  It is also crucial that the business owner stay on top of inventory and use tools for the most efficient packaging.

One of the keys to having a successful ship-from-store operation is to keep the cost of shipping down. However, DIM weight charges can sometimes make this difficult as having a large variety of products but not having the space for a large box inventory can often lead to a lot of empty space in each box. Fortunately, Packsize has developed the iQ series machines to solve this problem. These machines don’t have some of the same functionality or automation our larger machines have, but make up for that in size and affordability. The iQ2 and iQ3 were both developed to be small enough to fit in the backroom of a retail store and has a footprint of just 13’11” x 5’9.5”. The iQ series can create boxes for any product ranging in size from golf balls up to kitchen cabinets. With the capability to create up to 720 boxes an hour and the ability to integrate with various accessories, the iQ series is essential to any ship-from-store operation.

While it may be overwhelming at first to get ship-from-store up and running, retailers will be pleased to keep shipping in-house and be more in control of the process, and customers will reap the benefits. If you’re interested in learning more, contact us today to request an evaluation and see if Packsize is right for you. We provide full consultation services to our customers to make sure your packaging solution will save your business money and wow your customers.