Of the many tasks and responsibilities in running an online business, one thing you have to ensure as an online seller is to have the product ordered by your customer promptly delivered. But from the time your customer made the order and the time the customer actually receives the product, a chain of processes has to be accomplished. These include, among others, order processing, product checkout, payment processing, inventory/storage management, packaging, shipping, and delivery. If the customer decides to have the product exchanged or returned, or queries you for customer support, you’ll also have to handle that. All these are the heavy load of eCommerce summed up as order fulfillment. You may not have the time and resources to manage these processes and may need the help of order fulfillment services.
Order fulfillment services are companies that fulfill orders for businesses such as online sellers, eCommerce or even brick and mortar stores that do not have their own warehouses or distribution facilities. These service providers have the expertise and are equipped to handle all the tasks and processes mentioned earlier so you don’t have to go about doing the heavy stuff and simply focus on marketing your store and selling your products. For most online sellers and businesses, it is with order fulfillment services that they are able to move, store, and deliver products to their customers while growing their business.
In this article, we’ll go over Fulfillment by Amazon, one of the most popular order fulfillment service providers today. We’ll also present to you some Fulfillment by Amazon alternatives to broaden your options if you’re looking for this type of service. But first things first, we’ll quickly have a look at the main features of order fulfillment services so that you’ll be better informed when the time comes to choose one for your business.
What are the top alternatives to Fulfillment by Amazon?
What Features Should You Look for in an Order Fulfillment Service?
Order fulfillment services exist with one primary purpose – to help you fulfill the orders of your customers. However, how they offer their service may vary. Some may have more affordable fees and lesser charges or offer more discounts. Some may have more extensive distribution networks than others or have more robust service features. Whatever the case, it may serve you well to consider certain things such as: Can they quickly process orders and payment? Can they accurately verify customer information? Can they ship/deliver products on time? What are the cost and fees involved? If you want to learn more of the service providers featured in this article, just click on each of the provider’s links which will lead you to an in-depth review page.
Order fulfillment companies usually have the following tools, functions, and features as part of their service:
- Order management
- Order processing
- Payment processing
- Receiving
- Inventory storage
- Logistics management
- Shipping
- Packing
- Product tracking
- Returns processing
- Dashboards
- Mobile apps
- Integration
- Reporting
- Communication
What is Fulfillment by Amazon?
Fulfillment by Amazon, or FBA as it is known in the industry, is the order fulfillment service of e-retail giant Amazon.com. That alone may be reason enough to use the service, but FBA does have extensive offerings and indeed taps into the extensive infrastructure and global presence of Amazon.com to provide your online business with wider market reach and a trusted reputation. FBA can be used by anyone who sells online, most especially sellers of small items, sellers on multiple channels, and existing Amazon sellers. With FBA, you leverage Amazon’s top extensive logistics and network of over 140 fulfillment center spread out across the globe. The service can handle product processing and shipment, manage payments and refunds, and provide 24/7 customer support. FBA is well known for its quick processing, fast delivery and shipping times, climate-controlled warehouses, refunds and returns policy, and quality customer service support. FBA integrates with all leading eCommerce and shopping cart platforms and works seamlessly with numerous third-party applications, providing your business unmatched scalability and flexibility.
Key features of Fulfillment by Amazon
- 140+ global fulfillment centers
- Climate controlled warehouses
- Fast delivery/shipping times
- Easy return policy
- Solid 24/7 customer service
- Multi-channel selling
- Shipping rates discount
- Multiple shipping and payment options
- Extensive integration
- Backed by Amazon.com
You got the full global resources, infrastructure, and logistics of Amazon.com behind FBA which is the assurance that comes with its service. However, FBA is just one of the many proven fulfillment services you can choose from. Below you’ll find Fulfillment by Amazon alternatives that are just as comprehensive in features, and also highly popular among online merchants.
Top 3 Alternatives to Fulfillment by Amazon
1. ShipBob
At the top of our list is ShipBob, an end-to-end, web-based ecommerce fulfillment solution built to enable direct-to-consumer brands to fulfill online orders. This is a great platform for ecommerce entrepreneurs who want to sell products on Amazon and other leading ecommerce platforms. With ShipBob, you can own an online store and have all your products in a warehouse near your customers.
Even better, you don’t have to schedule a shipment every time a customer buys a product from your online store. Instead, ShipBob knows when a customer orders an item from your store, and they pack and ship the item to the customer within two days. This way, the platform takes the fulfillment tasks off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on other money-making activities. The vendor has an appealing free trial where you can tinker with the features at no cost.
Essentially, ShipBob minimizes shipping costs, improves transit times, and allows you to provide an exceptional delivery experience. Moreover, it gives you complete transparency of the logistics operations and reliable predictive insights. It’s also fully integrated with many leading ecommerce platforms including WooCommerce, Squarespace, Shopify, BigCommerce, Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.
Detailed ShipBob Review
Key features of ShipBob
- Order management
- Inventory management
- Customer communications
- Predictive insights
- Advanced reporting and analytics
- Built-in support
- Standard mailers, boxes, and packaging supplies
- Dedicated account management
2. FedEx Fulfillment
FedEx Fulfillment was launched in early 2017, making it an upstart in the fulfillment industry. However, being a new player in the market is a non-issue as it is a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, the courier delivery company noted for its express overnight delivery service as well as its pioneering system that enables the tracking of packages and providing real-time updates on package location. In fact, this system is being used by other courier services. FedEx Fulfillment harnesses the solid logistics and transportation network of its mother company for your fulfillment needs. It aims to help small and medium-sized businesses fulfill orders from various online channels through its integrated supply chain system of warehousing, packaging, fulfillment, transportation, and reverse logistics. Online sellers can use the service to integrate selling channels and manage inventory while having full visibility of their items during storage, in transit, and upon delivery using its pioneering product tracking system. In addition, FedEx Fulfillment offers same-day fulfillment cut-off times, and 2-day ground shipping to most US locations. It is considered among the best when it comes to reverse logistics with its well-established transportation and infrastructure system.
Key features of FedEx Fulfillment
- Integrated supply chain solutions
- Supply chain consulting service
- Multi-platform fulfillment
- Smooth returns/reverse logistics
- Well-entrenched transportation/infrastructure system
- Global fulfillment in over 200 countries and territories
- Tracking and visibility in one place
- Customized/value-added services
3. ShipWire
Last but not least on our list of Fulfillment by Amazon alternatives is Shipwire. The service utilizes an enterprise-grade warehouse management system (WMS) for its storage facilities in the US, Europe, China, Australia, and Asia. The system guarantees the safety and security of your stored products, including those that need special handling and shipping procedures. Shipwire implements an intelligent shipping platform to efficiently pick out the best options for shipping and delivery routes as well as packaging in order to help you reduce fulfillment and shipping costs. The cloud-based platform enables online businesses to run logistics operations from any location through the combination of warehouse facilities owned by clients or those of Shipwire. You can undertake on-demand and custom order fulfillment solutions for B2C and B2B commerce, and connect product supply to retail demand through drop shipping and linking to major retail channels. Shipwire also allows you to customize and scale service features so you can find the most suitable solution tailor-fit for your fulfillment requirements.
Key features of ShipWire
- Global shipping from over 154 warehouses in 45 countries
- Omni-channel connection
- Real-time data management
- Optimized and automated operation
- Flexible, customizable platform
- High-grade warehouse management system
- Robust developer kit
Which Fulfillment by Amazon Alternative is Right for You?
Much like any other type of SaaS product, there is no one-size-fits-all order fulfillment solution. At the end of the day, the best Fulfillment by Amazon alternative for you all boils down to your unique business requirements.
If you are a startup or a small business looking for a single platform to handle all of your ecommerce efforts, ShipBob might be the ideal tool for you. It gives you end-to-end tools that not only help you manage orders but also analyze your sales and improve communication with customers. Meanwhile, if you only need a little help with the logistics of your orders, FedEx Fulfillment or ShipWire are better options. This is because these two are packed with powerful shipping and delivery management modules.
Hopefully, with this list of alternatives, you were able to select an order fulfillment solution that suits your needs and falls within your budget. In case you still want to expand your options, we highly recommend you take a look at our list of best order fulfillment services.
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