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ProShip shipping experts discuss how top retailers who ship parcel are using shipping software.
We don’t need to remind you of the growth of e-commerce over the past 2 years. It is there staring you in the face every time a package is delivered on your doorstep. And you aren’t alone – more than 75% of consumers shop online at least once a month. E-commerce has become an integral part of everyday life for people across the country. With these retailers shipping hundreds if not thousands of packages (some even hitting the million mark during peak season), it is essential that their supply chain operations run reliably and efficiently.
Earlier this month, the National Retail Federation (NRF) released their annual Top 100 Retailers List, a ranking of the industry’s largest companies according to sales. Here is a snapshot of the Top 10 Retailers in this list.
As customer expectations continue to evolve and delivery times become shorter and shorter, many of the retailers who top the sales rankings have one thing in common – a flexible yet technologically advanced shipping software solution.
Shipping Pain Points from Top Retailers
While these retailers have found success – this doesn’t mean it has come without hurdles to overcome. The pandemic made it abundantly clear that shipping is a critical part of any retailer’s business. But with so many factors constantly changing, how can retailers keep up with the intricacies and growing costs of shipping? Complexity of inventory locations, delivery methods, as well as carriers and services, make the execution of an effective parcel shipping program much more difficult – and these aren’t the only pain points that today’s top retailers face. They are also tackling:
- Rising shipping costs and increasing surcharges
- Capacity constraints
- Unclear and disconnected shipping information
- Limited shipping capabilities from inventory locations
As retail shippers face these challenging issues, implementing one solution can help intercept so many of these concerns: incorporating a multi-carrier shipping software (MCSS) into your supply chain operations. To find out how MCSS can help, let’s go back to that list:
Rising shipping costs and increasing surcharges
With a shipping software solution that incorporates Rate Shopping, retailers have access to a system with the ability to view options to cost-effectively get shipments out to customers quickly. Rate shopping compares parcel shipping costs across multiple carriers, service levels, and modes to choose the most effective and time efficient method of transit. The top systems on the market can complete these complex calculations in just a fraction of a second, without disrupting productivity.
Capacity constraints
As package volumes increase, carrier capacity decreases. We’ve seen it in peak seasons past and will see it in the future. When you have access to a multitude of carrier and service options in a MCSS, it is easy to onboard new carriers quickly and efficiently to ease capacity constraints and increase shipping options. [Learn more about diversifying your carrier mix]
Unclear and disconnected shipping information
With a cutting-edge software solution that employs a seamless integration into the other pieces of your Enterprise Software Stack (ESS), you can automate and optimize the way that your systems (ERP, OMS, WMS, etc.) work together to provide the necessary shipping information. The MCSS serves as the hub for rating, shipping, and validating package information, providing costs, documents and tracking information to the systems that need it. With the addition of a business intelligence platform, retailers gain access to valuable shipping data and real-time, end-to-end visibility across a shipper’s network on all executive shipments, enabling actionable insights and cost and service optimization.
Limited shipping capabilities
Omnichannel shipping capabilities are now a requirement to meet growing customer delivery expectations. A shipping software solution that includes seamless execution, no matter the inventory source (distribution centers, stores, manufacturers and third-party logistics (3PL) partners), will reduce transit times and improve transportation spend. Advanced shipping logic utilizes the best source of inventory (even for multi-line orders!) to meet customer needs and provide a flawless Customer Experience (CX).
Partner with the Shipping Software that Top Retailers Choose
Want to go with the best? Nearly 30% of NRF’s Top 100 Retailers who ship parcel choose ProShip.
ProShip’s best-in-class multi-carrier shipping software not only solves this season’s shipping pain points but maintains the flexibility to adapt as your needs change. As your brand grows, ProShip’s parcel shipping solution scales to keep up with new transactional speed requirements and swiftly and seamlessly onboards new carriers. ProShip’s robust features, like our unique Advanced Date Shopping component, will help make smarter shipping decisions, reducing fulfillment costs overall. Compliance won’t be a concern with constant surveillance and preparation for compliance-related changes, as well as maintenance of the proper documentation for shipping any items, even dangerous goods.
Top retailers know that the CX has never been more important and with ProShip’s elite shipping solution, your supply chain is an efficient powerhouse, cultivating a CX that can’t be beat. Will we see your brand on this list next year? Join those topping the sales charts and partner with ProShip to supercharge your shipping program and accelerate your strategy, meeting supply chain needs of now and in the future. Contact ProShip today!
