Lately, U.S. shoppers have been spending several hundred billion dollars on goods bought from e-commerce stores each year. There has never been a better time for aspiring merchants to set up shop and start selling to customers. You don’t even need to lease an expensive storefront—all you need is a website. And for e-commerce retailers who are running their business out of their homes, there is no need to cram your living quarters full of merchandise ready to ship out. All you need is to partner with a warehouse/distribution center and implement a good inventory management system.
Choose an omni-channel management platform.
Multi-channel sales refer to the act of selling merchandise through different mediums. For example, customers can purchase your goods through your website using a personal computer, or they can use your store’s app on their smartphone. The problem with multi-channel sales is that it doesn’t always offer consistent inventory management. If you have 20 purses to sell and a customer purchases five of them using your app, your website might still say you have 20 purses available, rather than 15. That’s why e-commerce retailers need to use an omni-channel inventory management system that offers seamless integration across platforms to keep information up to date in real time.
Make purchasing decisions based on inventory reports.
Many e-commerce retailers make inventory decisions based on gut instincts. For example, a merchant might suspect—based on the latest fashion show—that A-line dresses will be in trend next season. This may lead the merchant to stock hundreds or even thousands of those dresses, only to discover that they sell poorly. Instead of making inventory decisions based on gut instincts, always check your latest inventory reports. They might reflect that the demand for A- line dresses has dropped in recent months, indicating you should purchase a different style of dress.
You can simplify your e-commerce inventory and distribution when you partner with Xcel Delivery Services. Our fully secured, high-tech warehouse near the Tucson Airport offers inventory storage by rack or open square foot. To discuss your inventory storage, warehousing, distribution, and logistics requirements, you can call our staff in Tucson at (520) 355-4897.
