To thrive on Amazon and beyond, ecommerce sellers must strategically leverage 3PLs as more than just storage. This episode explains how a savvy 3PL partnership can unlock new revenue streams through kitting, bundling, and personalization, expanding your product offerings and sales channels. It also provides critical questions to ask potential 3PLs regarding their receiving processes to prevent costly inventory errors.
Key takeaways
Don't view a 3PL solely as a cost center; recognize their potential as a revenue driver through value-added services like kitting, bundling, and personalization to create new SKUs and product variations.
Leverage FBM beyond basic fulfillment by partnering with a 3PL offering services like on-demand embroidery or custom product assembly, allowing for personalized customer experiences and higher margins.
Prioritize a 3PL with robust and transparent receiving processes, as this is where most inventory issues originate. Inquire about their discrepancy protocols, mixed carton handling, and data exchange formats.
Insist on a 3PL that provides real-time inventory visibility through a client portal to quickly identify and rectify any discrepancies.
Before committing to a 3PL, assess their ability to support multichannel selling (e.g., Amazon FBA/FBM, Shopify) and whether their infrastructure aligns with your growth strategy for diverse sales channels and product offerings.
Marshall Taplits is the owner of ShipItDone 3PL Warehouse in Pennsylvania and a co-founder of 3PL Max, a SaaS warehouse management system for 3PL's. He is a highly qualified business and technical leader, with a passion for all things supply chain, economics and cryptocurrency. Marshall is an expert at systems integrations and sees that as a main competitive advantage in the 3PL space. Takeaways: Try to find where to put the money in terms of the PPC. And I think if you look at 3PL'...
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Don't view a 3PL solely as a cost center; recognize their potential as a revenue driver through value-added services like kitting, bundling, and personalization to create new SKUs and product variations.
What does this episode say about supply chain & operations?
Leverage FBM beyond basic fulfillment by partnering with a 3PL offering services like on-demand embroidery or custom product assembly, allowing for personalized customer experiences and higher margins.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
Prioritize a 3PL with robust and transparent receiving processes, as this is where most inventory issues originate. Inquire about their discrepancy protocols, mixed carton handling, and data exchange formats.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Insist on a 3PL that provides real-time inventory visibility through a client portal to quickly identify and rectify any discrepancies.
What does this episode say about amazon & marketplaces?
Before committing to a 3PL, assess their ability to support multichannel selling (e.g., Amazon FBA/FBM, Shopify) and whether their infrastructure aligns with your growth strategy for diverse sales channels and product offerings.
