As your eCommerce business grows, it might be time to consider eCommerce fulfilment providers. Why? The primary reason is efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By outsourcing your fulfilment requirements to expert ecommerce order fulfilment companies, you can focus on business strategy and other critical tasks such as growth. Before we list the top ecommerce fulfilment companies in the UK, let us quickly review their benefits.
Top eCommerce Fulfilment Services Providers in UK
1. FedEx
It is one of the best eCommerce fulfilment companies in the UK. It has a fleet of more than 2,200 vehicles, allowing it to serve over 75 locations quite effectively. That’s not all. You can integrate FedEx with top eCommerce platforms such as Adobe Commerce (formerly Magento), Etsy, and more.
2. Bezos.ai
The Bezos.ai is not for marketing purposes. Instead, this fulfilment company leverages the power of artificial intelligence to provide you and your customers with the best experience possible. The best thing is that you pay for what you need, meaning there are no fixed prices.
3. Huboo
If you are looking to cut down your delivery costs aggressively, opt for Huboo. One unique point about Huboo is that they provide you with your own section in the warehouse. A dedicated manager is attached to you, allowing you to enquire about your stock directly from the manager. However, if you sell items like furniture or any other bulky ones, we don’t recommend Huboo.
4. Abstrakt
Unfortunately, returns are a part of running an eCommerce business. Most order fulfilment companies drag their feet when it comes to return handling, resulting in poor customer experience and negative reviews. Abstrakt is undoubtedly the best when it comes to returns handling and then repackaging the goods to resale later.
5. Amazon FBA
Wait. We know that Amazon has its issues, but it is still the largest eCommerce company right now. Its logo is enough to convince customers about quality and satisfaction. It also provides 24/7 customer support. The only downside is that there are some hidden costs which you must keep an eye on.
Benefits of eCommerce Fulfilment Providers
1. Lower Shipping Costs
The most notable difference you will notice after opting for an order fulfilment provider is a reduction in shipping costs. How is it so? Fulfilment providers work with multiple eCommerce stores. They charge lower prices to eCommerce stores due to economies of scale. Suppose you need to ship a parcel to London from Manchester. If you handle deliveries yourself, you will have to pay for the cost of shipment to London which is undoubtedly high.
In contrast, suppose you opt for an order fulfilment company. Instead of only shipping your item, they would be delivering multiple orders of other eCommerce stores to London from Manchester. The distance remains the same and so does the vehicle. However, as there are multiple orders, it is cost-effective for them. They pass these savings onto the eCommerce stores, meaning they will charge you lower than you would normally have to pay.
2. No Need for Renting or Owning a Warehouse
Another notable benefit of selecting ecommerce order fulfilment companies is that there is no need to rent or own a warehouse. The fulfilment companies have their own warehouses which you can use for storing your products. It means there is no need to worry about hiring warehouse employees or security.
3. Scalability
Depending on the market situation, you can easily scale your operations up and down without worrying about recruitment or layoffs. For example, during the holiday period, most eCommerce stores see an increase in orders. An order fulfilment company can help you manage this seasonal increase easily. When demand returns to normal levels, you can simply scale down their services.
4. Go International
Undoubtedly, you will plan about going international sooner or later. If you still fulfil your orders in-house, operating costs will go through the roof. The reason is that you will need to hire expert resources who understand taxes and customs. When you select top ecommerce fulfilment companies, taxation and customs are their headache. All you need to do is hand over the product and the address, while they take care of the rest.
5. Improve Focus
Order fulfilment is not a core business process. Therefore, why waste your energy on it? Isn’t it better to focus your energy on strategy, business growth, and customer service. These are the defining factors of your eCommerce store. Therefore, it is better to improve your focus on these aspects.
6. Latest Technology
The introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is undoubtedly welcoming but increases costs for businesses. They must invest in the latest technologies to ensure customer data is safe. These costs might not be feasible for all eCommerce stores. By opting for order fulfilment services, you can transfer or at least share the risk with the third party. Lastly, order tracking, payment processing, and inventory management systems can be quite expensive. Instead of developing or buy your own, you can simply use the tools of the order fulfilment company.
Conclusion
This article discussed the best eCommerce fulfilment services in the UK. We highly recommend that you opt for such a company to manage your growth effectively and to focus on business-critical processes. It is always wise to compare quotes before finalizing a fulfilment company.
