Online shopping has transformed commerce over the last two to three decades, but the high street continues to lose customers to the online world, thanks to the ease and convenience of getting what you need at the touch of a button. 

These days, it is far simpler to shop online, which means there is a strong demand for fulfilment companies, as these goods need to be received, processed, packed, shipped and delivered as quickly as possible. 

How important is e-commerce?

According to recent figures, 56.1 per cent of internet users aged 16 to 64 years old shop online at least once every week. 

More than four in ten US shoppers claimed they would rather make purchases online than in a store, and the rest of the world is likely to follow. 

In fact, retail e-commerce sales are estimated to exceed $4.3 trillion (£3.21 trillion) this year. Therefore, it is essential that retailers optimise their sites to make the buying experience as user-friendly as possible, and employ the best logistics teams to ensure their goods are received by their customers quickly and safely. 

What does a good fulfilment company do?

Online retailers require a good fulfilment company on their books, as they need a firm that will process the customer order, ensure there is enough stock so all the orders can be fulfilled, track the inventory levels and manage the storage of goods.

They also need to get the products from the warehouse and make sure they are packaged correctly. 

They have to be responsible for shipping the item to the customer, whether this involves using a third-party delivery company or not. 

While the majority of people love buying online, returning goods bought off the internet is also popular. 

In fact, 82 per cent of customers claim that return policies influence their decision about whether they buy an item or not. 

What’s more, the average return rate for online purchases is 18.1 per cent, so nearly one-fifth of everything bought on an e-commerce website needs to be shipped back, and retailers have to make the returns process easy for customers. 

That is why a good fulfilment company will also have a solid reputation for its return management procedure. The need to receive the return, give the customer a refund, and add the product back into the inventory. Alternatively, they might have to issue a replacement.

Therefore, e-retailers should choose a fulfilment firm that can handle returns efficiently, so that high customer satisfaction is maintained. 

Making returns easy means shoppers are more likely to purchase something, as they know they can send it back if it does not fit or look right. However, if the returns procedure is complicated or expensive, there is a good chance the customer will not go ahead with the purchase and will look for it elsewhere. 

Similarly, free shipping is an important perk for shoppers, with 80 per cent of customers saying this is their main priority when buying online. Therefore, e-commerce retailers should consider providing free delivery if they want to grow their fanbase.