Why fashion e-tailers need a better way to ship

Consumers today are shopping online more than ever before. The outbreak of the global pandemic only sped up the shift to e-commerce, as buying everything from socks to outerwear online became the new norm. With the world opening up once more, consumers are updating their wardrobes for all types of events, from work to corporate parties and festivals.
However, even though consumers are shopping more online, they still want to have the same shopping experience across all channels. Consumers expect similar levels of service, attention to detail and product information online as in stores. At the same time, consumers want to feel that instant gratification rush and have their purchases now, now, now. With demand for fast, smart and affordable shipping software increasing to further facilitate e-commerce platforms, fashion brands and retailers who do not have leading logistic solutions in place risk falling behind and losing out on potential customers. Fashion brands and e-tailers need a better way to ship, which is where ShipStation comes to help. Focused on helping fashion merchants of all sizes grow and reach their goals, no other shipping software makes order fulfilment quicker, easier, and more affordable. ShipStation offers merchants tools to streamline their logistics, from order management and inventory software to e-commerce shipping solutions. To learn more about the benefits of streamlining logistics, Andrew Norman, Managing Director for International markets at ShipStation, shares what makes their offering unique, what solutions they offer, and how they can better support their merchants.

What makes ShipStation unique?

Part of it is the people and our expertise. Many members within the team have run their own e-com business and know the reality behind it. In tech, a lot of people get stuck focusing on the product, but ultimately it is the people behind it that matter as much as the product itself. We have a lot of empathy and understanding for the merchants that sets us apart.
When it comes to our product offering, we offer access to great technology at an affordable price. We are almost trying to democratise this business, and we do not have any contracts with our merchants, they can leave at any given time. We are trying to create a flexible and open environment for merchants, where they do not feel restricted or trapped, unlike other companies where they are locked in for a year or two contract. This helps us focus our offering and ensures we deliver the best we can every day because merchants can leave at any given moment.
We help merchants streamline their processes and reorganise their business, how the back end of their e-commerce platform works and give them access to the technology they need to scale their business at a fair price. Different sized retailers may have various needs, but it comes down to assisting them in scaling their business and delighting their consumers.

How do you support merchants in multiple markets?

Currently, we serve an international market that includes the UK, France, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and we aim to expand to serve all markets across Europe and into Asia in 2022. We aim to become the standard solution for e-commerce merchants globally by ensuring they fulfil their orders, no matter where they are in the world. How? Through expertise. We strive to be more than a tech company. We spend however much time needed to set up all our new merchants and give them advice where needed. Particularly if they are a start-up, there is no manual for that, so we use our expertise to help them.

Empathy and leading customer support are key as well. We go further than helping merchants get set up with our products, we offer 24/7 telephone customer support, which many other companies do not and try to avoid faceless chats. We try to be as responsive as possible to all issues. We are also working on building a sense of community. Many of our merchants have similar challenges but can live quite isolated lives. We feel there is a big opportunity to create that community where merchants can share their struggles and challenges and ambitions and even collaborate rather than competing one and one.

How can the delivery experience affect customer loyalty?

We believe the delivery, or fulfilment experience, should be a point of difference. As consumers, you can have a great buying experience, be passionate about the brand but then have a terrible experience getting or returning the item. This can directly impact the view of the brand and if they will buy from that brand or e-tailer again. Delivery is a critical part of the overall shopping experience and should be a point of difference. Many fashion brands and retailers are valued on the amount of repeat business they have, and if consumers have a poor delivery experience, the likelihood of them buying from the brand again is quite low. It is a big deal.

How can merchants better manage their orders?

Fundamentally, you want to get the right order to the right consumer and on time. Delivering on your promise is key, but we offer additional solutions to help merchants strengthen their order options. For example, we have branded tracking pages to enhance the shopping experience and extend the brand touchpoints. We can help merchants offer branded vouchers and discount codes to further extend the experience through purchasing and tracking. We also offer branded return options rather than just a generic page. By offering fashion e-tailers a way to extend their brand presence, their consumers are likely to have a stronger connection to their orders.

To find out how ShipStation can help your business, click here and take advantage of a 30 day free trial.