Recent reports in many British and International trade journals are showing a positive upwards trend for the amount of consumers shopping online and via mail order. In today’s society when many people find themselves time-poor, more and more people are deserting the high street in favour of time-saving mail order services and e-commerce websites. This is welcome news to the order fulfillment and warehousing industries as it means increased demand for their services.
This shift in consumer behaviour has been on the horizon since the advent of the internet and the dot com boom of the early 21st century and is beginning to come to maturity as online and mail order shopping becomes safer, more accessible and more widely accepted as a legitimate alternative to shopping on the high street or in stores. The order fulfillment industry has seen a surge in recruitment as more and more companies move their operations online. From online supermarkets to electrical equipment to fast moving consumer goods, more and more firms are moving their main trading channels away from the high street and into warehousing operations. Accurate, timely and cost-effective order fulfillment solutions are also in high demand; as it is the fulfillment part of the customer journey which is often considered the most important. Accurate order fulfillment allows companies to build trust and strong relationships with customers, generating repeat business, strengthening the company’s brand credibility and increasing profit.
As companies turn to non-traditional retail channels, the demand on warehousing facilities and order fulfillment services is set to grow and grown. In today’s economic climate, this is an extremely fortunate position to be in. Here at ILG, we work with our business partners to provide warehousing services and order fulfillment facilities that provide the infrastructure that is needed in order to help businesses to grow.