Tag Archive: backorders

Tips for Handling Backorders

March 7, 2018  Published by

If you want to implement a backordering system on your ecommerce site, communication is key – not just with your inventory managers but with your customers as well. Before allowing customer to place backorders on your site, you should have a detailed understanding of your inventory management. Keep the lines of communication open and active with your fulfillment team to help determine the volume of backorders you’d be able to manage. Without this foundation, your backorder system could quickly start causing problems. Once you’ve established that basis for working with backordered inventory, you’ll need to focus on the customer experience.…... View Article

Tips for Mitigating and Preventing Stockouts

January 18, 2017  Published by

The more retailers that you sell your products through, the more challenging it is to manage that inventory – and the costs of sub-optimal B2B inventory management can be steep. In 2015, CNBC reported that stockouts accounted for $634.1 billion in lost retail sales for the year. Those losses can easily pass on to you. If retailers are not confident in your product availability, they will find other suppliers.    Preventing stockouts with well-done B2B inventory tracking goes beyond keeping an accurate SKU count. Ideally, your inventory management software and staff should have the following capabilities. Detailed tracking information Your inventory…... View Article

How Much are You Losing on Back-Ordered Inventory?

October 21, 2015  Published by

Many ecommerce amateurs tend to think of back-orders as “sales about to happen.” But when you look at the big picture, the hidden costs behind backorders reveal why it’s important to have top-notch inventory management. [more] The longer a product stays on backorder, the longer you are dealing with: Lost sales If the product is not exclusive to your company, customers will move on to a competitor in order to get the product shipped faster. Strained call center resources The longer an item stays on backorder, the more customer calls you’ll receive asking either when the order will ship, or…... View Article

How to Have Smarter Inventory Management

February 26, 2014  Published by

Even if your ecommerce sales are through the roof, your success will be short-lived without capable inventory management. This is especially true if, like many of our customers, your wares extend across multiple marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and even brick-and-mortar stores. To avoid stockouts or stagnation, it’s wise to invest in inventory management. [more] It may seem obvious, but when your goods are sold through multiple channels, you need to remember that your inventory is limited. If all the channels aren’t connected properly, you may end up dealing with stockouts, double-sales, and unhappy customers. The easiest way to control the…... View Article

Improving your Reverse Logistics

February 19, 2014  Published by

Logistics management can be a challenge for many e-tailers, but reverse logistics can be even more complex. This was made even more apparent over the last holiday season when Forbes predicted as much as 10% of all holiday sales were returned. By investing in your reverse logistics system, you can minimize the cost of the return process and recoup lost profit from the returned product. Plus, customers love a smooth returns process, so your customer satisfaction can increase as well.  [more] If you plan on revamping your reverse logistics system before the next holiday season, consider these solutions and strategies…... View Article

Managing Backorders and Keeping Customers Happy

April 24, 2013  Published by

Just because your store has run out of product does not mean that your sales have to slow down. There are a few ways you can manage this kind of scenario. For example, you can pre-sell upcoming items (which is commonly done when adding new inventory selections). You can also sell products that aren’t in stock, or just oversell the inventory you have on-hand because more stock will be in your warehouse shortly. It sounds risky – selling products that you don’t actually have – but as long as you have all of your fulfillment services running smoothly, you can…... View Article