Global e-Commerce is growing stronger. This is evidenced by the turnover data, which reached USD 5.9 trillion in 2023 (according to Statista data for 2023). Therefore, companies face the urgent challenge of managing sales across multiple channels. Customers expect a consistent shopping experience whether they purchase online, in a stationary store, or through a marketplace. What was once only an option is now necessary – integration of sales channels is becoming the foundation of success in e-Commerce.
However, effective omnichannel management in e-Commerce is not only about marketing and sales. Your area of expertise, logistics, plays a pivotal role here. Your team ensures the company is able to fulfill its promises to customers, making your role integral to the process.
Is your company ready for the logistical challenges of omnichannel? Consider the promising benefits that sales channel integration can bring, such as streamlined order fulfillment and improved operational efficiency. This could be a game-changer for your company.
Omnichannel in e-Commerce: Consistency of customer experiences
In the omnichannel era, customers expect their shopping experiences to be consistent, regardless of their channel. According to a PwC study, 86% of customers are willing to pay more for a better shopping experience*, which shows how important it is to provide seamless channel integration. For example, a customer can start browsing products on a mobile device, continue shopping on a laptop, and complete the transaction in a stationary store – and expect the process to be smooth and uninterrupted. Lack of consistency in message, product availability, or service may result in losing customers to competitors.
Omnichannel in e-Commerce: Good practices ensuring consistency of customer experiences
To prevent customer loss, consider several aspects that will support your activities while maintaining consistency of experience. Use the table below to verify whether your e-commerce meets your needs.
| Real-time inventory synchronization | Customers should have access to up-to-date information on product availability, regardless of the channel they use. |
| Unified brand communication | Consistent marketing messages, promotional offers and product information across every channel. |
| Providing a range of delivery and pickup choices. | Options such as “click and collect” or the option to return online in a stationery store increase flexibility and customer satisfaction. |
| Personalization of the offer | Based on customers’ purchase history and preferences, their loyalty is strengthened. |
Checking these elements will allow e-Commerce owners to assess to what extent their omnichannel strategy meets customers’ growing expectations and whether they are ready for further improvements.
*Source: PwC, “Future of Customer Experience Survey” 2023
Omnichannel in e-Commerce: Logistics challenges resulting from managing multiple sales channels
Managing sales in various channels, such as stationary stores, online platforms, or marketplaces, poses huge logistical challenges for companies. The most important of them concerns the synchronization of inventory levels, the speed of order fulfillment, and the optimization of delivery costs. In e-Commerce, each sales channel has its specificity, which adds complexity to order and inventory management. However, the ultimate goal is to provide customers with complete transparency and real-time availability of products, regardless of where they purchase. This is a challenge and a crucial aspect of ensuring customer satisfaction. Research shows that 60% of companies implementing an omnichannel strategy consider logistics management a key challenge*.
Omnichannel in e-Commerce: Key logistics challenges
First, a challenge often mentioned by e-Commerce owners is real-time inventory management. This mainly concerns the difficulties associated with synchronizing inventory levels between various channels. This way, you lose track of what products are out of stock in your store and/or whether you have excess inventory.
Efficient coordination of orders and deliveries is a key factor in meeting customer expectations. Most customers anticipate their orders to be delivered promptly and in full. Your responsibility is to ensure that the execution of these orders aligns with your customer’s personal preferences, especially when the products are sourced from different warehouses.
Another significant challenge is the optimization of delivery costs. In a competitive market, where customers expect fast and affordable deliveries, managing logistics costs can be quite a task. This becomes even more challenging when your e-Commerce business uses different delivery options and goods are stored in different warehouses.
The last but essential problem is returns management. Products purchased online are often returned to stationery stores, which requires efficient returns and logistics management to minimize losses.
Effectively dealing with these challenges allows companies to improve processes and increase customer satisfaction, which translates into higher revenues and consumer loyalty.
So, let’s take a look at how global brands deal with these types of challenges.
Omnichannel in e-Commerce: Examples of global companies and their solutions
- Amazon: To control the vast number of orders from multiple channels, Amazon has introduced advanced inventory management systems (WMS) that optimize the allocation of goods in warehouses worldwide. This allows them to fulfill orders faster and closer to customers, reducing delivery times and costs.
- Zara (Inditex): The company implemented the “click-and-collect” strategy and integrated online and offline sales, allowing real-time inventory management. Zara uses its physical stores as micro-logistics centers, enabling quick delivery or pickup of goods by customers, which reduces order fulfillment delays.
- Walmart uses big data technology to forecast demand and manage inventory in real-time, allowing for dynamic inventory level adjustment and reducing shortages. Walmart also integrates deliveries from various channels, optimizing transportation costs and minimizing delays.
*Source: Deloitte, “Global Powers of Retailing” 2023
Growing customer expectations regarding the consistency of shopping experiences
Customers increasingly demand seamless and integrated shopping experiences across channels. The lack of consistency often results from insufficient synchronization of inventory levels between these channels. It is crucial to improve this synchronization to meet customer expectations. For example, a customer sees a product as available in an online store, but after placing an order, it turns out it is out of stock. This phenomenon, known as overselling, leads to order cancellations and delays, which can result in customer frustration.
Another problem is the mismatch of prices and promotions – a customer who sees a promotional price in a mobile application may be surprised when the same offer is unavailable in a stationary store. These types of inconsistencies not only discourage customers but also undermine trust in the brand. Accenture research shows that 73% of customers abandon a purchase if they encounter such inconsistency.
How to solve this?
The cause of these problems often lies in distributed inventory management systems and the lack of an integrated IT infrastructure that would connect all channels into one coherent whole. The result is a reduction in the quality of customer service and, consequently, loss of consumer loyalty. However, companies that invest in integrated inventory management systems (WMS) and omnichannel software are empowered to better coordinate their sales channels, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and fewer returns.
Fulfilio, as a logistics partner, helps to solve omnichannel problems.
Although managing multiple sales channels and ensuring a consistent shopping experience can be a challenge, there are modern solutions that help companies deal with this problem effectively. Advanced inventory management systems (WMS), real-time data integration, and automation of logistics processes are key technologies that enable the synchronization of inventory and orders between various channels.
In this context, the support of specialized logistics partners such as Fulfilio can be crucial. Fulfilio helps companies optimize inventory management and effectively integrate sales channels, which allows for smooth order fulfillment and increased customer satisfaction. Thanks to such solutions, companies can not only meet consumers’ growing expectations but also improve their operational efficiency.
Logistical challenges and the role of omnichannel agencies
The e-Commerce challenge, which does not respond to customer needs, also has many services with solutions neglected in managing logistics systems. These include:
- Optimization of logistics costs – minimization of transport and storage costs in many channels.
- Cooperation with experts – how harmful are they? SellerSwitch supports companies in managing sales on marketplaces.
- Integration of marketplaces – brand operation on multiple platforms and optimization of sales results.
Optimization of logistics costs – minimization of transport and storage costs in many channels
Optimizing logistics costs in omnichannel is based on effective management of transport and storage in various sales channels. Companies use several proven practices to minimize these costs.
| Action | Description | Example from the market |
| Order consolidation | Instead of shipping each order separately, companies combine orders from different channels into one, which helps reduce transportation costs. | Thanks to advanced algorithms, Amazon optimizes delivery routes and combines orders from many places into one shipment, significantly reducing transport expenses. |
| Warehouses in strategic locations | To shorten delivery times and reduce transportation costs, companies create a network of warehouses closer to their customers. | Zalando is expanding its logistics centers in Europe to minimize transport costs and process orders faster. |
| Using stationery stores as micro logistics centers | This model shortens transport distances and reduces storage costs while speeding up deliveries. | Brands like Walmart and Zara integrate stationary stores into their distribution network, allowing online orders to be fulfilled directly from local points. |
| Automation of warehouse processes | Implementing automation technologies, such as robotics or WMS (Warehouse Management System), reduces labor costs and improves warehouse operations. | Ocado, the British e-grocery giant, has successfully used automated warehouses that enable faster order processing while reducing operational costs. |
| Sustainable transport | More and more companies are implementing solutions that reduce transport costs while limiting CO2 emissions, such as using electric delivery vehicles or optimizing delivery routes. | IKEA, for example, invests in sustainable logistics, which brings both cost and environmental benefits. |
Thanks to these practices, companies can reduce logistics costs while ensuring that orders are fulfilled quickly and efficiently. Transport and storage optimization directly impacts customer satisfaction, boosting loyalty and revenue growth.
Partnering with experts – how agencies like SellerSwitch support companies in managing sales on marketplaces
Managing sales on global marketplaces like Amazon and eBay requires expertise and precise planning. Requirements for product listing, bid optimization, customer service, or inventory management can vary from platform to platform. Working with experienced agencies such as SellerSwitch plays a crucial role in this context. These agencies offer comprehensive support in implementing sales strategies, optimizing offers, and managing logistics, allowing companies to focus on growing their business.
SellerSwitch specializes in supporting brands that want to enter foreign marketplaces, helping them understand local requirements and adjust their sales strategies. It also allows companies that want to start selling on the Polish Allegro platform to offer support in listing products, optimizing sales costs, and managing orders.
Working with Fulfilio, SellerSwitch provides companies full sales and logistics management support. Fulfilio’s responsibility for end-to-end order processing, warehousing, and delivery, combined with SellerSwitch’s marketplace experience, significantly reduces the risks associated with expanding business on international sales platforms. This sense of security allows clients to enter new markets efficiently, optimize their processes, and feel more at ease about their business expansion.
Such partnerships allow e-Commerce companies to expand their reach faster, both internationally and locally, and empower them with the full support of industry experts. This support instills confidence in their decisions and strategies, making them feel more secure in their business expansion.
Marketplace integration – increase brand presence on multiple platforms and optimize sales performance
For e-Commerce companies, a presence on multiple marketplaces, such as Amazon, eBay, Allegro, or Zalando, is crucial to reaching a wide range of customers. Integrating these sales platforms allows companies to effectively manage their product offerings in one place, eliminating the need to monitor each channel separately. With integration, brands can synchronize inventory, pricing, and promotions more easily.
Increased presence on multiple platforms allows brands to reach new customers and optimize sales performance by testing different strategies in each marketplace. Examples include different pricing or promotional approaches tailored to the specifics of each platform and its users. With an integrated approach, companies can better manage their resources, improve profitability, and increase operational efficiency globally, opening up new avenues for financial growth.
Fulfilio, in partnership with SellerSwitch, supports companies in integrating marketplaces, providing effective sales management and full logistics support. This comprehensive approach helps e-Commerce companies gain greater visibility and optimize sales performance across multiple marketplaces simultaneously.
Case Study – Westfalia-Automotive: Optimizing Logistics with Fulfilio
Westfalia-Automotive, a leader in tow bars and bicycle racks, faced the challenge of managing logistics in a rapidly changing automotive environment. Fundamental needs included precise inventory management, service scalability, and on-time delivery. Partnering with Fulfilio proved to be a strategic support that allowed the company to align its logistics operations with the market’s growing demands.
With advanced inventory management systems and flexible solutions, Fulfilio has ensured Westfalia-Automotive’s operational efficiency and delivery reliability. Fulfilio regularly delivers orders by established deadlines, allowing Westfalia-Automotive to remain competitive and focus on meeting customer needs. In addition, Fulfilio’s flexibility in scaling logistics operations has enabled the company to adapt to changing requirements, contributing to further growth and development.
According to Szymon Mikus, Market Leader CEE at Westfalia-Automotive, “We are confident that our partnership with OEX Fulfilio has improved our efficiency and competitiveness in our industry. We recommend OEX Fulfilio as a reliable logistics partner for companies operating in the automotive sector.”
This case study shows how Fulfilio effectively supports companies in the automotive sector, helping them optimize their logistics processes and increase efficiency in the global market.
Read the entire case study here:
Summary
An omnichannel strategy is crucial to eCommerce success today, allowing companies to meet growing customer expectations and provide a consistent, seamless shopping experience across multiple sales channels. Effective logistics enables inventory management, on-time delivery, and scalable operations, directly impacting a company’s efficiency and competitiveness. Fulfilio, with its experience and advanced solutions, supports companies in optimizing logistics processes in an omnichannel model. If you want to streamline your logistics operations and increase efficiency, contact Fulfilio – feel free to talk to us or use our contact form.
