Amongst the
many innovations of the current retail revolution is what is called “drop
shipping” and it has many attractions.
Drop Shipping
is when a retailer (market trader) employs a third party to create and ship the
product direct to the customer’s house. The big attraction is that the retailer
doesn’t have to purchase and hold the stock. They provide what they have always
provided, a customer-centric process that allows the customer to choose, and
pay for their purchase in the easiest possible way. The warehousing, packaging
and delivering is done by someone set up to perform those processes
efficiently. The end result is an efficient process and a happy customer.
Now, I can
hear you saying “I currently control all those processes. Can I trust someone
else to do them for me, and what if they run out of stock?” Modern technology
allows efficient stock control and whole processes are being built around
automated data and the flow of goods. Yes, there may be hiccups, and that is
where your training in customer service and problem solving come to the fore.
You can
probably start experimenting with some of your suppliers right now. Arrange to
put some of their key lines on your website and then simply act as the
go-between as customers order. Your suppliers will usually be really good at
warehousing and delivering goods. They probably already have order pickups
every day from their warehouse. You may need to negotiate a handling fee but
the convenience and not having to carry stock will almost certainly be worth
it.