Ecommerce Order Fulfilment for Consumer Electronics

Consumer electronics are devices or equipment designed for daily use by the average consumer. These devices are meant for communication, entertainment and recreational purposes; they typically fall under the following categories:

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• Computing
• Drones
• Telephony
• Gaming equipment
• TV peripheral devices
• Radio and multimedia, etc. 

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With humanity’s mass adaptation to digital transformation, consumer electronics have transitioned from luxury to necessity. Therefore, according to Statista, it makes sense that 2023’s global revenue for consumer electronics amounts to $1,103 billion, and the United Kingdom contributes $32.48 billion to this. 

In the United Kingdom, 62.4% of 2023’s consumer electronics sales will be generated via online sales and 45.9% globally. This creates heavy pressure on the supply chain, increasing the demand for consumer electronics fulfilment providers. 

Consumer electronics orders cannot be fulfilled the same way that apparel or healthcare orders get fulfilled. Concerning the previously listed categories, consumer electronics are typically fragile and require carefulness at all supply chain stages. Otherwise, repercussions like damaged goods and increased consumer returns could incite a domino effect of losses, be they financial or business-related. 

Essentially, it’s in your company’s best interest to partner with a meticulous consumer electronics fulfilment company that’ll absolve you of the responsibility while guaranteeing efficiency. Luckily, we know the best people for the job. Here’s what you should know about Bezos’ consumer electronics fulfilment.

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What is consumer electronics fulfilment?

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Consumer electronics fulfilment or consumer e-fulfilment is the picking, packing, storing, inventory management, shipping and delivery of electronics to their final consumers. The baseline for consumer electronics fulfilment might be similar to that of other merchandise like apparel or healthcare. 

However, with the delicate nature of electronics and other tech devices, the fulfilment services for consumer electronics are designed to be safer and more comprehensive. Otherwise, your consumer electronics brand will face severe fulfilment difficulties like those highlighted below. 

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Fulfilment difficulties of consumer electronics brands

Consumer electronics brands, whether B2B, B2C or D2C, that handle their fulfilment services themselves (in-house) or outsource to inadequate fulfilment companies are liable to experience the following fulfilment difficulties:

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1. Merchandise storage, safety and security

Consumer electronics are sensitive and expensive to replace if damaged or stolen, especially when thousands of them are in one shipment. They must also be stored in the right conditions, preferably away from moisture and excessive sunlight. Hence, safety and storage are non-negotiable priorities that the chosen fulfilment provider must guarantee. 

There will likely be some safety breaches and storage inadequacies when fulfilling such orders in-house or with an incompetent fulfilment solutions provider. In this case, a fulfilment company that understands the intricacies of electronics storage is preferred. You also need one staffed with security and integrated with robust tracking and condition monitoring solutions for inventory management. 

‍2. Returns management

In 2022, consumer electronics accounted for 9% of the total amount of returned online purchases. Although clothing topped the charts with 35%, consumer electronics are more sensitive than clothing. The return costs of these electronics are often higher than that of clothing items. 

Granted, returns are somewhat inevitable, but their percentage can be negligible rather than heightened. This is where a competent 3PL company comes in. A 3PL company that prioritises safety and pick-and-pack accuracy will flatline the number of returns your consumer electronics brand receives. 

‍3. Inventory management

Inventory management is particularly difficult with consumer electronics. Due to the constant technological advancements, electronics fast become dated as new products emerge. You need a 3PL partner that enables you to set reorder points while establishing the right reorder quantity. This way, you never go out of stock for in-demand products, nor do you have too much outdated merchandise in stock. 

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What Bezos offers consumer electronics companies

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1. Inventory reception

As a consumer electronics brand, retailer or vendor, once a consumer orders a tablet, headphones or computer via your sales channel, the merchandise must be collected by a fulfilment company. This collection is the first stage of order fulfilment, and it can be achieved in several ways with Bezos. The flexibility of our offerings is to accommodate clients with different service preferences and budgets.

However, since it’s consumer electronics, it’s in the brand’s best interest that we receive the inventory directly from the supplier or manufacturer. Not only does this eliminate the logistics cost of intermediaries, but it also guarantees the most safety. Plus, not many small or medium-sized eCommerce electronics brands have the storage to house large consumer electronics orders. 

Nevertheless, you can:

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• Send your electronics inventory to any of our 63 fulfilment centres worldwide via another courier service.
• Send your consumer electronics inventory from your manufacturer or supplier to us.

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Or, we could:

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• Pick up your inventory from a designated location. 

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Before shipping, we ensure the electronics inventory is separated according to type and size. This prevents bigger products from getting stacked atop smaller ones, thus reducing the risks of damage-instigated returns. 

‍2. Storage

Once received, we count, disinfect, inspect, file and assign an SKU before storing the electronics orders in our fulfilment centres. Each product will be stored as previously sorted according to size and type. We understand how delicate electronics are, so you can rest assured that your inventory will be stored in the most favourable conditions for electronics. This way, we can preserve the integrity of your electronics inventory until it reaches its final consumer. 

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As a full-service fulfilment provider, we can handle all supply chain stages, including warehousing and storage. With our global fulfilment centres, your electronics brand can expand its reach regardless of geographical barriers. Hence, you can scale and operate your consumer electronics business from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Belgium, Japan, Poland and ten other countries without having a physical store in these locations. How? With Bezos’ warehouses, of course. 

‍3. Order processing

Once your electronics inventory is received, the order processing stage begins. Our advanced technologies and AI-driven software make automating this process possible. Using the assigned Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), we retrieve the orders from storage and repackage them for delivery. 

You can be guaranteed 99% pick-and-pack accuracy with Bezos, as we have the machinery to achieve this. Hence, your clients will receive their exact orders and a satisfying, upload-worthy unboxing experience. Thus, not only will we help keep your clients happy, our excellent service will trigger user-generated content (UGC) for your brand and, ultimately, increase your brand’s visibility. 

‍4. Order delivery

Consumer electronics delivery is a serious business, and Bezos can absolve you of this as we have several carriers that can ensure safe deliveries. Regardless of the location, Bezos offers flexible delivery options that best reflect the order’s priority. 

These options include the following: 

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• Same-day delivery
• Next-day delivery
• Green delivery
• Standard delivery
• Free next-day delivery, and five others. 

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Bezos can fulfil your consumer electronics orders in less than 72 hours. Speak to our fulfilment experts to get started now!

‍5. Inventory management

As an AI-driven full-service fulfilment provider, Bezos prioritises transparency so much that it offers full visibility into its logistics operations. With the Bezos Seller Portal designed for inventory management and tracking, eCommerce consumer electronics brands can gain complete control over their inventory and even manage it remotely.

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This portal is integrable across 57 sales channels like Amazon and WooCommerce. Thus, by syncing our Seller Portal with your online store, we can view and fulfil each order as soon as your client makes it. This integrated platform enables us to fulfil your customer’s orders more efficiently and keeps you up-to-date with your inventory’s status as it moves down the supply chain. Once you integrate your sales channel with our Seller Portal, you’ll get increased productivity and full visibility featuring real-time updates. 

‍6. Returns

Returns might be an unwanted occurrence in the eCommerce business, but they can be used to a brand’s advantage with the right fulfilment company. Firstly, with Bezos’ 99.9% pick-and-pack accuracy, returns are rare. However, when they happen, and a customer initiates a return on a consumer electronic device, Bezos can help you gain loyalty from the affected consumer.

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By offering swift responses and resolutions in the form of a refund or exchange, we can offer great customer experiences to your clients. Hence, by resolving their issues, we’ve presented your brand as reliable and consumer-centred. This commitment will instil loyalty in the hearts of your consumers. However, in the meantime, the Bezos Seller Portal will update information about the returned product, including its order number, quantity, consumer location and return reason. 

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FAQs

What are the different types of fulfilment?

There are four major types of order fulfilment. They are:

• In-house (self-fulfilling)
• Outsourced (third-party logistics)
• Hybrid (combination of either)
• Dropshipping.

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What is the highest-selling consumer electronics?

According to Oberlo, in 2022, 96.1% of consumers own a mobile phone. So, mobile phones and smartphones are the highest-selling consumer electronics.

What are the five aspects of fulfilment?

Fulfilling an order involves:

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• Receiving
• Picking
• Storing
• Packing
• Shipping /delivery

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