Happy New Year! Dropshipping is growing rapidly, with online retail sales increasing year on year and more and more stores selling their products digitally. As 2023 creeps in, there are set to be plenty of developments in order fulfillment that’ll put business owners to the test in their mission to secure long-term customer loyalty. Continue reading for the top trends to watch out for in 2023 and beyond on the future of order fulfillment.

In-Store Availability

While there is an understandable focus on the push towards online transactions, with orders sent directly to a customer’s doorstep, the future may still need and want brick-and-mortar stores. The last decade’s decline in physical retailers has forced many dropshippers to rethink their use of physical spaces, with some opting to offer customers in-store pickup for their online purchases.

This allows customers to maintain physical interactions that often lead to greater satisfaction for retail transactions, and also reduces an entire web of shipping logistics and issues. Order fulfillment may look different in the future, but that doesn’t mean physical stores will disappear. Customer feedback will ultimately decide its fate.

Drop Shipping

While many businesses have made and will continue to make improvements to their supply chain and warehouse management systems, some have chosen another route. In the future, an increase in drop shipments to fulfill orders, in which a seller acts as a third party between a buyer and a product manufacturer will likely be seen.

Like many of the other trends in order fulfillment, there is nothing new when it comes to dropping shipping. Sellers always act alongside wholesalers and other vendors to distribute their products. However, in the future sellers will likely offload their physical storage and manufacturing wherever possible.

Increased Use Of Artificial Intelligence

Another trend to watch out for in the future of order fulfillment is the use of artificial intelligence programs and algorithms to improve efficiency. The more dropshipping businesses can integrate smart data management programs, the more successful their business would be.

This means digitizing inventory to spot how swiftly certain products move, optimizing warehouse organization and shipping logistics, applications that can seamlessly transfer and utilize point-of-sale information, and a lot more.

Automating warehouse procurement will only be as useful as the underlying software allows. Successful use of AI will free up human employees from boring tasks, and allow them to concentrate on jobs that benefit from personal connection.

International Logistics

Internationalization is also one of the biggest trends in order fulfillment. Even for smaller businesses, it’s now worthwhile to tap into larger markets and sell their products across borders and in various international locations. This is possible through extensive web store solutions. And above all, globally operating fulfillment centers, with their wide logistics networks, allow uncomplicated cross-border trade.

Customer Journey

As people increasingly store online, it’s critical to set up a technical infrastructure that will capture and track all user experiences on a web store. Everything must be done anonymously and in compliance with data protection laws, from the first click on the website, through product selection, and optimization of the ordering process, to e-mail marketing.

Also, this involves the automatic sending of tracking data when parcels are shipped or the collection of reviews across all platforms. It’s only when the effectiveness of a web store is measured can various adjusting screws be turned to enable the best possible shopping customer experience.

Use of New Networks

When an order is fulfilled for a customer in 2030, the shipping networks and infrastructure allowing that transaction may look completely different than those of today. Dropshippers are now assessing the viability of utilizing smart vehicles, such as fleets of automated electric trucks, to reduce carbon emissions and decouple traditional shipping companies.

Aerial delivery drones continue to remain in preliminary beta testing for the world, but will no doubt be used to fulfill online orders for many in the coming years. These new shipping networks will allow dropshipping businesses to rethink their traditional use of roads, fuel, manpower, and third-party shipping platforms.

Parting Words

Trends and progress of order fulfillment will go up and further. The bottom line is that these trends will enable online businesses to address the new requirements of customers, the challenges, and the remaining expectations for efficiency improvement. Innovation has always created new opportunities and has allowed dropshipping businesses to grow. And that is the case with order fulfillment. The people who most benefit from the evolution of order fulfillment will be those who embrace this change, leverage the trends it offers, and uses it to their advantage. Cheers to a wonderful year ahead and a great future!

Turn To Us For Your Order Fulfillment Needs!

Do you need a reputable order fulfillment services company for your ecommerce business? Contact us today at Fulfillman. We provide a wide range of services including Global Fulfillment, China Sourcing, Drop Shipping, Third Party Logistics, and lots more. Our trusted experts will be happy to speak with you and provide suitable answers to your questions and concerns. A fantastic experience awaits you.