In the ever-evolving world of retail and e-commerce, efficient and accurate logistics and inventory management is crucial for success. One way to stay nimble, scalable and ensure smooth operations is by partnering with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. But everyone knows that. Here’s a novel idea: use one that’s local to your business!
What is a 3PL?
A Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider is an external company that manages various logistics and supply chain processes for businesses. These services can include warehousing, inventory management, order fulfillment, shipping, and returns processing.
Why Use a 3PL?
By outsourcing the above tasks to a 3PL, businesses can focus more on their core activities, such as product development, marketing, and customer service. Meanwhile, the 3PL ensures that the logistics operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Utilizing a 3PL provider allows businesses to tap into the expertise and resources of a logistics professional, ensuring high efficiency and accuracy in managing inventory and fulfilling orders.
There are also cost efficiencies: 3PLs often have established networks and relationships with carriers, enabling them to negotiate better shipping rates and faster delivery times. This can result in significant cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.
Finally, a 3PL can scale its services to match your business’s growth, providing the flexibility to handle fluctuations in demand without the need for significant capital investment in logistics infrastructure.
What Do You Mean by Local?
When we talk about a local 3PL provider, we mean a warehouse operating close to your business.
Many 3PLs are situated on the outskirts of town to benefit from lower rents and more economical fulfillment pricing, but this can create challenges for businesses with offices closer to the city. The distance can make it impractical to visit the 3PL, leading to a reliance on emails (and if you’re lucky, the occasional phone call) with your account manager instead of face-to-face meetings. This physical disconnect can result in feeling out of touch with your products and anxious about distribution and stock management — areas where you want absolute peace of mind.
Using a local 3PL allows you to realise the benefits of the universally popular 3PL model, without having to feel like it’s on the other side of the world. You get to maintain close proximity with your stock, which means you can easily visit to check or rectify any quality or packaging issues, or pick stock where an order is super urgent and needs to be hand delivered.
Introducing 1PL in Richmond (Melbourne)
1PL — a boutique Third Party Logistics business operating its warehouse Richmond, right next to Melbourne’s CBD — currently has an opening for a new eCommerce brand. Act now to get the best of both worlds: a close connection with your businesses’ most important asset, your stock; and the efficiency and support that comes with outsourcing to an experienced partner.
1PL offer:
- excellent face-to-face customer service
- easy and fast access to your stock
- best-in-class systems to integrate with your business
- extensive industry knowledge
- competitive rates
To speak with their friendly Operations Manager, Sarah, book an appointment using this Calendy link:
