By Wasana Nadeeshani Sellahewa
(Commonwealth) _ Inflation, labor shortages, port delays, and international wars have all changed how successfully businesses move and deliver items to customers. Digitalized supply chains, load balancing, and outsourcing fulfillment to a 3PL are just a few of the rising shipping technologies that have already gained traction and entered the mainstream of retail as of 2022. Retailers should take advantage of the shipping trends that make sense for their company’s operations if they want to maximize their operations.
If you struggled in 2022, you’ll get another chance in 2023 to improve your shipping processes. Over 2023, shipping issues are probably going to get better, but your business should still be ready to handle anything comes its way. To help you develop your 2023 plan, this post will walk you through the main shipping trends.
Retailers can suffer as a result of these delays. 76% of consumers who responded to a poll claimed that a bad delivery experience would greatly or somewhat influence their choice to buy from that firm again. Consumer expectations are stronger than ever, notwithstanding the current global scenario. When choosing free delivery, sixty-two percent of customers anticipate that their items will arrive in under three business days. Yet more than 80% of the top fashion and clothing shops continue to fulfill free shipping orders with five- to eight-day delivery choices.
In an effort to satisfy customer demand after the outbreak, merchants are juggling both new and old shipping issues. Large retailers continue to have shipping issues connected to the epidemic, according to Scott Gravelle, founder and CEO of the inventory management robotics business Attabotics.
Retailers must stay current on the newest methods and tactics due to the unpredictable nature of the shipping industry. In 2023, keep an eye out for these 11 shipping trends. Monitoring shipping trends for 2023 can help your company stay on top of the market and make wise strategic decisions. According to our research, 39% of brands believe that over the next 12 months, shipping, manufacturing, and shipping costs will continue to be the top supply-chain-related challenges.
A confluence of international supply chain issues have been brought on by a pandemic, a military conflict, and port delays. “Clogged ports, overpriced cargo capacity, and emergency shipments became common during the COVID-19 epidemic,” claims McKinsey. It’s doubtful that these shipping and supply chain problems will be resolved overnight. The majority of merchants understand that solving the problems posed by supply chain problems and shipment delays will take time.
The good news is that many shipping and retail professionals believe these problems will progressively go away over the course of the upcoming year. The backlog of shipping containers is also decreasing globally. For instance, there were just eight ships waiting to land at the West Coast ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach at the end of September. In comparison, a top of 107 was reached in January 2022. While supply chain interruption may still be a challenge for marine transport firms in 2023, these problems appear to be fading. Retail companies should be able to maintain shipping prices low for customers thanks to falling container costs and a decline in backlogs.
Retailers are reviewing their present shipping practices as a result of recent and historical supply-chain difficulties. Retailers should depend less on tried-and-true techniques and more on innovative alternatives. In spite of recent shipping issues, Maggie Barnett of ShipHero demonstrates how firms have improved their adaptability. Being adaptable, as opposed to completely reinventing oneself, is the secret to handling problems successfully. Rethinking a shipping plan does not necessarily need starting from scratch. But because the environment is still unstable and unexpected, companies must embrace flexibility and agility.
