Earthblog

by Angela Cavallari Walker

According to a statement released by AmericasMart Atlanta, the U.S. economy presents a positive outlook in the new year for the retail industry. The giant marketplace will host eight shows throughout 2010 featuring local and international vendors.

The Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market Show held earlier this month set new benchmarks and record buying. One reason for this upward trend is the expansion of new product categories and product introductions. Increasingly, retailers, manufacturers, and importers looking to gain exposure of their newly introduced products are turning to these shows to debut their wares.

Exhibitors continue to be a mixed bag of specialty shops, first-timers, multi-store retailers and longtime AmericasMart vendors. One newcomer, Cumberland Designs was able to successfully promote two new products. The online retailer carries a line of collegiate logo products including: pumpkins, wax and LED candles.

Cumberland partnered with SBC Fulfillment last year to design and create their website using Magento-a leading eCommerce software. Additionally, SBC handles Cumberland's fulfillment services including: warehousing, kitting, packaging and shipping.

AmericasMart hopes that this momentum will continue to bring back confidence for consumers and retailers in and beyond 2010.

Tags: fulfillment | magento | retail | georgia | ecommerce | economy

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by Angela Cavallari Walker

Today's small business owners are turning to fulfillment outsourcing as a way to reduce their shipping costs, manage and control their inventory and streamline their processes. According to Brian Schoenbaechler, President of SBC Fulfillment, this not only gives merchants more control of shipping and packaging costs but allows owners to focus on increasing their bottom line. “Business owners want to spend more time on what they do best, which is running their business,” says Schoenbaechler.  Here are a few questions and answers to help navigate the best time and solution when seeking a fulfillment partner.

What is fulfillment outsourcing?
Simply stated, fulfillment outsourcing is the practice of using an outside vendor to store inventory and ship product to customers as orders are received. Other terms related to outsourcing fulfillment include: 3PL (third Party Logistics), outsourced warehousing and distribution centers. Over the years, fulfillment outsourcing has become a preferred method of managing back-office operations. Companies such as, SBC Fulfillment focus on handling this arduous task which can be costly and time-consuming.

Why not rent or build your own warehouse space?
According to Schoenbaechler, the estimated cost of renting and maintaining just 20,000 square feet of warehouse space can run as high as 100,000 annually. “This doesn't include other variables such as the liability of hiring employees to manage this space,” says Schoenbaechler.  Fulfillment companies are able to charge merchants a fixed cost for only the space that they use to store their inventory. Additionally, fulfillment companies typically offer larger warehouse space enabling merchants to expand and grow their business.

What role can a fulfillment network play in the world of Ecommerce?
Whether you are using USPS, FedEx, or UPS to deliver your goods your shipping was already being outsourced. Today, fulfillment companies are turning to technology to ease outsourcing for Ecommerce and traditional merchants. This “glass warehouse” concept gives businesses the ability to view their inventory, track and ship their orders all online from anywhere.  SBC has taken this technology a step further by offering a product called, Magento Connect - an application that allows current or new Magento customers to plug into SBC's warehouse management system.

When should a business consider outsourcing fulfillment?
Every business is different but all share the common goal of increasing productivity and profit. Here are some points to ponder when thinking of a good time to outsource.

Growth periods- As business sales increase so do does the need to be prepared to handle the volume without any hiccups.

Reducing costs- Outsourcing is a good way to view your current expenditures and cut your current costs.

Global growth- International growth can be risky. By outsourcing you assume less of that risk and are able to test the market without investing additional time and cost.

What should businesses look for when seeking a fulfillment company?
A good place to start would be through a referral. This could be a fellow business owner that you trust or through the Better Business Bureau .  Either way, you want to find a fulfillment partner that you can trust.  Here are a few other questions you should ask before making a decision.

Do you offer a trial period?  Before handing over your entire inventory see if the fulfillment company can provide a trial period for a smaller amount of inventory.

What software platform do they offer?  You will want to make sure that you are able to plug into their warehouse management system without the cost of purchasing software.

What is the location of their warehouse? Is the warehouse location/locations centrally located to where you will be shipping?

What are the terms and pricing of their contracts? Be sure to look for hidden costs and long-term contracts.

To learn more about fulfillment outsourcing or to obtain a quote click here

Tags: outsourcing | fulfillment | warehousing | ecommerce | georgia | magento

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When Brian Schoenbaechler, President and CEO of SBC Fulfillment, was seeking a WMS (Warehouse Management System) he wanted a solution that would bring together two key technology components to his customers: collaboration and communication. “In talking with customers and prospects, they wanted to be able to see their inventory from anywhere,” says Schoenbaechler. This solution can be best described by SBC as a “glass warehouse” where clients are able to order, ship, track and view their entire inventory.

The solution? SmartTurn, an on demand inventory and warehouse management system with all the tools that businesses need to succeed from a fulfillment standpoint. As a small company, SBC Fulfillment needed to have high technology to position themselves as a leader in the industry.

The biggest deciding factors for SBC involved cost and a team that would be able to support their needs and their clients'' needs. “The setup process was so easy and seamless for us, and their technology team was very informed,” says Schoenbaechler.   The biggest impact for SBC has been the reaction from customers and prospects. The lower cost and higher functionality has allowed SBC to position themselves as a fulfillment solutions leader.  “Overall we are a better value to our customers.”

Recently, SBC expanded it''s offerings to include a Magento application. Magento is a powerful e-commerce platform that allows online merchants to begin and expand their growth. As SBC''s customers began moving their e-commerce to Magento, SBC set out to bridge the gap between their existing technology and SBC''s technological offerings allowing them to tie into SBC''s fulfillment services. The developed integration is called, Magento Connect- an easy integrable solution very similar to Apple''s popular iphone applications.

According to Schoenbaechler, rising energy costs are going to lead to more localized fulfillment and distribution. SmartTurn allows SBC''s customers to have several locations. “They have solved a lot of the challenges of multi-locations from the IT perspective.”

Click here to see a full interview with Brian Schoenbaechler on SmartTurn''s technology solutions

Tags: warehouse | fulfillment | atlanta | technology | outsourcing | ecommerce | magento

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Tags: magento | application | fulfillment | outsourcing | georgia | packaging | supply chain

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by Angela Cavallari Walker

Local outdoors store The Gear Revival sets their sights on increasing its online sales through fulfillment company’s e-commerce offerings.

North by southeast

The Gear Revival specializes in selling new and refurbished outdoor equipment to enthusiasts at its retail Atlanta location and ships online orders all over the United States.

TGR virtually got its start in April of 2005 when founders Mitch Davis and David Kramer were looking for ways to recoup money from leftover outdoor product samples. At the time, Davis and Kramer were traveling salesmen hawking various outerwear to stores as far away as Seattle, Washington. “At the end of the selling season we were stuck with all these sample overcoats with no way to get our money back”, says Davis.

The idea came to them to unload their wares at a discounted rate on the popular reseller site, Ebay. They soon found themselves unable to keep up with the demand and in June 2006 their virtual store became a reality when The Gear Revival opened its brick-and-mortar doors in downtown Atlanta.

Back to their roots

For owner Mitch Davis an online presence is key when dealing with seasonal outdoor gear. “Part of it is the south has limited cold weather”, says Davis. Atlantans tend to be transplants from around the country and globe. Most will choose colder environments, be it their hometown or a vacation destination.

According to Davis, approximately 30% of their inventory is made up of gently-used and refurbished products varying from kayaks to backpacks. These second hand items add up to big savings for outdoor enthusiasts. To reach those out-of-state customers you need to have a strong e-commerce site. Davis, who has been unhappy with his current e-commerce software, was looking for better reporting and an easier way to process online credit card orders and tie in a shipping solution.

Expandable Solutions

SBC Fulfillment’s partnership with e-commerce software company Magento made it possible to provide the best possible solution to expand The Gear Revival’s online selling presence. SBC will be able to increase the security and ease of online credit card orders through Magento’s PayPal Merchant Pro product.

Additionally, SBC Fulfillment will streamline the effectiveness and accuracy of their online orders by setting up shipping through both UPS and the USPS. “We want to provide our clients with the best e-commerce shopping cart system in the industry,” says SBC Fulfillment CEO Brian Schoenbachler.

To learn more about SBC Fulfillment and their partnership with Magento click here

Tags: ecommerce | georgia | fulfillment | magento

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Outsourcing your fulfillment needs just got easier with a new e-commerce website application called Magento Connect. Atlanta-based shipping and fulfillment company, SBC Fulfillment announced today that it would roll out this new application in September, which will allow current and potential customers who utilize Magento''s e-commerce sites to outsource their shipping and fulfillment services with one keystroke.

SBC Fulfillment and Magento collaborated to create a bridge for those that already use Magento''s e-commerce product, but are seeking ways to reduce their shipping and inventory costs through outsourcing. The application ties into SBC''S comprehensive Warehouse Management System, and allows clients to inventory, ship, track and manage their orders.

Typically, businesses would have shouldered the expenses associated with building their own data integration piece, and purchasing/managing the WMS or warehouse management system.

According to SBC President and CEO, Brian Schoenbachler, this application is very similar to computer and software company Apple''s app store, but with no additional cost to companies that outsource their fulfillment services to SBC. "The purpose of the connector is to make us the most Magento-friendly fulfillment house on the internet", says Schoenbachler.

SBC e-commerce and fulfillment client, Nature''s Cradle Foods is the first business to go live with this exciting new technology and Brian couldn''t be more thrilled with the results. "This application will make it easier than ever for customers to integrate their fulfillment services."

For companies that need an e-commerce site built, SBC Fulfillment could create one using Magento''s state-of-the-art e-commerce platform. Magento''s features include: marketing and promotions tools, reporting, search engine optimization (URLs and Google site map), site management, catalog management/browsing, mobile commerce (iphone optimization), and checkout and payment management.

To learn more about Magento and this new application Click Here

Tags: magento | fulfillment | outsourcing | ecommerce | georgia

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