Managing a business is not easy, especially when it comes to deciding on a fulfillment service that is right for your business’s needs. New order fulfillment services are constantly being made available, and each has its own methods of helping business owners complete orders and get products in customers’ hands quicker than if the owners did it all themselves. If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur and are looking for a new order fulfillment service, ShipBob is a highly respected option that is worth looking into.
About ShipBob
ShipBob got its start in 2014 and has continued to expand its array of features and services that it offers. ShipBob prides itself on having a 99.95% accuracy rate and partnering with over 3,600 e-commerce businesses. The company has fulfillment centers in Los Angeles (CA), Chicago (IL), Bethlehem (PA), and Dallas (TX), so there are different locations around the country, which really assists in getting products to customers on time. ShipBob’s website states that its mission is “to make you more successful online by providing best-in-class logistics so your customers don’t go elsewhere.”
How ShipBob Works
Of course, you expect the easiest and most streamlined process from whichever order fulfillment service you choose. Receiving, picking, packing, and shipping can be a daunting task for the owner of a growing business, so ShipBob aims to help with everything. As your business grows, inventory management is also a major task that ShipBob can help you with. ShipBob allows users to get snapshots of the location and quantity of their inventories at any time, which helps sellers determine where inventory is moving quicker and what selling platform(s) is performing the best.
The ShipBob platform also provides users with a lot of analytics regarding finances, supply chain activities, inventory and shipping data, costs for storage, year-end snapshots, and more. These help business owners and entrepreneurs understand their business processes and make tweaks if needed. ShipBob can also request inventory transfers and implement a “promotion” bundle if desired.
ShipBob simply puts its 3-step process as Connect, Store, and Ship.
The first step is to connect your stores to the ShipBob platform. ShipBob has integration capabilities with numerous marketplaces including Amazon, Walmart, Shopify, BigCommerce, and more. The platform will allow you to import your orders and facilitate the sale with a two-way flow of information.
After connecting your store, you will send in your products and ShipBob will store the inventory at one of their national fulfillment centers. As mentioned, there are several throughout the country and the system will allow you to strategically place as much inventory as you want in each of them. Of course, this is useful because storing inventory closer to specific customers reduces shipping fees and times.
When a customer places an order, ShipBob will pick, pack, and ship the purchased item. Since the inventory is scattered around the country, ShipBob’s platform automatically chooses the item at the specific warehouse that will get the product to the customer the soonest. Most of the time, two-day shipping is an option due to ShipBob’s algorithms and the locations of the inventory. Demand for two-day shipping is at an all-time high, so offering it to your customers can help improve your bottom line. In fact, ShipBob claims that its two-day shipping availability has reduced “cart abandonment” by 18 percent and increased users’ average order value by an impressive 97 percent.
ShipBob offers custom packaging for a fee as well as free, unbranded packaging. Business owners looking for return management assistance are in luck with ShipBob, as it gives customers the option to create return labels as well as track their returns. Returned products go directly back into the inventory at the warehouse.
ShipBob’s platform has a lot of features that make your business operations easier for you. Orders can be filtered by certain metrics such as dates and order status, and the platform features the option to get a quick overview of any orders that may need your attention. ShipBob also conveniently shares tracking information with your customers, which saves you a very time-consuming step.
ShipBob Pricing
ShipBob tailors its pricing to users’ exact needs. While every business owner will pay a unique price for the services they receive, ShipBob offers all users standard mailing/packaging supplies, lower shipping rates, international shipping, and same day shipping when available. Pricing includes:
- Software and Platform: Free
- Receiving: $25/hour for the first two hours ($35/man hour over 2 hours)
- Storage, billed monthly: $40/pallet, $10/shelf, $5/bin
- Pick and Pack: First five picks are free, sixth pick and beyond cost $0.20
- Packaging: Free standard packaging, custom packaging/branding at an extra cost
- Shipping: Varies based on size, dimensions, weight, destination, and other factors
- Returns: $3 processing fee for each
Prospective users should request a quote on ShipBob’s website to determine if the platform is right for their needs.
Customer Service
If problems or questions arise, ShipBob has a fantastic support site with a thorough FAQ as well as guides on how to use each feature of the platform. A chatbot is available as well, and a team member is a simple click or phone call away from 9 AM to 5 PM CST. ShipBob unfortunately does not give users specific support agents and users report it can take a couple of days to get an email response, but overall users are satisfied with the level of customer care they receive. A community chat forum is also available for users to connect with one another.
Final Notes
If you are in need of a new order fulfillment service for your business, you should request a quote from ShipBob. The service offers everything you need from A to Z, including return management, which is a nice perk seeing as many other services do not provide that feature. The platform is user-friendly and easy to understand while also giving out immense amounts of useful data that can help your business succeed.
I switched to Shipbob about a year ago and have been really pleased. Of course you always wonder if you’re overpaying. But with something as critical as order fulfullment you have to know the service will be top notch. And with Shipbob it has been. I love their software that allows me to control my inventory. I also really like their simple pricing structure. I highly recommend Shipbob!
Shipbob was a great service for my ecommerce biz. We needed an order fulfillment company that was easy to work with and didn’t have a bunch of requirements for packaging products. We switched to give a try because they seemed like a good fit. Honestly I expected to have to pay a bit more but they were actually cheaper! I only good things to say about Shipbob and definitely recommend them!