Delivery Issues When Buying in Bulk for Resale

• Benefits of reselling business
• How is the current process of delivery?
• Challenges facing the delivery industry
• How to deal with the challenges faced during delivery
• Conclusion

The resale business is gaining popularity around the world as more people are looking to enter into business.

With the advancement of eCommerce, the resale business is becoming the easiest business to get into as the process of buying and selling of goods has been made simpler.

Nowadays, you can easily buy a bulk of goods on wholesale without having to worry about the different logistics of transportation or packaging.

Most of the suppliers are now able to deliver goods to you efficiently and you do not even need to be physically present.

Benefits of reselling business

The resale business involves buying goods in bulk from a manufacturer at a cheaper price then selling them either as wholesale or individual units at a profit.

A reseller is oftentimes considered as the middleman between the manufacturer and the customers and as a reseller, you have the option of selling a variety of products.

Some of the benefits of reselling include:

• You have the option of selling a wide variety of products since you have access to a large number of suppliers. It is therefore easy for you to diversify into new markets and products depending on the customer requirements.
• Setting up a resale business is easy as you only need to find suppliers and launch your business. Often, you will not need to hold inventory especially if you choose to use dropshipping as a business option.
• You can easily expand your business to incorporate new products. As a reseller, you can try out other niches without having to worry about the cost of inventory.
• Since most of the business transactions are automated, it is easier for a reseller to run their business without having to dedicate a lot of time in it.
• The resell business offers lower financial risks as you will only be involved in profitable goods. Since the goods are purchased at affordable prices, it is easy to set your prices to ensure you have high profits.

How is the current process of delivery?

The delivery process is the most critical part of the business and it requires the parties involved to be very diligent to ensure that the process flows smoothly.

One mistake in the delivery process can cause a business to incur huge losses.

The process of delivery is different depending on the type of products that are being sold.

For most online businesses the most preferred method of delivery is through third-party services or distributors.

The third-party services include delivery services such as fed ex or UPS while some businesses may use distributors who are responsible for ensuring that the products reach the customers.

Dropshipping is also one of the delivery processes that are currently being used.

In dropshipping, the manufacturer or supplier packages and ships the product directly to the customer and is among the order fulfillment services that are available.

The process of dropshipping excludes you from being involved in the shipping logistics.

The delivery process is made possible by the use of efficient distribution channels.

A good distribution channel is important for the success of a business, some of the benefits of a good distribution include:

• Reduced cost of doing business –having a good delivery system will save you a lot of time and money and you can easily expand your business to have a wider geographical reach.
• Efficient order fulfillment- A good delivery service ensures that your business fulfills the market requirements. The goods will be able to reach the customers at the right time and in good condition.
• Easy market expansion-with a good delivery and distribution system, you can easily expand your business to a wider area which ensures that you have a larger market reach for increased profits.
• Easy market control- most people will prefer a business that delivers as promised. Having an efficient delivery system will ensure that you stay above the competition.

Challenges facing the delivery industry

Since the delivery process includes different players, there might be some challenges that may come up.

An efficient delivery process requires that all the people involved work together to make the process flow seamlessly.

With the recent pandemic, the process of delivery has slowed down tremendously due to the closure of some country borders making the transfer of goods more difficult.

Some of the common challenges facing the delivery industry include:

• Changing fuel prices– since the delivery industry involves the use of different modes of transportation; the cost of delivery is not constant and changes with the change in fuel prices.
• Demand for faster delivery– currently, a lot of people are more into instant gratification and more and more customers prefer to have their goods delivered quicker hence more companies are moving to offer same-day deliveries which are not usually efficient in most cases.
• Packaging challenges– the major challenge facing the delivery process is finding the right packaging materials for products. Most of the packaging solutions offered are those that are not necessarily environmentally friendly and so this causes a huge issue for various businesses. Finding the right packaging material that will ensure that the products are safe is critical in the delivery process.
• Inadequate couriers- since the delivery process includes transport logistics, the courier is the most important part of the process. Finding a courier who you can work efficiently with is among the biggest challenges that various businesses face.
• Tracking challenges– the biggest component of a delivery system is having an updated tracking system. A good tracking system ensures that there is transparency in the process of delivery which will enable the customers to trust you more. A good tracking system is one that can provide accurate information on the status of product delivery.
• Delivery policies – different countries have different border control policies as to how goods should be moved in and out of the country. To be able to efficiently deliver goods, you need to clearly understand how the different countries operate to avoid delays.
• Bad weather conditions– though this is out of the human control, it is among the major challenges experienced in a delivery process. The poor weather conditions can slow down the process of delivery resulting in complaints from the customers.
• Issues in documentation– If the delivery information is wrong, the process of delivery will not be efficient and this can result in the products failing to reach the customers.

How to deal with the challenges faced during delivery

A good delivery system should be able to ensure that the products reach customers at the time prescribed or earlier.

The delivery system should also be seamless to prevent delays and damage to the items to be able to deal with the challenges you should;

• Update your system- an updated system will allow you to operate your business smoothly. To be able to have an efficient system you will need to ensure that all of your software is up to date.
• Set a minimum and maximum delivery time- the time you set should be realistic enough to cater for all the processes that are involved in the delivery.
• Enlist a reliable courier service- since the courier is mostly responsible for delivering the products, you need to ensure that you use a reliable and efficient service that can be trusted to deliver the goods in good condition and at the right time.
• Have an efficient communication system-during the delivery process, you need to be able to keep the customer updated on the progress of the delivery to build their trust and confidence in your business.
• Ensure that you have the necessary documentation- this is especially useful when dealing with border controls in different countries. Make sure that you can provide all the documents that are required to prevent delays.
• Prepare for delays- some delays are inevitable and so you need to be aware of what is causing a delay and find ways to work around it, some challenges are inevitable but you need to assure your customers that they will be compensated for the delays or the destroyed goods.
• Ensure that you have a working system for tracking the product- most people will heavily rely on the virtual tracking system to be able to know the status of their delivery. Ensure that you make the tracking visible to your customers so that they can be aware of when they expect to receive the goods.
• Counter check on the customer information-  ensure that you check back with the customers on the delivery information. This is done to prevent deliveries to the wrong addresses.
• Ensure that your packaging follows the various environmental protection policies that are in place. The use of plastic bags to package materials has resulted in a lot of environmental concerns and so you need to find environmentally safe ways to package the goods.

Conclusion

Despite the current situation of having lockdowns and border closures, the delivery business is slowly picking up.

To ensure that your customer trusts your business, you need to always ensure that you deliver on what you have promised in terms of the quality of goods and the delivery time.