The eCommerce industry is booming, and suppliers are trying to get their products in front of as many potential customers as possible. If you’re a supplier (manufacturer, vendor, distributor), that most likely means that you are selling on multiple sales channels, whether it be in traditional brick-and-mortar stores and/or on multiple online retail platforms. The more platforms, the more sales – and the more management challenges: inventory, order management, product uploads, etc. Integration From our experience, one of the largest hassles that come with managing your sales on multiple retail platforms is the need for manual input on each unique…
Online Product Reviews: The Secret to Success in 2021 and Beyond
The online marketplace is only getting busier. In 2016, 90% of online shoppers read at least one online review before deciding to visit a business. According to Revioly, 79% of consumers consider online reviews just as trustworthy as advice from friends & family; this figure is up 3% since 2019. While some affordable ERP solutions like Cenports exist to help businesses with automating their fulfillment process, online businesses still often struggle with launching new products and expanding into other marketplaces. This is due in part to a lack of resources for jump-starting product sales with, among other key factors, authentic…
Ocean Freight Crisis: Supply Chain Experiences Unforeseen Ripple Effects of Covid-19
Since the start of the pandemic, eCommerce has rapidly been adopted by shoppers across the globe. With such a high volume of sales now occurring online, the demand for products from overseas has increased, putting a massive strain on the ocean freight industry. This has led to delays and a major increase in costs for containers, with some parts of the country’s coastlines paying almost 500% more per container than they were a year ago. As of August 2021, ocean freight lines, especially those in Oakland, CA, and Long Beach, CA, have come to a near halt. Until recently, the…
Breaking into U.S. eCommerce in 2021: Where Should You Sell Your Products?
Which retailer is right for your products? Well, that can be a tricky question. From Amazon to the most niche boutique shops, there are options out there for you. At Cenports/AndMakers, we specialize in furniture, outdoor products, and pets, and we look for a combination of audience size, reputation, and retail expertise to choose our retail partners. Here are some of our favorites: Wayfair Wayfair is the largest online furniture retailer in the United States, with over 31 million customers to date. They use a wholesale cost model, charge no fees to sell on their platform, and handle shipping and…
2021 eCommerce: How to Break into the U.S. Market
Just a little over a year ago, brick-and-mortar stores dominated retail in the United States. According to Digital Commerce 360, in 2019, more than 80% of shopping was done in-store, with eCommerce accounting for only 16% of purchases. Today, thanks to advances in technology and a sea change in shopping behavior brought on by COVID-19, e-tailers have enjoyed a massive shift in online purchases. Now, everything you could ever want is a few taps away from being at your front door. Retailers and businesses alike have found great success in embracing the pandemic-accelerated shift towards an online marketplace, growing eCommerce…
Cenports: Highlights from a Wild Year – and What’s Coming Next
At Cenports, we entered 2020 hoping to grow our business and prove our concept of blending technology, fulfillment, and partnership expertise to enable retail entrepreneurs around the world to achieve scale and success. Just like everyone else, we had no idea what was actually about to happen: a global pandemic that changed the retail landscape forever. —– Before I dive into our 2020 highlights and what’s on the horizon for 2021, I’d like to give a heartfelt thanks to our partners (both suppliers and retailers) and to the hard-working (and fast-growing) team driving our achievements. Our team hustled and pivoted…
Cenports Vendor Managers: Your Secret Weapon for Sales
Let’s say you’re a global manufacturer with your products being offered for sale on some of the biggest online platforms in the U.S. – think Wayfair, Lowe’s, Overstock, Walmart, Amazon, and more. Now let’s say that your products aren’t selling very well; you only get a trickle of order per day. Your products are sitting in some warehouse in the U.S., collecting dust and fees. You can’t get a rep on the phone from your retail partners because they’re busy dealing with bigger customers. — If this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone. We’ve had lots of customers come…