Personalizing eCommerce Fulfilment with Will Martin, Littledart Fulfilment (episode 493)
Will Martin is co-founder and financial director at Littledart Fulfilment, a 3PL providing bespoke eCommerce fulfilment that’s as unique as your business.
Listen now for free:
Subscribe on your Favourite Podcast App
Dive in:
[06:33] Fulfilment helps in brand loyalty and customer retention.
[09:34] Balancing cost and team importance in fulfillment.
[11:13] Models based on time and space, great working environment for the team.
[14:34] Managing peak seasons.
[16:38] Early planning, be realistic, aim high. Avoid stress.
[18:21] Will’s Top Tips!
The Importance of Personalization in Fulfilment
Will explains that personalized fulfillment can greatly boost customer loyalty and brand recognition. Unlike the standardized services of giants like Amazon, bespoke fulfillment includes special touches like branded packaging, handwritten notes, and gifts. This approach reflects a brand’s identity and values, creating excitement and joy for the customer. These thoughtful details can lead to repeat purchases and word-of-mouth recommendations. Overall, a memorable unboxing experience helps brands stand out and build a stronger emotional connection with their customers.
Efficient Systems and Technology Integration
Efficient fulfilment operations depend on a good tech system for managing inventory, processing orders, and maintaining seamless communication between sales channels. Will emphasizes that effective fulfilment relies on technology to ensure quick receipt, accurate tracking, and prompt dispatch of goods. Using warehouse management systems, real-time inventory tracking, and API integrations with eCommerce platforms, fulfilment centers can reduce errors, cut lead times, and improve overall efficiency, which is essential for customer satisfaction.
Fair Treatment and Motivation of Fulfilment Staff
Will believes that treating employees well and providing fair wages are crucial for maintaining high-quality fulfilment services. Happy and motivated employees are more likely to care about the brands they serve, resulting in better performance and lower staff turnover. In the repetitive and physically demanding fulfilment industry, a positive work environment keeps employees engaged and committed, directly enhancing the quality of fulfilment.
Early and Accurate Forecasting
Accurate and early forecasting is essential for managing inventory and preparing for peak seasons. Will advises brands to plan well in advance, balancing optimism and realism in their projections to avoid stockouts and ensure smooth operations during high-demand periods. By analyzing sales data, market trends, and customer behavior, early forecasting helps fulfilment centers allocate resources efficiently, manage stock levels, and plan labor needs. Brands that plan can better handle unexpected surges in demand, reducing the risk of missed sales and maintaining customer satisfaction.
Balancing Cost and Quality in Fulfillment
While cost is important when choosing a fulfilment provider, Will says brands should prioritize quality over lower prices. Fulfilment is crucial for a brand’s reputation and customer satisfaction, and cutting costs can lead to poor service, delays, and errors. Investing in a quality fulfilment service ensures reliability and consistency, essential for building customer trust and loyalty.
eCommerce Book Top Tip
eCommerce Traffic Top Tip
- Understand and test what works best for your specific customers. Continually test to find the marketing methods that truly resonate with your audience.
Tool Top Tip
- For Will, what works are traditional team-building practices such as daily coffee breaks and afternoon tea sessions that are tools for team efficiency and cohesion. These informal gatherings foster communication and camaraderie which are crucial for their fulfilment team’s success.
Carbon Top Tip
- Set a target for reducing your business’s carbon footprint, even if it’s challenging. He shares their goal of achieving net zero by the end of 2024, which has driven them to implement measures like using recycled packaging and installing solar panels, despite the ongoing reliance on couriers.
Interview links
Related Episodes
- Growing Skincare brand Blossom Essentials 3x to 7 figures with Sarah Vilenskiy (episode 405)
- The Ops Perspective on Fashion with Needle & Thread’s Mark Liddington (episode 408)
- Balancing Wholesale and D2C eCommerce Growth with Maxim Gelmann, Stroodles (episode 464)
Without the sponsors the podcast wouldn’t be possible – please do check them out:
SHOPLINE is the preferred commerce platform built to simplify complexities for fast-growing enterprises.
Whether it is setting up more sales channels like social commerce or expanding to new markets globally, SHOPLINE takes care of everything from store setups, checkouts, payments, logistics and more!
🛠️ All-in-One Platform: From store setups and checkouts to payments and logistics, SHOPLINE handles it all!
🌐 Asia’s Best now in UK: With our headquarters in Singapore and offices in 13 countries across Asia, the UK, Australia, and America, we have served more than 600,000+ merchants across the world including Lego, Muji and more
📢 You don’t want to miss a chance to migrate and join the league of InTheStyle, BodyCare, and 100+ others who have chosen us! We are just a call away…
Have you yet downloaded our ebook?
To celebrate reaching Episode 500 we’ve created an EPIC eCommerce success-focused ebook.
Packed with FIVE HUNDRED Top Tips about how to make your eCommerce store more profitable.
Featuring the advice of many, many past guests, alongside industry experts and many from you – our listeners.
Chloe has checked every single tip, and organised the whole thing into sections for you.
Making is super easy to dip and dip out and take inspiration as and when you need it.
This ebook needs to be sat on your desktop – or (even…) printed and sat on your desk.
Download your free copy right now
Full transcript to read & download:
Like to be a guest? Apply Here‘