R&S Logistics and R&S Warehousing Solutions are used interchangeably in this blog post. They are one and the same company! (Note: This is pronounced R and S Logistics or R and S Warehousing Solutions.)
Quote from Landon, VP of Business Development at R&S Logistics
Tired of expensive shipping costs and packing up orders yourself? Ready to use your time to actually grow your business? This is what we've heard from many people just like you who have successfully started an online company, whether that's jewelry or live bait or apparel. We know it's hard to take this next step toward scaling your business, and these are some of the key things I'd share with you if we were meeting over a cup of coffee.
“I’m Looking for East Coast Fulfillment Services…”
Before we even dive in, let us first stop and say this post is likely not for the business owner or entrepreneur who is just starting out. This is for those saying “I’m looking for East Coast fulfillment services” and this isn’t my first rodeo. Below we outline why East Coast fulfillment services are ideal for the growing and scaling ecommerce brand.
“First, Why is the East Coast a Particular Business Advantage?”
Think of it this way: the East Coast is home to large, densely populated cities of your ecommerce fulfillment customers like Boston, New York, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and the list goes on. This makes it more cost effective, efficient, and timely to reach your customers.
Consider too, being on the East Coast also allows you to reach major ports like Savannah, New Orleans, and New Jersey to name a few. If you manufacture or import any goods to sell with your ecommerce business, this will mean decreased transportation costs and decreased complexity. Your goods will come to the port and make their way to a 3PL (third party logistics) provider quicker, faster, and likely with less possibility of shrinkage and damage.
With a 3PL partner strategically located on the East Coast in states like TN, KY, or GA, most shipping carriers like UPS and FedEx can reach 80% of the U.S. population within a 1-2 day’s drive. This benefit alone is one of the biggest reasons business owners decide to work with a 3PL fulfillment partner.
If you’d like more, we share 7 total key advantages of east coast distribution in a former blog post here.
“So, If I Find a Few 3PL Fulfillment Partners Who Offer Ecommerce Fulfillment, What Do I Look For?”
This is a great question! Here is a list of 7 key questions you should ask that 3PL provider or ecommerce fulfillment company:
- What’s your order accuracy rate or %?
- What types of technology can you integrate with to process, fulfill, and ship my orders?
- What type of SLA (service level agreements) does your company have for your customers?
- What happens when something gets lost, damaged, or misspicked?
- Does your company also handle returns or reverse logistics?
- What shipping carriers do you use?
- What rates do you have with your shipping carrier?
These are typical and standard questions that most all 3PL companies get asked. How a 3PL company answers will help define whether they’re the right fit for your company or not.
“What Do I Do Then?”
There may be a few other questions you’ll want to ask, but this is a great place to start. For more information, visit our page for ecommerce fulfillment services.
Are We A Good Fit for Your Growing Ecommerce Brand?
R&S Logistics is a strategically located ecommerce fulfillment provider in the Southeast U.S. with 2 million square feet across 12+ locations. Most locations are in East Tennessee, which does allow us to reach most of the U.S. population with speed, accuracy, and care for the end customer.
If you’d like to talk, we’d love to see if we’re a good fit for your ecommerce company. Give us a call or send us an email.
Want to hear more?
🚚 Want to explore a 3PL partnership together for ecommerce fulfillment?
We’d love to set up a time to talk to see if it’s a good fit.
“The reliability, flexibility, and professionalism of R&S make me know that I have a business partner I can rely on. It’s one less thing that I have to worry about.”
— Jeremy Smith, Primient