As DTC e-Commerce Grows, Need for Inventory Management Solutions Follows

March 5th 2019 16:00:00 PM

There’s little doubt that the retail landscape across the US and worldwide has changed. Technology has given consumers more options when shopping, and they are no longer limited to products available from local businesses. Now they have access to goods made anywhere in the world with a few clicks in their favorite browser.

Retailers have been re-thinking the way they do business and putting more energy and resources into the direct to consumer (DTC) e-commerce side of their business. Some have been choosing to shut down brick-and-mortar stores due to lower foot traffic. A significant number of customers are still choosing to shop online, even when a store is located nearby. As businesses move toward DTC they are looking for inventory management solutions that can support their ecommerce strategies. 

DTC Growth Expected to Continue 

The direct to consumer model shows no signs of decreasing. According to DigitalCommerce260.com, Nike reported received 29.6 percent of its overall 2017 revenue from DTC sales. The brand expects that its DTC sales will climb to $16 billion by the year 2020. 

An Ally Commerce study conducted with more than 2,000 consumer brand manufacturers found that more than half (57 percent) are also welcoming the opportunities offered by DTC. 

How DTC Can Benefit Your Business 

• Opportunity to Compete on a Level Playing Field 

When you’re selling products in a brick and mortar store (or from your home), you don’t have the same potential to reach customers as you do online. A website is always open and ready to do business. 

Customers can visit the website, evaluate the product and decide whether they want to buy, without being distracted by where the store is located, its size or decor. The merchandise can speak for itself. 

• Chance to Develop Customer Loyalty 

Customers like doing business with brands they are familiar with. When the process of ordering and having the product shipped directly to their door is accomplished quickly and efficiently, a business is much more likely to receive a second order (and more) from the same customer. 

Since DTC isn’t going anywhere, this isn’t something your business can afford to either ignore or drop the ball on. You need to find the right inventory management solutions to continue building your business. 

Inventory Management Solutions that Support DTC 

In today’s changing business landscape, you need inventory management solutions that can give you the accurate information you need in real time. Scanco’s Mobility App for the Sage 100 is an example of one of our inventory management options. 

It can be used with several hardware accessory options to scan barcodes, look up specific products, and send counts in real-time directly to Sage 100/100. The software is convenient to operate, working in WiFi or cellular mode. 

With its ability to “freeze” items on the fly, you don’t need to worry about getting a large order and then not having enough product to fill it. Sage 100 will virtually “set aside” the quantity you need to fulfill orders as they come in. 

Did we mention that Sage 100 will also increase your physical counting speed when doing inventory by up to 75 percent? It eliminates the human error factor too. 

With our inventory management solutions, you will be able to fill orders more quickly and efficiently, getting them from the warehouse to your customer’s door more efficiently. All this will, in turn, increase customer loyalty and result in more orders. 

Scanco wants to work with you to ensure that your business is successful in the DTC era. Contact us online or call (330) 645-9959 to set up your personal consultation with a Scanco Solutions Expert to discuss how our inventory management solutions can help you work smarter.