Learn about the shipping label for E-store

The recent Corona virus pandemic made us rethink how most businesses work in various industries. And due to this, many new business models have emerged. The sector that was impacted the most due to this shift of business models is definitely Logistics. 

With more and more people opting for an online store shopping experience, Speed and shipping cost is the only place where you can make yourself stand out from the rest of the competitors. And this is exactly where dark stores come into play.

.

The idea of dark stores is to have small warehouses close to customers’ locations to facilitate the shipment and delivery of products quicker and at a lower cost. This can significantly increase the operational efficiency of online stores.

So, what are dark stores, what important role do they play in Quick Commerce, and how to transition from a regular business model to dark stores? 

What are dark stores?

A Dark Store is a micro-fulfillment facility focused on quickly fulfilling online orders. It resembles a tiny, local shop, but there are no customers. When a consumer places an order, the staff of the dark store selects and packs the products currently in stock. After that, they deliver the order to the customer’s address or a convenient pickup location that the consumer specifies.

Dark stores are often located in the most densely populated locations where potential customers are located to fulfill quick commerce orders. This is why utilizing dark stores can offer customers a significant improvement when it comes to delivery times.

What is the importance of dark stores?

The volume of e-commerce in Saudi Arabia is growing dramatically. The number of online stores registered only on the Maroof E- platform(Government Portal for online stores accreditation ) is more than 36,000 stores, and over 60% of the population in the region buys their needs from the Internet.

This calls for a smart logistical solution that meets the increasing demand from customers for e-commerce. And Dark store plays the key to one of the most important logistical solutions that massively improves the efficiency of shipping services for brands.

Benefits and features of dark stores:

The dark store enables brand owners to automate shipping and delivery tasks. This frees them up to focus on other important aspects of the business. 

The main key benefits of dark stores can be summarized in the following points:

• Faster delivery
• lower delivery cost
• Increase efficiency
• Centralized Route Planning
• Improved inventory control and management
• Inventory update.
• 24-7/around-the-clock operation.

The customer’s journey in the regular store vs. dark stores

As dark stores are slowly but surely becoming the new norm in the e-commerce industry, Let us take a look at the whole journey between the two from a customer’s perspective.

Traditional store

In a traditional store, these are the steps that occur before they get their hands on their desired product.

• Product Order
• Receipt of the request
• Order processing
• Specifications of checking and confirming to the order
• Screening stage
• Send the request to the delegate
• Receipt of the application and registration

Dark store

• Product Order
• Assigning the order to the dark store closest to the customer
• Delivery of the order from the dark store to the customer as soon as possible

How to transition towards dark stores?

The Coronavirus outbreak accelerated the change in consumer behavior from traditional brick-and-mortar establishments to online stores. The retail landscape has been permanently changed as a result, and businesses must also change to be relevant. The best course of action for many businesses will be to permanently close some locations and convert them into dark stores.

And here is how to make that transition.

• Choosing a dark store in a vital area
• Movement and time analysis and selection of suitable shipping method
• Creating a website
• Providing inventory management software
• Shipping Process Management

Are you looking for a reliable shipping partner that will help you manage the shipping process for the dark store?

Torod provides shipping solutions that serve dark stores and online stores and the ability to connect them in less than 3 minutes. 

Merchants can add dark stores as distribution points while managing the delivery and shipment process. And all of that can be done within less than two hours from the nearest dark store to the customer’s home.

Final thoughts

Experts in the ecommerce economy predict that more dark stores will emerge worldwide in the years to come.

Retailers can start operations in new markets and countries where they do not already have physical operations thanks to this online business model. So, the perfect time to invest in Dark stores is right now.