Apparel
Fullfillment services
IDS Apparel Fulfillment Services
If your business sells clothing and apparel, you need a partner who can support the unique challenges of your industry because apparel fulfillment is different from just about any other industry. To that end, IDS is ready to successfully manage your fluctuating inventories and the increasing demand for a highly personalized, customer-focused service to meet all your apparel order fulfillment needs.
Clothing and Apparel is Big Business
Wearing clothes has long been a feature of all human societies, making clothing and apparel among the most basic of needs. Whether wearing clothes began 40,000 years ago or as many as 3 million years ago doesn’t really matter. People today all around the world need apparel, and the digital age of the twenty-first century makes ordering clothes easier than it’s ever been in human history. Clothing and apparel fulfillment services at IDS include warehousing and order fulfillment for businesses lacking the infrastructure to handle the fulfillment process in-house. IDS has deep expertise and experience in providing the kinds of unique fulfillment services apparel and clothing retailers demand.
How to Know if You Need Apparel Fulfillment Services
When is it time to seriously consider outsourcing your company’s apparel fulfillment services to the right third-party logistics (3PL) provider? Ask yourself how many of the following pain points are causing headaches and hassles at your business:
Limited Resources
You might be feeling order fulfillment is a distraction, taking up way too much time and effort among company staff that would be better spent on other core business activities such as product quality, marketing, and customer service. When you partner with the right apparel fulfillment services partner, you’re then freed up to focus on all the other important aspects of running and growing a successful business. You might also be noticing inconsistent order fulfillment is becoming a problem because of errors and irregularities leading to customer dissatisfaction and potential loss of revenue. Exacerbating these problems is inventory management difficulties, as clothing retailers tend to have high SKU counts and fluctuating inventory levels that easily lead to overstocking and stockouts.
SCALABILITY
is another issue your company might be facing. If you’ve already outsourced apparel fulfillment services, can your current provider scale up to meet the changing needs of your growing business or its seasonal peaks? Also, whether you’re handling fulfillment in-house or through a 3PL provider, restrictive distribution capabilities or limited geographic reach can hinder growth when potential customers can’t be served in a timely fashion. It’s also important to take a look at order return management, whether in-house or through a 3PL partner. If returns aren’t handled efficiently, customer satisfaction will take a big hit. Finally, if you’re currently working with a 3PL provider, do they offer the level of customization and flexibility you need? How about their analytics and reporting? You need robust data to make informed business decisions around fulfillment and other eCommerce strategies and supply chain optimization.
Considerations When Choosing an Apparel Fulfillment Services Provider
If the various pain points listed above have made you realize it’s time for your business to either choose its first 3PL partner or find a new one for your apparel fulfillment needs, then you’ll want to be sure to evaluate each prospective 3PL, keeping the following factors in mind:
Customization
Abilities
Does the provider offer tailored fulfillment solutions that meet your specific business requirements and can adapt to changing market trends in apparel?
Scalability and Flexibility
Can the provider scale operations in response to growth, seasonal demands, and fluctuating order volumes for your business?
Technological Integration
How well will the provider’s technology integrate with your existing company’s e-commerce platforms and systems for seamless operations?
Geographic
Reach
Will the provider’s distribution and logistics network ensure efficient reach to all desired markets and customer bases?
Speed and Efficiency of Delivery
Does the provider offer fast and reliable shipping? This is critical for customer satisfaction in the apparel industry.
Inventory Management Expertise
How competent is the provider in handling high SKU counts and efficiently managing inventory, especially for diverse apparel items?
Value-Added
Services
Does the provider offer a robust range of value-added services you might need as your company’s needs and requirements change over time?
Return Processing Capabilities
How effective is the provider’s return management system? This is a crucial aspect because of the high return rates in clothing retail.
Quality
Assurance
Does the provider have a QA process to ensure customer satisfaction, then have a way to rework or dispose of products that do not meet standards?
As you can see from the various factors to consider listed above, finding the right 3PL partner for apparel fulfillment services is not a small task. It’s a decision you want to get right because there’s a lot riding on it!
Why Choose IDS for Apparel Fulfillment Services?
With strategically located climate-controlled warehouse facilities, your customers won’t have to wait for their orders, no matter what part of the country you’re shipping to. Because of the placement of our distribution and fulfillment centers in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Salt Lake City, Utah, we’re able to ship products to 92% of the nation using 2-day ground shipping, which means we’ve got you covered when it comes to geographic reach and quick deliveries.
At IDS, we also offer comprehensive customization options within a highly flexible and scalable framework, meaning you’ll be able to respond to market needs and changes in fashion trends, quickly turning your inventory over. Unlike many fulfillment companies, when you choose IDS, we become an extended member of your team. Our clothing and apparel fulfillment centers are equipped to handle the high SKU counts that come with men’s, women’s, and children’s accessories, activewear, footwear, dresses, and any other products you offer. We also understand apparel returns processing and have the capacity to handle high-end garments on hangers (GOH).
We pride ourselves on offering advanced technological integrations through our automated warehouse technology and our ProParcel Shipping Solution to ensure efficient and integrated operations. IDS also offers a robust selection of value-added services to not only meet your current needs but also your future needs, including relabeling, cross-docking, kitting, drop shipping, personalization, and more, all tailored to your unique business requirements. Just as important, we place a strong emphasis on the client relationship and take the time needed to truly understand your business and its needs to build trust and arrive at the best solutions for a shared sense of success.
Our long-standing industry reputation includes more than 50 years of experience in logistics and fulfillment, providing stability and reliability as a service provider. Let us help you save precious time by taking care of the fulfillment side of operations so you can focus on your business. No matter what you need, we can customize our services to suit your business. IDS apparel fulfillment services provide e-commerce fulfillment and multi-channel order fulfillment solutions to optimize freight costs and transit times whether you’re shipping business-to-business (B2B) or direct-to-consumer (D2C). If you’d like to learn more about what IDS can do for you, reach out to us through our Contact page, or feel free to call us directly at 866-576-0576.
Related Content
Custom Solutions for Complex Needs
Read a brief case study about how IDS provided a customized solution to apparel retailer Jockey.com to meet their complex ordering, distribution, and inventory management needs.
Making Impact on Returns Processing
Returns management and processing is another touchpoint with a big impact on customer satisfaction. IDS can handle all your returns processing needs.
Creating a Competitive Advantage
Top-notch warehousing and distribution are at the heart of any clothing retailer. Partnering with IDS for apparel fulfillment services will give you a competitive advantage.
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Why Us?
Choosing a quality fulfillment partner is a smart business move for any jewelry and accessories business, but you want to be discerning and select an industry expert who can truly add value to your processes. At IDS Fulfillment, we bring some distinct advantages to the table.
Flexibility
No two businesses are exactly alike, especially in an industry that’s driven by creativity such as jewelry and accessories. IDS Fulfillment has been enhancing businesses’ workflow with quality fulfillment services for more than 50 years, so we are equipped to adapt to the needs of any business and any situation.
Technology
We give you the power to check inventory levels in real time, create custom reports, and integrate our systems seamlessly with your eCommerce platform, among other things.
Performance
When you work with IDS Fulfillment, you’ll truly feel as if you’ve engaged in a partnership; we’ll work together to determine key metrics to guide our relationship.
Focus
Our long-term experience in the fulfillment industry means that our team has the skills to effectively provide specialized fulfillment, transportation, and distribution services, so your orders are fulfilled correctly every time.
You’ve worked hard to build your jewelry and accessory business into a successful one, now let us work hard to help it grow!
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Office Address
9431 Allpoints Parkway
Plainfield, Indiana 46168
Phone Number
(866) 308-3006
