With the year winding down, 2024 is nearly upon us (isn’t that hard to believe?!). As 2023 comes to a close, customers are still shopping online more than ever — and still expecting fast and flexible shipping times. Consequently, supply chain management and warehousing resources are more relevant than ever to the success of today’s ecommerce business.
Yet while the need for reliable logistics and warehousing facility operations remains strong, there are new industry trends on the horizon. As a business owner, it’s important to keep these in mind, especially as you’re considering a 3PL warehousing partner in the new year.
Seven Key 3PL Warehousing Trends to Consider in 2024
Growing Warehousing Facility Needs
As ecommerce demands grow with more and more customers shopping online, the need for warehousing facility space will only continue to grow substantially in 2024. Plus, increasing consumer expectations for fast shipping times necessitate a vast network of strategically located warehouses across the country to not only lessen transportation needs but also provide alternative options in the event of supply chain disruptions.
That’s why it’s critical for your 3PL warehousing partner to be able to offer scalable warehousing resources that can keep up with your growing demands.
Sustainable Supply Chain Practices
Eco-friendly products and green businesses continue to play a significant role in consumer tastes and preferences. That means sustainable supply chain practices need to be an aspect of your 3PL warehousing partner’s operations in 2024. The right 3PL warehousing partner will participate in a variety of environmentally-conscious logistics initiatives, including:
- Warehousing facility energy optimization
- Eco-friendly packaging
- Efficient transportation routes
- Circular economy practices
- Data-driven carbon footprint metrics
- Green supplier relationships
WMS and Inventory Management Software
As business becomes more intertwined with technology, your 3PL warehousing partner needs to provide a (preferably cloud-based) WMS or inventory management software platform that can keep up. This software should integrate easily with your own tech stack, allowing your 3PL to track warehousing facility inventory levels, order fulfillment statuses, and returns management. This integration will keep your supply chain efficient, as well as provide real-time data you can easily access to monitor your logistics and find any areas of improvement.
More Cold Chain Logistics
The shift towards ecommerce shopping in consumer behavior today is also increasingly encompassing perishable goods as well. Instead of shopping at the grocery store, more people are turning to ecommerce providers for their meat, produce, pharmaceuticals, and other perishable needs. That means cold chain logistics could be in greater demand in 2024, from temperature-controlled warehousing resources to packaging and transportation capabilities. Your preferred 3PL warehousing company ideally needs to have the expertise and warehousing resources in place as the demand for cold chain logistics grows.
Product Kitting Capabilities
In a changing ecommerce world, a 3PL warehousing company’s ability to offer flexible, customized fulfillment solutions can make a big difference for your ecommerce business. And one of these solutions that will continue to matter in 2024 is product kitting.
Product kitting streamlines the order fulfillment process, allowing you to save time on packing, labeling, and shipping so you can meet speedy delivery requirements. Yet a 3PL warehousing partner with kitting capabilities also enables you to more easily sell potential dead stock inventory repackaged as subscription boxes, satisfying your customers and putting more money in your pockets.
Last Mile Delivery Success
Simply put, customers want their orders reliably delivered to their door on time and without any complications. Therefore, the last mile delivery stage of the logistics process is growing even more important as an opportunity for ecommerce businesses (and 3PL warehousing partners) to differentiate themselves and boost customer and brand satisfaction. That’s why 3PL warehousing companies should look to reduce inefficiencies, such as too many handling steps in the transportation process, to help their ecommerce clients stand out from the crowd in 2024.
Easy Returns Management
As customers order more online, they also expect more out of the returns process, especially with known innovations such as the returnless refund with Amazon. That’s why it’s critical you partner with a 3PL warehousing company that can manage your returns, and make the process easy for your customer. With a streamlined returns process that doesn’t put a burden on your customer, they’re more likely to keep shopping with you in 2024.
Boost Your 2024 3PL Warehousing Logistics with Smart Warehousing
The new year is almost here. Will you be ready? Make sure you’re prepared for new logistics industry trends with the right 3PL warehousing partner to guide the way. At Smart Warehousing, our expertise, warehousing resources, and years of experience can put your company ahead of the 2024 logistics trends—so you can meet your customer’s demands and grow your business. Contact us today to get started.