Welcome to the Dove Direct Print and Marketing Blog. Today's post, "Why Lettershop and Fulfillment Solutions Matter," summarizes the increasing value Lettershop and Fulfillment solutions deliver for organizations grappling with work from home directives, as well as local, state, and federal lockdown initiatives. Before the pandemic hit the nation, in-store retail sales were outpacing online store purchases. However, consumer behavior dramatically changed back in 2020, and the new behaviors are holding steady in terms of online shopping and purchasing. With the behavioral transitions appearing to be firmly locked in, coupled with the fact that we are now in the throes of yet another wave of the virus, businesses may want to consider integrating more lettershop and fulfillment solutions to ensure delivery across a range of brand requirements.
Research confirms that the new consumer behaviors are due solely to the effects of the virus. A recent Rakuten Intelligence® report highlights sales between March 12 - 15, 2020, including BOPIS (buy-online-pickup-in-store) sales, which increased by a whopping 82.8%! Nowadays, many consumers continue to be comfortable with BOPIS as their preferred method for completing shopping purchases and receiving those goods. Some even prefer to receive their purchases via mail.
As for fulfillment, this behavior will likely continue, although there are alternatives, and to be sure, there are downsides. However, BOPIS, as a fulfillment solution, will continue to lead across the board. Finally, the BOPIS model, while highly popular, will present an array of challenges ripe for those who can provide fulfillment solutions that address those challenges.
Our Quote of the Day: "In tough times, it's harder and even more important to keep our customers happy." — Munish Malhautra
Various Fulfillment Solutions
Fulfillment solutions range across a multitude of requirements, from high-volume to bulk label printing to advanced picking and packing. In a nutshell, fulfillment can cover any order for any item or group of items for B2B, B2C, or D2C.
Fulfillment providers deliver the brand product sets to specific destinations.
Your customers' retail purchases, mailings, legal documents, transactional documents, health reports, and much more are fulfillment opportunities. Most industries, including automotive, education, financial services, government, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, nonprofit, political, real estate, retail, telecommunications, and utilities, use fulfillment solutions to deliver goods and services to their customers. Depending on the requirements and the collateral to be fulfilled, several organizations can fulfill those requirements from mid-size, local shops to enterprise-level fulfillment centers.
In this challenging time, more and more businesses are looking for fulfillment solutions. Delivering customer orders in a seamless, trackable environment, from simple direct mail campaigns to catalogs, books, gifts, and other types of products, are now the solutions that customers crave and expect.
Full-service commercial printing organizations that combine integrated business solutions under one banner are now more in demand than previous years. Some of these organizations also have the capability for customers to engage via their online portals. Businesses can benefit from data, print, mail, IT, and email services and solutions by implementing these functions online.
Customer Portal Solutions
Customer fulfillment solutions use a custom portal and can include:
- Fully automated, requiring little or no manual intervention
- The creation of and implementation of fully integrated, cross-channel marketing strategies for measurable results
- Each instance can be customized, and print jobs can be configured
- Complete with admin module for job and user placement
- Appropriate and timely engagement of direct channels such as email, web2print, direct mail, printed materials, etcetera
- An automated, systemic process for response marketing based upon predetermined value systems
As a new world order for business emerges, there is an opportunity for brands that require a lettershop and fulfillment partner. Solutions include direct mail, digital marketing, and cross-channel marketing considerations. By selecting a one-stop-print shop, requirements can consist of scalability, data management, personalization, lettershop, and fulfillment for B2B, B2C, and D2C.
Lettershop and Fulfillment
In the print world, Lettershop pairs perfectly with fulfillment. Full service commercial print organizations head the list of providers that can deliver a wide array of solutions that require personalized customer contact. In addition to mail and package delivery, lettershop services that are in high demand include:
- Address Labeling
- Collating
- Customized Addressing
- Cutting
- Folding
- Gluing
- Intelligent Inserting
- Kit Assembly
- Label Affixing
- Logistics
- Match Mail
- Metering
- Offline and Inline Tabbing
- Sealing
- Shrink Wrap
- Stamping
In the search for a fulfillment partner, full service, solutions-based commercial print organizations that check these boxes and more are bonafide partners who can help you deliver your brand to your customers.
The question now becomes, which commercial printer has an in-house USPS certified postal clerk that can deliver on time, economically, and strictly as intended.
The Net-Net
As we encounter constant and unknown variants due to the virus, we will continue to experience flux across the marketing spectrum. The environment that we are operating in presents new opportunities and challenges that do not appear to abate. Those who can adapt, adjust, and possibly, reinvent will be able to ride out this unpredictable storm. Meanwhile, we live in the age of remote fulfillment; for now, that continues to be the new normal. Stay safe, and thanks for reading "Why Lettershop and Fulfillment Solutions Matter!"
Let's have a conversation about integrated business solutions and how they can help grow your business, change behavior, and improve the customer experience. Let us show you how to improve your document processes to optimize your workflow, reduce costs, and maximize your organization's printing, letter shop, and mailing capabilities. Dove Direct has an official USPS certified bureau located within our offices to save you time and money. We can even create a demo file for you.
For more information, call Carla Eubanks at 404-629-0122 or email Carla at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Dove Direct, your Atlanta based print and mail solutions provider, offers organizations end-to-end data, printing, and mailing solutions:
- Data Management
- Variable Digital/Data Printing
- LetterShop and Fulfillment
- Digital Mail Scanning Services
- Fully Automated MLOCR Presort Bureau
- Marketing and Production Management Support
- Secure Data Life Cycle Management
If you don't want to wait, you can reach Dove Direct today by calling 404-629-0122 or use Dove Direct's Contact Form.