Marketplace Integration Archives – unicommerce.com

Choosing The Right Inventory Management System For Your E-Commerce Business

Team Unicommerce — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 05:35:55 +0000

E-commerce businesses often run into inventory issues because of inefficient processes led by tab-rich Excel spreadsheets and inadequate data exports. These issues are pervasive and affect a plethora of other organizational functions, jeopardizing the smooth business flow. It has led to businesses understanding that inventory management is a vital part of growth, and they need to find better ways to manage it. In addition, optimizing inventory can help cut down unwanted costs and contribute to improved customer experience.

It is why most of the current e-commerce businesses have shifted to a more clutter-free approach – an inventory management system. This software offers significant advantages over the traditional manual or spreadsheet approaches and gives you granular control over your stock while improving transparency.

But given the plethora of inventory management systems on offer, how do you choose the right one for yourself? This article discusses the thought process and criteria behind choosing the best inventory management software for your e-commerce business.

Questions to ask before looking for an Best E-commerce Inventory Management Software –

A myriad of factors decide the best-centralized inventory management software for your e-commerce business, and most of them have more to do with your business than the solution itself. So here are the questions to answer before embarking on choosing the best inventory management system.

1. What inventory challenges do your business face?

A great way to start your tryst to find the best inventory management system would be to understand your inventory’s challenges first. Do you feel there is a lack of transparency in managing it? Do you frequently run out of critical items? Can you efficiently handle safety stock, replenishment stock, and average stock level individually? How efficient are you in handling fluctuations in customer demand?

Finding the relevant business issues that you want to cater to would help you refine the options available and find vendors offering the features you need.

2. Do you need a server-based or an online inventory management system?

Several e-commerce businesses still prefer legacy systems and purchase on-premise, server-based inventory solutions even after years of cloud being around. So it is imperative for you to understand the pros and cons of both options and choose one that would suit your business the best.

For example, are you willing to spend higher on an on-location inventory management system, or are you happier with a cloud-based solution to handle your stock requirements effectively? Is your team well acquainted with the former and is showing reluctance to shift? Or are you better off with the 99.9% uptime guarantee that cloud providers guarantee?

All of these would help you make an informed decision about the type of inventory management system to deploy.

3. What are your integration needs?

In the traditional days, most software would run solo and had no interdependence. But in the present day, seamless collaboration has been the way forward. B2B e-commerce brands are looking for solutions that can seamlessly integrate into their present software ecosystem without tweaking what works for them.

A robust inventory management software has also been a critical business differentiator and has enabled e-commerce players to be flexible with regards to their inventory handling and ordering, allowing them to gain an edge over their competition.

In addition, seamless integration would enable e-commerce businesses to derive critical insights from the inventory management software and feed them to other business processes in a clutter-free manner to achieve impeccable actionable insights.

How to Choose Right E-commerce Inventory Management System?

Now that you understand your business needs, the next step is to look for the following while choosing the best software for inventory management in India or abroad –

#1 Ease of use

Ease of use is one of the primary constraints while looking for the right inventory solution for your e-commerce business. An easy-to-use software will allow your workforce to handle it better and improve their stock handling capabilities.

#2 Scalability

E-commerce businesses are born with the idea to be scalable, and every software choice they make must resonate with the same idea. So it is imperative for you to choose a scalable solution and offer you the bandwidth you seek.

#3 Features

Every e-commerce business has specific requirements. So choose an inventory management software that caters to your particular needs, such as batch tracking, bundling, real-time inventory update, barcode tracking, and more.

#4 Valuable insights

With the advent of data-heavy solutions, it has been easy to derive critical analytics. Analytics play a vital role in the way your business is handled. So, while looking for the right inventory management system, make sure you choose the one that offers a wide range of palpable and practical insights.

Read Inventory Management Case Study – How Multi-Brand Car Service Company attained 9X Sales Growth

Wrap up

Choosing an inventory management system that is easy to use and caters to all your stock needs is a vital decision. It makes the task easier for your workforce and contributes to better catering to your customers.

Schedule a FREE demo with Unicommerce Inventory Management consultants.

Why E-commerce Marketplace Integration is Important for Multichannel Sellers

Team Unicommerce — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 11:29:24 +0000

E-commerce businesses thrive on continued revenue growth. Globally in just over a decade e-commerce business has grown in leaps and bounds, and has changed the way how people do shopping. Led mostly by B2C behemoths like eBay and Amazon, the goal of e-commerce businesses worldwide today is to satisfy as many customers as possible alongside continually scaling up their website traffic, thereby increasing their reach. Many of these e-commerce businesses are opting for a multi-channel business model to boost their business, but this has many challenges. Some of the challenges faced by e-commerce sellers in a multi-channel model are lack of consistent branding and messaging across various channels; difficulty with inventory management for each channel and chances of inventory mixup; managing multiple relationships with customers across various channels but it is not only time-consuming but also expensive.

What is E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

This API-based tool serves as a two-way link between multiple online marketplaces and a single selling platform. The e-commerce marketplace integration facilitate multi-channel sales by combining different e-commerce processes, establishing connections with inventory, and transferring data from multiple channels into a single operational platform in real-time.

It allows you to organise your product lists with various online marketplaces, such as Lazada, Noon, Walmart, Amazon, and more. There are many benefits of e-commerce marketplace integration. This tool can allow you to manage your day-to-day activities, such as uploading new product details, downloading pending orders, printing invoices, generating labels, printing dispatch manifests, tracking orders and shipments, checking and updating inventory stock, and more.

What are the Benefits of E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

1. Reduces Manual Selling Process

E-commerce marketplace integration eliminates most manual processes by streamlining the entire workflow, including product upload, figure updates, order management, etc.

2. Faster Data Transfer

Real-time connection of APIs of all seller platforms ensures the data flow is fast and secure. Each data transfer call is validated. It eliminates friction in data flow between marketplaces to online stores and inventory, cutting down errors.

3. No Switch Between Platforms

One of the best benefits of marketplace integration is that it eliminates switching between platforms to manage activities. Instead, you can manage all activities from a single dashboard. E-commerce marketplace integration also allows sellers like you to save time and effort by making the selling process much easier. This way, you can devote time to other critical matters.

4. Cover More Channels

Integration increases product visibility through improved listing performance. It gives sellers like you the freedom to connect your portal to many marketplaces.

5. Beat Competition

Another benefit is that it allows e-commerce sellers to compete more efficiently. You can claim the buy box every time by repricing products as needed. You can also manage discounts and provide consistency across all marketplaces.

6. Boost Inventory Visibility

Using multichannel inventory control software you can centralise data across all channels. The biggest benefit is that you can monitor inventory across all of its stocking points. This gives you the freedom to choose the next cheapest shipping location if a default location is unviable or if the default location is out-of-stock product you can deliver it from the next nearest location..

7. Reach More Audience

Another benefit is that selling on multiple platforms empowers to boost brand recognition. It allows you to grab new audiences by displaying your products across multiple platforms, and establishing a brand presence across multiple channels.

8. Improve Demand Sensing

E-commerce marketplace integration enables one to avoid overstocking. It happens due to poor planning and anticipation of demand fluctuation, thanks to poor forecasting and data collection. A multichannel inventory control software provides you with accurate sales forecasts, enabling you to avoid an oversupply or undersupply situation, thereby eating into the margins of a business.

9. Cut Errors

E-commerce marketplace integration ensures a seamless integration of all processes thereby cutting down any chances of errors that can affect your daily operation.

What are the Features of E-commerce Marketplace Integration?

1. Centralised Dashboard

An intuitive centralised dashboard enables you to analyze your sales campaign performance across various marketplaces. It enables tracking top-selling products in the marketplace, account-wise orders summary, recent orders, lifetime sales, monthly sales records, and more. E-commerce integration enables data flow between marketplaces and inventory via a single dashboard, making it easier for you to take all the necessary actions.

2. Real-Time Updates

Real-time communication between various platforms is one of the essential features of e-commerce marketplace integration. It ensures that all the figures, including inventory, orders, and product details, are updated in real-time. It enables you to eliminates chances of overselling or underselling, allowing you to sell products across multiple platforms by maintaining optimum stock levels.

3. Automated Crons

E-commerce marketplace integration comes with a feature of automated crons that enables eliminating manual errors. Crons are, in reality, commands that nudge the server to execute a predetermined process on time. It saves you the hassle of performing the same functions repeatedly, allowing you to focus on other essential functions. It also allows you to improve the pace of data exchange between various platforms.

4. Manage and Upload Products in Bulk

E-commerce marketplace Integration allows you to upload bulk products from your online store to the marketplace in just one single click. This enables you to manage your product catalogue smoothly without much fuss and dedicate more time towards other important activities.

5. Centralised Order Management

This is one of those features of e-commerce marketplace integration that allows sellers to execute all types of order-related operations like accept, reject, ship, or delete orders from multiple platforms via one centralised location. E-commerce sellers can lose existing or potential customers if they cannot manage online orders on time. A centralised order management system ensures that sellers are not required to log in to multiple platforms to manage their orders.

6. Multiple Seller Account Support

Marketplace integration allows you to easily manage multi-channel accounts through the same marketplace simultaneously, irrespective of geographical boundaries. Using this, you can sell the same inventory using multiple accounts from a single location.

7. Automated Shipment & Tracking

E-commerce marketplace integration facilitates the automatic shipment of inventory. Centralised inventory management software allows you to connect with leading carriers to ensure each order is fulfilled and products are seamlessly delivered to customers on time. You can also track a shipment in real-time using marketplace integration. Once the product is released for delivery, all other details such as billing/shipping address, shipping carrier, tracking code, live location are shared with sellers to monitor from their own web portal.

8. Automated Live Notifications

E-commerce marketplace integration ensures that you get automated live notifications on your web portal. You can get instant updates on any new order received or rejected, low inventory, etc., live on your portal. You can further customise the marketplace for more live notifications.

Conclusion

Marketplace integration in e-commerce is essential for multi-channel e-commerce sellers like you, as it allows you the flexibility to sell across multiple channels through a single platform. It also enables you to consistently target more customers across various geographical regions and get real-time updates in order distribution. Most importantly, it reduces the manual effort of switching between various channels, thereby allowing you to upload products in bulk. It gives you more time at hand to devote to other critical processes.

How to Sell on Noon: Become a Top Seller on Noon in the Middle East

Team Unicommerce — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:57:10 +0000

E-commerce in the Middle East is developing at a great pace and online selling has become the new normal for retailers and brands in the Middle East due to a sudden shift seen in the behavior of customers.

The reasons for such a shift in behaviour is because of the variety of options available for consumers to shop from, the lower priced options and the convenience to get things delivered right at their doorsteps.

Sell on Noon in the Middle East

In order to make the most of the current situation of eCommerce in the GCC region, selling on the top online marketplaces and websites becomes important.

One of the biggest marketplaces in the GCC region is Noon, a fully homegrown digital marketplace that has been active since 2017.

Read this article to know more about the Omnichannel Retail Trends in the Middle East

Noon is a well-renowned marketplace with the biggest number of online sellers and a variety of products available. The platform is suitable for sellers who wish to sell new, used or refurbished products with the freedom to have complete visibility and control over their sales, operations, etc.

The platform provides two modes of selling, one that is known as Noon FBN or fulfilled by noon and the other as B2B to give flexible options to businesses.

But you may wonder, why exactly should you start selling on Noon and what all benefits can the platform offer to your business? Read on to find out.

Why Become a Seller on Noon?

Noon had recently concluded one of the biggest sales in the Middle East named Yellow Friday Sale for a full week starting November 24th 2020 until November 29th 2020. To make the sale even bigger, Noon got the biggest Bollywood Starts including Shah Rukh Khan to encourage shoppers to shop during the sale by sharing a video message.

The Yellow Friday sale was started in 2018 by the marketplace to engage more and more audiences, provide them with amazing offers and discounts and ultimately increase profits and boost sales. The event became a huge success in the very first year, and seeing that Noon came back with an even bigger sale this year, 25 million sized sales to be exact!

The leading marketplace offered discounts up to 80% on the original price and sold items from almost all product lines, including beauty, gadgets, accessories, clothes and a lot more, the sale saw a massive jump in terms of profits and customer footfall.

With such a large customer base and more than thousands of sellers already present on the platform, it is quite understandable why you need to start your e-commerce selling at Noon.

Apart from just the why, you also get a plethora of benefits when you begin selling from the platform, some of which include:

Great exposure to audiences
More traffic on your website/online store
Increase in the pool of customers
More trust amongst shoppers to buy from you
Little to no requirement of having your own workspace
Lesser manual dependency
More to learn with the help of Noon support and teaching centres

Now that you know why, let us move on to the how, as in what are the methods and steps to start selling on the platform.

How to Become a Seller on Noon?

In order to begin your eCommerce sales on Noon, there are certain requirements that you need to fulfil based on which you will be eligible to become a Noon seller and take your eCommerce business to the next level.

1. For Registration

The first of it all is to own a valid trading license and be a registered company in the UAE, KSA and Egypt. For those who have a license, the next step is to create an account on Noon.com, submit copies of all the required documents and pay a small amount known as a noon seller fees.

The list of important paper you need to have by your side when registering on the platform include:

Trading license or Commercial Registration
Passport or Residence ID
Residence VIsa for non-nationals
Proof of purchase/invoice
Letter from distribution authorization, or a manufacturer permit/certificate
VAT certificate or VAT non-enrollment declaration for those who aren’t registered

Once you are done with the documentation process, you need to wait for a week in order for the noon seller support team to check and validate the information shared by you and help you with any noon seller training if required.

2. For Payments

After your account is live, you need to give bank details in order to receive payments for all your sales and purchases. For that you need to provide the below details on a signed and stamped company letterhead:

Legal name of the company
Bank account number
Iban
Swift code
Bank branch
Store currency (once chosen, it wouldn’t be possible to change it in the future)
Cancelled check that has company’s legal name, the bank account number, and IBAN

3. For Fulfilment

Post activation of your account, you can choose either one of Noon fulfilment options that the platform offers or even go with both the options as long as your inventory is kept separately for each of the options.

Noon B2B Fulfilment

Going for the basic B2B or Back to Back selling mode of fulfilment, you are in charge of handling and maintaining your products. Once you receive an order the Noon logistics team known as noon express picks up the order from your facility and takes it to their own fulfilment centre from where it is packed, shipped and delivered.

The advantage of choosing this mode of operation is that you get to have complete control of the pricing, processing and quality of your products.

Noon FBN

When you choose Noon FBN or Fulfilled by noon, you allow the marketplace to store your products in their own fulfilment centres, manage and maintain it and deliver to the customers from there itself.

The benefit of choosing this mode of operation is that you only have to focus on promoting your business and fixing the prices. All of these are the legal requirements that you must have in order to be a Noon seller but just beginning on the marketplace will not give you immediate profits, you require the right technology support to handle your operations, maintain your inventory, order and fulfilment, manage warehouse operations and much more.

Let’s Start Selling on Noon!

Selling on Noon is not just about listing your products; it’s about leveraging the platform’s reach and capabilities to grow your business. With its user-friendly interface, robust fulfillment options, and supportive seller environment, Noon stands out as a premier destination for e-commerce in the Middle East. By embracing this platform, businesses can significantly expand their customer base, increase their sales, and establish a strong presence in the rapidly growing digital marketplace

How Robust Marketplace Integration Transforms E-commerce Order Management

Team Unicommerce — Tue, 09 May 2023 07:04:01 +0000

E-commerce order management is the back-end process for managing and fulfilling online orders. It’s responsible for ensuring that when a customer clicks “Buy Now,” everything flows seamlessly from there on. This encompasses a wide range of tasks, from routing orders and generating shipping labels to handling returns and managing refunds.

The significance of effective e-commerce order management cannot be overstated. It directly impacts customer satisfaction, which in turn affects your business’s reputation and bottom line. One key aspect that plays a pivotal role in the efficiency of e-commerce order management is marketplace integration.

The Role of Marketplace Integration in Order Management

Marketplace integration refers to the process of connecting your single selling platform with various online marketplaces, creating a seamless flow of information between your store and external platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and others.

This integration enables a centralized management system, streamlining various aspects of e-commerce order management. It acts as a bridge that brings together your product listings, inventory management, order processing, and customer data, creating a unified and synchronized ecosystem.

Let’s take the case of a small business owner who sells handmade crafts on both their Shopify store and Flipkart. Before, they had to manually update product listings, inventory levels, and order statuses on each platform separately.

However, after getting an Order Management System with integrated marketplaces, when a sale occurs on Flipkart, the inventory levels are automatically updated on both Flipkart and their Shopify store. Additionally, order details are seamlessly synchronized, eliminating the need for manual input and reducing the chances of errors.

Benefits of E-commerce Marketplace Integrations

Here are some advantages of integrating marketplaces with your single selling platform:

1. Streamlined Processes and Reduced Errors

Marketplace integration eliminates manual data entry of orders on multiple channels, reducing the chances of errors and ensuring that information is consistently updated across all platforms. This streamlining of processes leads to a more efficient and error-free order management system.

RSA Global, a Dubai-based digital supply chain and e-commerce logistics solutions provider, recognized the importance of modernizing its logistics operations. To gain access to widely-used e-commerce marketplaces, RSA Global opted for robust order management.

The system seamlessly facilitated RSA’s integration with Amazon, Noon, and Custom Website (WooCommerce). These integrations allowed for real-time data synchronization, simplifying data exchange and reducing the risk of manual errors.

2. Real-Time Inventory Management on All Sales Channels

This integration extends beyond order management, enabling the synchronization of inventory levels across all connected marketplaces and the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) store. By creating a unified inventory source for all platforms, this approach streamlines processes and enhances inventory forecasting capabilities, preventing challenges like overselling or stockouts.

A well-known footwear brand, Neeman’s, required diverse marketplace integrations such as Amazon, Flex, Flipkart, and Shopify, Neeman’s implemented a solution to seamlessly integrate its inventory and manage orders across all required platforms. This has significantly contributed to Neeman’s ability to maintain a steady inventory flow, meeting the demands of its tech-savvy customer base with efficiency.

3. Automated Order Processing

As your business scales, manually processing orders becomes impractical. Marketplace integration establishes seamless connections between the business’s selling platform and various online marketplaces. This integration allows for the automatic transmission of order details, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of errors.

The integrated system automatically updates order statuses, providing customers with timely information about their purchases from confirmation to delivery. Automated order processing expedites fulfillment tasks, ensuring products are picked, packed, and dispatched efficiently. The result is a smoother transaction process and reduced manpower costs.

4. Seamless Returns Management

Efficient returns management in e-commerce is achieved through the seamless integration of marketplace platforms with a robust Order Management System (OMS). This integration centralizes returns processing, allowing businesses to handle both Customer-Initiated Returns (CIRs) and Returns to Origin (RTO) with ease.

The streamlined communication between multiple sales channels ensures real-time data exchange, reducing manual intervention and enhancing visibility into return trends. The automated features of the OMS, such as generating return labels and updating inventory levels, contribute to cost reduction by minimizing manual efforts.

5. Data-Driven Decision-Making

Marketplace integration serves as a powerful tool for businesses, consolidating data from diverse platforms to facilitate informed decision-making. By seamlessly connecting with various online marketplaces, businesses gain access to a wealth of information, including customer behavior, sales trends, and product performance.

Analyzing trends becomes more nuanced as businesses can identify patterns in consumer preferences, popular products, and peak buying periods. The real-time synchronization of data ensures that businesses are working with the most current information, enhancing the accuracy of trend analysis.

Let’s Leverage the Power of Marketplace Integrations!

A well-functioning order management system is crucial for the success of any e-commerce business. Marketplace integration emerges as a key player, seamlessly connecting your single selling platform with external marketplaces for a smoother operation. Any business that is not capitalizing on the power of marketplace integrations may find itself navigating unnecessary challenges.

In today’s competitive e-commerce landscape, where every click counts, the imperative is to leverage this integration as a strategic advantage. Therefore, the call to action is clear, let’s leverage the power of marketplace integrations to propel your e-commerce business forward.

Explore our platforms:

E-commerce Apparel Industry in India: Trends, Challenges, Opportunities & Solutions

Team Unicommerce — Thu, 26 Jan 2023 12:00:50 +0000

India is the second largest producer of textiles and garments in the world. India’s fashion and apparel industry is a significant contributor to the country’s economy, accounting for 2.3% of the GDP. The industry is projected to experience strong growth in the coming years, with a projected CAGR of 10%, and is expected to reach US$ 190 billion by 2025-26.

E-commerce Apparel Industry in India

According to the Indian E-commerce Trends Report of Unicommerce, the online fashion and accessories industry in India witnessed an order volume growth of 20.9%, becoming the segment with the highest order volumes in FY22 as compared to the previous financial year.

The apparel industry is known for its ability to adapt to change, with new trends and styles emerging regularly. Change has always been the wardrobe essential of this industry, happening almost every quarter of each year. This constant need for adaptation also brings its own set of challenges for the industry.

Keeping up with the fast-paced nature of the industry can be difficult for brands and retailers, as they need to stay ahead of the latest trends and styles while also managing costs and maintaining profitability. With a rotational shift happening in the industry, Unicommerce decided to go ahead and curate e-commerce fashion trends, challenges, opportunities, and solutions that can help you manage and schedule your business action plan in 2023!

Let’s look at the growing trends, challenges, opportunities & solutions in the apparel industry.

Apparel Industry Trends

The apparel industry is constantly evolving, with new trends emerging each season. Here are a few of the key trends to watch in the industry in the coming year:

Trend #1: Fashioning the Future With Sustainability

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental impact of the clothing they purchase. As a result, sustainable fashion, also known as eco-fashion or ethical fashion, is becoming an increasingly important trend in the industry.

Brands are increasingly using organic cotton, bamboo, and linen, which are grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Recycled materials, such as recycled polyester and nylon, are also becoming more popular as they help to reduce waste and pollution.

Another key aspect of sustainable fashion is the use of sustainable production methods. This includes reducing water and energy consumption, using low-impact dyes, and implementing fair labor practices. As consumers become more conscious about their purchasing power and environmental impact, it is expected that sustainable fashion production will become increasingly important.

Trend #2: Revolutionizing Fashion With Athleisure

Athleisure, a trend that combines athletic and leisure wear, has been revolutionizing the fashion industry in recent years. This trend has been driven by the increasing popularity of comfortable, functional clothing worn both in and out of the gym.

As per Statista:The sports and athleisure retail market in India was valued at 158 billion Indian rupees in financial year 2021, and estimated to grow to 402 billion rupees by financial year 2025. Footwear made up the largest chunk of the market during the measured time period, amounting to about 90 billion rupees in 2021, and projected to grow by 21 percent by 2025.

Brands are now offering a wider range of options, from performance-focused gear to more casual and street-style pieces. This has led to the creation of new styles, such as the fusion of athletic wear with formal wear, and has opened up new possibilities for fashion designers.

Another aspect of athleisure is the use of technology, such as moisture-wicking fabric and UV protection, to enhance the functionality of athletic wear. Apparel businesses are investing in research and development to create new fabrics and technologies that can improve the performance of athletic wear.

Overall, athleisure has been a game-changer in the fashion industry, with its versatility and functionality driving the demand for athletic wear. As the trend continues to evolve, it’s likely that we’ll see more innovations in the design, materials, and technology of athletic wear, making it even more appealing to consumers.

Trend #3: Market Growth Headed by Women and Kids Wear

The shift in lifestyle and priorities of modern women is leading to a greater focus on self-awareness and appearance, driving growth in the women’s apparel market. As they are becoming more conscious of their fashion choices, the demand for trendy and fashionable clothing is increasing.

The market for kids’ wear is driven by factors such as the increasing number of working mothers and the growing trend of parents investing in high-quality clothing for their children. According to a recent report by Wazir Advisors, India’s kids’ wear market is expected to reach INR 1,23,000 Crores by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 13%.

In terms of product segments, the market for women’s wear is segmented into ethnic wear, western wear, and lingerie. Western wear is expected to be the most lucrative segment in the women’s wear market, driven by the increasing demand for casual and formal wear. With the growth of e-commerce, the market is expected to continue growing, providing opportunities for fashion retailers and manufacturers.

Trend #4: Style and Functionality are Key to Modern Consumers’ Wardrobe

When it comes to fashion, modern consumers are looking for clothing that not only looks good but also serves a purpose. The combination of style and functionality is becoming increasingly important in today’s wardrobe. Consumers are looking for comfortable, durable, and versatile clothing that can be worn for different occasions and meet different needs.

Functionality is especially important for activewear and athleisure, as consumers seek clothing that can keep up with their busy lifestyles and support their physical activities. Fashion, on the other hand, fashion is essential in creating a unique and personal style. Consumers are looking for clothing that reflects their personal tastes and preferences and makes them stand out.

Brands are responding to this by offering a wide range of options, from classic and timeless styles to trendy and fashion-forward pieces. As lifestyles and fashion preferences evolve, brands and retailers that understand and respond to these needs will be well-positioned to succeed in the market.

Trend #5: The Growing Era of Digital First Brands

The apparel industry is currently experiencing a shift towards digital-first brands. These brands prioritize online sales and digital marketing over traditional brick-and-mortar retail and are utilizing technology to create a seamless and personalized shopping experience for consumers.

One of the biggest advantages of digital-first brands is their ability to reach a global audience through e-commerce. These brands can sell directly to consumers, bypassing traditional retail channels and cutting down on costs. This allows them to offer a wide range of products at competitive prices.

With the advancement in technology and more people turning to the internet for fashion inspiration and shopping, digital-first brands will have a significant opportunity to thrive in the industry.

Opportunities in the Apparel Industry

The Indian textile and apparel market has significant growth potential, with the industry projected to reach $190 billion by 2025-26. To reach this target and establish a sustainable textile industry, Indian businesses must take advantage of government support schemes, meet global buyer sustainability demands, and prioritize supply chain traceability.

Government policies and regulations have directed their focus on this industry. Mr. Piyush Goyal, the Minister of Textiles, announced that the Indian government plans to create 75 textile hubs across the country. Not to mention the government has also reduced the custom duty rates on caprolactam, nylon chips, and nylon fiber and yarn to 5%. These regulations have created plenty of opportunities for the Textile and Apparel Industry in the e-commerce sector.

With lined-up opportunities, there come several challenges for simplified apparel e-commerce.

Current & Future Challenges and Problems in the Apparel Industry

The new trends, changing consumer habits, and market shifts have shed light on the new challenges the e-commerce apparel industry is facing in 2023.

Difficulty in managing customized order allocation and inventory sync
Unable to align warehouse operations manually
The impact of COVID-19 and the need to adapt to the changing retail landscape and consumer behavior
Inability to manage deliveries, leading to a higher % of Customer Initiated Returns (CIR)
Hard to align multiple sales channels and offline stores alongside
Back-breaking for e-commerce platforms to manage multiple vendors
Untimely and inefficient delivery of products
No stock rotation leading to outdated stock
The increased cost of Reverse Logistics
The need to navigate the complex and ever-changing regulations and compliance requirements
Poor management of returns and cancellations
Difficulty in predicting and managing demand, inventory, and logistics

Evolving Practices as a Solution to Challenges in the Apparel Industry

Starting up your own fashion e-commerce business has never been easier, especially post the pandemic. Right from managing the inventory and warehouse operations to timely updating the digital attire of an e-commerce store, the aspects are many. But with the advancement of technology, it has become important to adopt some upcoming practices, aligning the sales with your operations.

Following are some of the upcoming e-commerce practices that act as a solution to the challenges you are witnessing during these tough times.

Delivering Omnichannel Experiences

It has become imperative to provide customers with a seamless experience at all touchpoints. Integrating and aligning offline and online channels together helps both businesses and customers develop better relationships. Omnichannel retail offers unhindered shopping experiences to customers and helps keep the inventory and stock levels uniform. With its advanced Omnichannel solution, Unicommerce has enabled effortless business operations & tremendous growth for Iconic Fashion India.

Serving Directly With the D2C Business Model

D2C is quite a recent approach wherein brands deal with customers directly, eliminating intermediaries. While many new brands are adopting this strategy, some established brands are switching from traditional business models to D2C models. According to Unicommerce’s e-commerce Q3 2022 trends report, the e-commerce industry witnessed robust order volume growth of 48.3% through the brand websites, while marketplaces recorded a 21.5% order volume growth.

But the question is, what makes it so different that almost all the new brands are swearing by this approach? Well, the biggest advantage for a D2C brand is that they can shorten the time to sell the products, giving their customers a better price while earning a higher margin. Direct to Consumer (D2C) e-commerce allows the original brand voice to come in front, giving brands better engagement with their customers. Moreover, the new-age solutions of Unicommerce are made specifically for D2C brands like Enamor, Chumbak, etc., to scale on higher revenues.

Why Unicommerce?

Unicommerce – Solutions to problems in the Textile and Garment industry

Unicommerce, the #1 cloud-based e-commerce solution, is focused on changing the face of Indian Fashion retail. It is on a mission to automate the largely scattered apparel industry to make it technology-driven. Its Order and Warehouse Management solutions help to automate clients’ supply chain operations for both online and offline businesses (B2B and B2C). Moreover, Unicommerce comes with 200+ integrations; Cart, Marketplaces, Logistics, ERP, and POS systems to manage the needs of Wholesalers, Distributors, Retail Chains, Individual Store owners, and e-commerce sellers to increase revenue and save operations costs.

Unicommerce’s robust supply chain technology solutions have resulted in exponential business growth, & improved unit economics for over 20,000+ global marketplaces & brands across India, the Middle East, the Philippines, and Southeast Asia. Some of the notable clientele of Unicommerce in the fashion and apparel industry include TCNS Clothing Co. LTD. (W, Aurelia, Elleven), Oryvo, Brand Studio, Bestseller (Vero Moda, Jack & Jones, Only), Being Human, GAP, GANT, Crocs, etc.

Below is a quick brief about Unicommerce’s offerings; click the links to know more in detail.

Advanced Warehouse Management – Unicommerce helps track inventory counts and manage dispatched and allocated orders, making the flow of operations simpler and more efficient. Moreover, you get a real-time update on the entire warehouse operations across multiple locations.
Omnichannel Solution – Unicommerce offers an Omnichannel Solution so that you can route online orders to the nearest offline store.
ERP/ POS management – All the current ERP/POS systems (Tally, Base, Oracle, Navision, SAP, etc.) get effortlessly integrated into our omnichannel software product
Bundle Management – Unicommerce has a Bundle Management feature that lets you create combo packs while updating combo product SKUs in real-time across multiple sales channels.
Logistics Integration – Unicommerce helps brands reduce cancellations and returns as it automates the whole process, ensuring the right product gets shipped to the customers
Unified Vendor Panels – With the Vendor Management solution, e-commerce fashion retailers can seamlessly manage suppliers via centralized login.
Centralized Inventory Management – To enable more significant cost savings, the efficient Inventory Management system restricts bad stock while minimizing the risk of overselling.
Accurate Report Analysis – Unicommerce lets you analyze and scrutinize your daily operations with its Dashboard segment. You can track the number of orders fulfilled, Sales achieved, Returns progressed, etc.
E-commerce Returns Management – Managing RTO and CIR are not difficult anymore. Unicommerce offers a comprehensive returns management solution through a centralized panel to manage returns across all sales channels, amplifying your overall sales profits.
Marketplace Integration – Having come pre-integrated with 40+ marketplaces, Unicommerce lets you sell efficiently across multiple sales channels such as Amazon, Myntra, Flipkart, etc.
Simplified Fulfillment – Unicommerce simplifies the process of fulfillment with its fastest and error-free order fulfillment feature.

To coincide, e-commerce brands in the fashion and apparel industry are rising. The Apparel industry is entering a phase where the opportunities are endless, provided the sector is getting constant assistance and support from the government. New and updated practices are required to address the rising challenges. However, online fashion brands must reorganize their business model to cater to evolving demands of the competitive business environment.

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How to Sell on Lazada Marketplace in Southeast Asia

Team Unicommerce — Fri, 03 Sep 2021 10:07:38 +0000

In the digital age of technology, there are a plethora of options available for sellers to sell their products using online marketplaces. Gone are the days when there were a few marketplaces. In the third decade, especially after the outbreak of the pandemic, online marketplaces have become a savior for both the buyer and the seller as the former gets the option to swear by a variety of products while the latter gets the opportunity to boost business sales volume.

But the increasing options have also created a cluster in the minds of the sellers. Measuring the benefits, and drawbacks of each might seem like an easy task but it could be daunting in nature if you don’t research well.

Talking about the eCommerce industry in the ASEAN countries, there has been a dramatic upsurge in online sales as according to an article by HKTDC Research 40 million people chose online over offline in 2020 alone, increasing the total number of sellers to 400 million from 250 million in 2015. Moreover, Indonesia has been found to have the highest eCommerce adoption with 87% of its internet users having purchased online via devices.

Are you looking to sell across South East Asia? Well, Lazada is one of the most well-known marketplaces in the South East Asian countries. If you are determined to expand your business in the region, it should be on your top-5 list. Let’s check out the exclusive features of the marketplace that can help you build retail capabilities and amplify your business profit margins.

Why Should You Start Selling On Lazada?

Being one of the best marketplaces platforms in the Southeast Asia region, Lazada has the advantage of a wider customer base over other marketplaces. Moreover, Lazada is one of the biggest shopping marketplaces in the SEA region. As per an article by Money Learning Centre, they have more than 300 million Stock Keep Units (SKUs) across all product categories. Apart from their highly affordable fee module, you can leverage their UX- focused design features. Let’s study the reasons for selling in the marketplace.

Robust Logistics Support: With end-to-end logistics support, Lazada helps the sellers to strengthen their delivery expertise while fulfilling orders quickly.
Secured Transactions: Having a safe and seamless transaction infrastructure, they offer intuitive and innovative digital payment options which are beneficial to both the sellers and the customers.
Variety of Options: Merchants and sellers who wish to sell on the platform have a plethora of options to sell across 18 categories under the convenience of one roof.
Gigantic Sales Events: Lazada presents huge retail opportunities amid the last quarter of the year with huge sales events highlighted by the double number dates; 9/9, 10/10, 11/11, and 12/12. Every year a huge number of bargain hunters swear by the idea of the one-day sales events.
New Sellers: For those who are budding entrepreneurs, it’s a great opportunity to acquire customers as the platform has the power to help you retain more prospective buyers.
No Hidden Cost: Another advantage Lazada has over other marketplaces is that there is no hidden cost charged by them, helping you amplify the profit margins.
Easy-To-Use: While the backend of other sales channels could be quite tricky, It’s simple to use infrastructure that helps you sell products with just a few clicks can help you create a fully immersive experience.
Single Lazada Account: One of the best things about Lazada is that you can sell your products in different countries with just a single Lazada account without worrying about the logistics in multiple accounts.

With lined-up features of Lazada, you need to follow the below-mentioned steps while starting your own business on Lazada.

Step-By-Step Guide to Onboard as a Seller on Lazada

#1 Registration Formalities
In order to sell on Lazada, your first step is to register your company on the platform and fill in the necessary documentation. If you have a local business license, Lazada gives you an option to register over Lazada Local.

#2 Dive into Training Sesh
To become a successful seller on Lazada, training sessions are a must. Curated to help you give in-depth information about the interface, the training process focuses on each and every detail so that you are well acquainted with terms and policies.

#3 Activating Seller Account
After the registration, your account will be checked thoroughly for verification purposes. Once it is done, you will be sent an email, containing instructions that you need for the next steps.

#4 Product Listings
Listing products on Lazada is your initial step to proceed with the selling process. In order to sell efficiently, you need to fill in the details of the products online, including product specifications, product description, image, etc. While you must add each and every detail of the product, it’s important to be precise and write crisp copy.

Pro tip: Use high-resolution images to seize the attention of the prospects!

What to Sell on Lazada?

Known for its versatility, Lazada is the marketplace where a seller can sell any sort of product, right from gadgets to apparel to home appliances. The best part about the marketplace is that it does not charge hidden fees from its sellers. Nonetheless, it’s important for you to understand their fee model in order to learn their commission structure based on which you will be making your sales. Also, if you are planning to start your own business on Lazada, through this commission model of Lazada you will get a blueprint about the particular products that can yield more revenue.

Lazada Fee structure consists of the following:

The commission structure of the order varies according to the category of the product. Generally, it ranges from 1% to 4%.
Coming over to the Value added tax, it depends on the country you want to sell your products in. While Lazada Malaysia charges the lowest fee of 6%, you will be charged the highest in the Lazada Philippines, which accounts for 12%.
If we talk about the account processing fee, it is 2% of the total sales price.
Products such as drones, DSLR, Laptops, printers, scanners, televisions, etc., charge a 1% commission.
Talking about the product categories including, Health & Beauty, Home & Living, Pet Supplies, Fashion, Travel & Luggage, and more, charge 4%.

4 Strategic Ways To Grow Sales On Lazada

One of the most crucial aspects of selling over a marketplace is the competitive nature that makes it complex for the sellers to distinguish themselves from the competition. Here are a few techniques you can use to grow your business sales with Lazada. Read On!

1. Robust Inventory Management –

Manage your inventory operations seamlessly to keep a track of the stock-in-hand so that you don’t witness the situation of stockouts.
Deploy a single panel that can allow you to have better control over your inventory. You can enable inventory management systems like Unicommerce, which helps you to minimize the risk of overselling while automating inventory tracking for increased cash flow.
Update inventory across the marketplace by automating the operations that can increase the visibility of stock, minimizing the order cancellations

2. Streamlined Order Management –

Manage your order operations by deploying one of the best order management software systems – Unicommerce that enables sellers to allocate orders and deliver them quickly
Integrate your system with barcode scanners that will eventually facilitate smooth order processing and returns management
Emphasis on order returns to manage both RTO & CIR returns while hastening the order returns process to build long-term relationships with your customers

3. Diversified Product Range –

Include a wide range of products in your portfolio so that your customers don’t feel monotony in your shopping format
Make the most of the cutting-edge technology, and try to bring differentiation factor in your product
Introducing diverse parameters, including multiple colors, shapes, designs, usage, will help you to persuade the customers easily

4. Cross Border Selling With LazGlobal Seller –

If you are based in China/Korea/Japan, Lazada gives you an option to become an international seller
Take the benefits from LazGlobal Seller and access a wide array of tools to expose your offerings to a wider customer base
Maintain your logistics and fulfillment center in such a way that it becomes easier for you to manage your social presence beyond the borders from the convenience of your devices

To wrap it up, it could be highly fruitful to register your interest in Lazada if you are planning to make a mark in ASEAN countries because undoubtedly Lazada is one of the biggest platforms in the region. Moreover, you can be hyper-active in maintaining your account hygiene over the marketplace, which will eventually pull off the attention of your customers. So, go on and get ready to boost your business with Lazada Marketplace.

Read how businesses are growing with Unicommerce –

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