Logistics Plus Founder and CEO Jim Berlin spoke to local media yesterday about the recent announcement that Amazon will be opening a new, final-mile fulfillment center in Erie, Pennsylvania. Jim, and other local area leaders, say that an expansion like this can help other companies realize how Erie is an ideal location. According to Jim, one of the best parts of Erie is the easy access to larger cities.
“You think about it, 79 is a major highway south and 90 is a major highway east and west and we are right on that,” said Jim in the interview. “So it’s great for access. It’s great for Canada. You’re only an hour and a half from the Canadian border and a large population is East Coast. So I came out of the trucking business and we used to say you’re mostly two days away from the population by truck.”
Companies that sell through Amazon must contemplate whether it makes sense to use Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) services or consider third-party warehousing alternatives to FBA. When making this important business decision, it is crucial that companies understand the benefits of third-party logistics (3PL) while recognizing some of the potential downfalls associated with FBA. Here are a few issues that Amazon retailers face, and ways that 3PL companies such as Logistics Plus can help:
Cause: Due to the decreasing space at Amazon fulfillment and warehousing centers, the costs continue to increase and fluctuate by month. Between the months of January-September and October-December, Amazon retailers can expect about a 245% increase in monthly storage prices.
Logistics Plus Solution: By offering complementary, but lower-priced FBA-related services, Logistics Plus can provide more flexibility with packaging and warehousing, along with predictable and stable pricing all year long (see examples below). We can also help address sellers needs for omnichannel fulfillment strategies.
Issue: Supply chain visibility and unknown locations of products.
Cause: Due to the high volume of products and limited capacities of FBA warehouses, products may become lost or damaged, leaving the customer wondering where their product is located or being held. When Amazon struggles to offer this valuable information to their customers, this can often lead to a frustrating experience.
Logistics Plus Solution: Logistics Plus is able to track and locate products much easier because it is much smaller and more nimble than Amazon; and Logistics Plus warehouse management system (WMS) technology provides customers with complete, real-time status of products entering or leaving one of its warehouses (we support both LIFO and FIFO inventory systems).
Issue: Customer service communication and cooperation.
Cause: Due to the amount of retailers selling on Amazon, the customer service responses can often be delayed. Buyers and sellers tend to have multiple questions to make sure they know exactly what Amazon is doing with their orders. Working through these questions, a retailer can often expect a significant amount of time on hold, often without final resolution.
Logistics Plus Solution: By employing an efficient and cooperative call center solution, Logistics Plus will tend to every customer’s needs. Whether it is a quote on your next import or a simple question regarding the status of your inventory, Logistics Plus will provides answers quickly.
If you’re a retailer that sells on Amazon and you’re contemplating third-party warehousing alternatives to FBA, then contact Logistics Plus. As an endorsed member of the Amazon Global Selling Solutions Provider Network, we know Amazon and we know Amazon sellers well.
Logistics Plus Fulfillment Solutions (LPFS) has opened a new fulfillment center in Dallas, TX. We now have three primary ecommerce fulfillment centers located in Olean, NY, Ontario, CA, and now, Dallas, TX. Logistics Plus can manage your inventory and provide nationwide Amazon FBA prep and storage, direct fulfillment, and omnichannel fulfillment solutions at any or all of these facilities. We can also provide call center services and returns management.
Logistics Plus Inc. is a leading worldwide provider of transportation, warehousing, fulfillment, logistics, and supply chain solutions. This video provides a quick look at “8 Keys to eCommerce Success.” If you are an eCommerce retailer or merchant looking for logistics, warehousing, and fulfillment expertise – we can help! Logistics Plus was named a 2018 Top 3PL Provider by Multichannel Merchant, and we are an approved third-party provider on the Amazon Solutions Provider Network for international shipping, Amazon prep, storage, and customs brokerage solutions. We have the experience, resources and capabilities to help you implement a successful eCommerce program for your business.
Amazon has introduced a new program called Supply Chain Connect for merchants using Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) services. This new program is designed to enhance seller-supplier efficiencies and increase control of inbound shipping to Amazon fulfillment centers (FCs). Logistics Plus, being an approved third-party Amazon solutions provider, is a full participant in this new program.
Sellers currently have two methods to deliver inventory from suppliers to Amazon FCs. One is to have the merchandise delivered to their own facilities and then prepare and ship the items to Amazon FCs themselves. Another is to have a third-party supplier ship the merchandise directly to Amazon FCs on their behalf, in which case the seller would have to coordinate between the supplier and Amazon. With Amazon Supply Chain Connect, FBA sellers can choose to have their third-party suppliers (such as Logistics Plus) send items to Amazon FCs using the same Seller Central portal they already use for all of their Amazon-related shipments.
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Program Advantages
New Supplier Portal: A central supplier gateway where designated suppliers can develop your FBA shipments.
Reduced Lead Time: Suppliers can enter box content information and instantly download FBA shipment and item labels removing the need for back and forth communication, following a decrease in lead time.
Streamlined Process: Suppliers have the resources needed to carry out shipments with greater precision and become more mindful of the Amazon shipping processes.
Fulfillment Flexibility: By having streamlined communications with suppliers regarding your Amazon shipments, eCommerce merchants can continue to use third-party logistics companies to support all of their omni-channel fulfillment needs.
When a merchant chooses an Amazon Partnered Carrier, the results are lower costs and greater visibility for Amazon. Throughout the months leading up to Christmas, FBA sellers often describe complications of shipments to Amazon FCs that end up in limbo. Supply Chain Connect could likely clear up these issues for sellers, enhancing the fulfillment process. Here are two scenarios in which sellers can use the Supply Chain Connect program in conjunction with Logistics Plus Fulfillment Solutions and their Amazon Seller Central accounts:
Process for Merchants that utilize Seller Central and Logistics Plus manages the process
The client emails to let us know what they want sent into Amazon.
We log into their Seller Central account, create the shipment, confirm the PO and print all necessary ASIN labels.
We prepare the shipment and enter the details back into Seller Central.
We then print the shipping labels/BOL and complete the PO.
Process for Merchants that handle their own Seller Central account:
Client will set up the shipment in Seller Central themselves and then email the details to us, including the template for the labels.
We prepare the shipment, label, pack and send the details back to the client via email.
When the shipping labels/BOL are available they are sent back to us via email.
The fulfillment experts at Logistics Plus stay up to date on Amazon guidelines and information so that our clients don’t have to. We guarantee that our work is up to their requirements. We can do simple shipments, or we can handle very detailed assembly work prior to shipping. Let us know if we can help you address your Amazon or eCommerce fulfillment challenges.
Companies that sell through Amazon must contemplate whether it makes sense to use Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA) services or consider third-party warehousing alternatives to 
