Forum Moderators: buckworks
Say I have a local store in Canada and a fulfillment center setup in the US.
Now I can get products on demand from within the US (1-2 days shipping) but in Canada it takes 4-5 days to arrive.
Another catch is the US warehouse doesn't carry ALL the products that my ecommerce site will carry, the Canadian store will also not have all the products.
So in summary, each location will have a subset of the products.
Seeing as high of orders will be from the US, how should I setup my eCommerce site?
I don't want to make it confusing for the user, meaning, if a US customer goes to a page I don't want to show 'only for canadian customers' or visa versa.
I know I could IP target, but then I'm afraid of getting screwed by Google for 'cloaking'.
The reason for all of this mess is because certain suppliers will ONLY ship to my warehouse/retail store in Canada, even though they are in the US! They are just very strict!
Put a prefix on the product model #'s (or equivalent) to delineate which location is responsible for shipping the item, as well as to determine which products get the aforementioned "Flag".
I know I could IP target, but then I'm afraid of getting screwed by Google for 'cloaking'.
Not likely to happen. IP Based Delivery is very common these days. Google does it.
The reason for all of this mess is because certain suppliers will ONLY ship to my warehouse/retail store in Canada, even though they are in the US!
I really wish Manufacturers would get on the ball. I've run into numerous problems myself with MFGs not wanting to dropship or, they will only ship to our warehouses. Those are the business relationships that we look at very closely. Is it worth it?
They are just very strict!
I feel your pain, literally. Have you thought about bringing in a third party in the US to handle the shipping for you? Does that add too much cost in the process?
Also, what's the problem with shipping from Canada? I've ordered many products online that came from a Canadian location. In fact, I just received an item this week from Richmond Hill. :)
the problem is that there are only 1-2 real wholesalers in this industry (so its not about being worth it, but I have no choice!), and they refuse to ship to a fulfillment warehouse (only a retail store or a warehouse I own in Canada).
>>Why not ship from Canada
Well there are 20K SKU's, and I can't stock all of them so I was hoping to do a Just-In-Time operation in the beginning. Getting products to my warehouse here will take 3-5 days.
The problem is that there are only 1-2 real wholesalers in this industry (so its not about being worth it, but I have no choice!).
Niche markets and one of their limitations. :)
And they refuse to ship to a fulfillment warehouse (only a retail store or a warehouse I own in Canada).
That's a lose/lose situation. They lose potential sales and you have to maintain inventory for JIT.
Well there are 20K SKU's, and I can't stock all of them so I was hoping to do a Just-In-Time operation in the beginning.
I'm in a similar situation and the client has opted to stock "most popular" items in the warehouse and order when necessary from the manufacturer. I hate having inventory but in this case we have no choice if we wish to compete and maintain a loyal client following. They expect us to have what they want in stock. We're going to let them know ASAP if it is not and let them know lead times for delivery. Most will accept the delays. Their chosen method of shipping is usually a good indicator of whether or not the delay will be critical.
