Does drop shipping create mistrust with customers.

Why do so many e-comm sites avoid mention of drop shipping.

[lgn1]

In our industry, close to 100% of ecommerce merchants have adopted drop shipping as a business model. And Im talking about mature businesses in a mature niche industry; not some coffee table operation.

Yet very few mention that the products are shipped directly from the manufactuer.

Drop Shipping (with real time inventory control integration, etc), is a win-win situation with the consumer, from receiving there shipment quicker, greater stock choice, and a reduced carbon footprint from the enviornmental side.

Yet I have not seen a company proudly promote that they drop ship; and list all the advantages; as a marketing tool.

Why are ecommerce sites lurking in the shadows when it comes to drop shipping?

The closest I have seen, is mention that products may ship from multiple warehoues (that just happens to be in the same city as the manufactuer).

We are thinking about comimg out of the closet about or drop shipping activity, and where the label as a proud progessive company with envionmental concerns.

[Digmen1]

I am a small manufacturer.
I think drop shipping is OK and legit.
I have not used it yet, but may do when I can expand to the USA and UK.
It is really just fullfillemnt.

Did you see the American tv program "Undercover Boss" ? they did a program on GSI commerce which is fullfillment company.

They had a huge warehouse and lots of staff, and the boss could hardly keep up packing goods.

[Digmen1]

As a westerner I prefer to buy western made goods, but they are fast disappearing.
As to the guy who refuses to use Chinese products, tell him not to fly on the new "American" Beoing dreamliner when it starts flying. The tailplane is made in China.

Don't worry, lots of programming jobs are being outsourced to Asia as well.

Soon the only safe jobs will be hairdressing, nursing and homecare.

We in the west have to start dropping our wages a few percent each year.

[MrHard]

What a customer is really paying for is to get what they ordered and service, not HOW it gets there.

Customers are not consultants and it's not good business to divulge who your suppliers are, how much you are making on an order, or other internal info.

You never really know who's on the other end. Could be the online competition, brick and mortars who are trying to jeopardize your relationships with distributors, people looking for spec sheet with production instructions to steal ideas, or whatever else.

[Edge]

Dropshippers have no quality control.

What? and Walmart, Target, Sears, Home Depot, etc. and any other of the millions of retailers do?

Recently I had to replace the tires on my wifes car. Mazda 3 - has the low profile thingy's and nobody had the size in stock. Everybody needed a day or so to order from the warehouse.

I had them ordered (read Drop Ship to thier business) and install the tires on my wifes car.

Bottom line is that they did not stock the tires and had to order and get delivered.

Everything worked out just fine...