For a while, cosmetics has been one of the highest-grossing businesses in the US, especially for new startups and business owners. With up to $114 billion in the coming years, it is undoubtedly the best market niche to enter if you want a new business opportunity.
There are two main issues here: 1. Its fragile nature, and 2. You must compete in the speed of fulfillment. So, if you can achieve good cosmetic fulfillment, you are set. So, let’s discuss in detail what this fulfillment requires and how you can start your new startup with ease.
How Does Cosmetic Fulfillment Work?
Like most other order fulfilments, beauty fulfillment works the same way with a few added steps or considerations. While we will discuss in detail what critical aspects you should consider for cosmetic fulfillment, here we will mention what added steps will be part of regular fulfillment.
- Agreement or Contract—Sign on with a 3PL company that handles your beauty fulfillment logistics. Ensure that they have specialized storage for cosmetics, proper kitting training, and assembly, and can easily handle reverse logistics.
- Online Orders—A customer visits your website or store and pays for a single order or multiple orders through different shops while on the same storefront.
- Order Notification—The seller and logistics support receive notification of the order placed. The logistics support will prepare for procurement and shipping to the warehouse.
- Packing, Kitting, and Dispatch—When orders are brought into the warehouse, they are stored in specialized, weather-controlled sections. If items from different suppliers are included, they are kitted together for the same customer and then dispatched.
- Delivery – The order is then delivered to the customers, and they are notified.
- Delivery Status—The customer, seller, and other stakeholders are notified at every step of the way, even when the customer receives the order. This step then completes cosmetic fulfillment.
- Returns—If the customer doesn’t like the order or there is some fault, the order is routed back to the supplier through the same process. The same care is implemented in return.
What Aspects Need to Be Considered for Cosmetic Fulfillment?
There is more care involved in beauty fulfillment than in other fulfillment services, and some of these considerations are as follows:
Date of Expiry
Due to shorter expiry times, the tracking is stricter, causing the orders to follow the FIFO, first in, first out policy. FIFO is very important to ensure customers receive the order in fresh and optimum condition.
Proper Certification
Cosmetics require proper certifications, such as cruelty-free, devoid of harmful chemicals, organic, and natural. It is important to check and verify these certificates during and after shipment.
Temperature
Cosmetics are fragile and sensitive to extreme temperature changes. They can easily change state during extreme heat or cold, so they must be kept under temperate conditions during storage and sometimes delivery lest they be spoiled.
Eco-Friendly Practices During Shipping
More and more customers are aware and demand eco-friendly packaging. They don’t want to contribute to the use of more plastics than necessary, so sustainable packaging and solutions are a must.
Secure Fragile Marked Packaging
Most cosmetics can be spoilt or spilled during distribution. Therefore, proper packaging in air pocket bags or bubble wrap is included. To avoid any damage or spillage, cardboard racks, and supports can even be used inside.
Rapid Turnover and Trends
Something always goes viral, causing a high turnover rate for products. Something selling like hotcakes today can cease to move around, while something mundane can be on the highest-demand list tomorrow. Companies and warehouses must accommodate such fast transitions and inventory management to keep up with these demands, and that too, at the fastest delivery times possible.
Fast Delivery
Not only do customers want their orders delivered promptly, but some sellers promise quick response and delivery. Any business must have channels that can accommodate this, even if at a premium, to keep customers loyal to its brand.
Pick & Pack in Beauty Fulfillment
Picking and packing in beauty fulfillment is similar to kitting services. The only difference is that it isn’t basket fulfillment; other than that, it is essentially assorting inventory to a similar destination.
This fulfillment service utilizes regular inventory and warehouse management systems. As soon as an order is placed, a code is generated for procurement and another for the warehouse. This generation allows a specific shelf space to be created for that order.
The arrivals are then scanned, which relates the information to WMS or IMS and tells the porter to place it in the right place. Once all the orders for a single destination arrive, they are moved to the dispatch area to be packed and dispatched.
Each item on this list has a unique identifier from source to warehouse arrival, placing it on shelves, moving it to the dispatch area, and during delivery to the customer.
When it comes to cosmetic fulfillment, special care is taken at each step. At arrival, items are handled with care and, depending on the package, placed in special temperature-controlled containers.
They are checked for integrity of packaging and packed with support or necessary packaging support when ready to dispatch. Bubble wrap, cardboard supports, or shelves are inserted to prevent the order from damage.
The picking and packing service is essential in beauty fulfillment as you don’t want the order damaged, spilled, or spoilt.
Kitting Service for Beauty Brands
The cosmetic industry is one of the top product lines that employs kitting services. This service is part of the kitting and assembly methodology, which caters to demand and supply in cosmetic fulfillment.
This service will take care of multiple orders from different suppliers or locations, but they will be distributed or dispatched to a single customer or company. During high demand season, this service will ensure supply chain channels aren’t clogged or delayed, thus saving costs and time.
Kitting is basically customer or warehouse inventory management. It involves selecting products from different lines, shops, and suppliers so they can be shipped together. Assembly is then bringing these various products or orders together as a single dispatch or product. Sometimes, it is called the basket order.
Kitting works best from sellers that offer multiple lines of cosmetic products, such as lipstick, shades, liners, bases, etc. This is true for both physical and online stores, where numerous products are in demand regularly.
FAQs about Cosmetic Fulfillment
When you cannot seamlessly contain your orders in the staging area available to you, your business is growing rapidly. You should now focus on the core of your business instead of cosmetic fulfillment and let the pros handle it for a small fee.
Many, if not all, cosmetic and beauty products are sensitive to extreme temperatures and somewhat humidity. If your warehouse doesn’t have an adequate weather control facility, it is more likely your products will be damaged. It can also cause discoloration and the product’s working efficiency.
The FDA regulations aren’t as stringent for beauty fulfillment as they are for drugs. As long as you have the proper certification before arrival, appropriate and true labeling, and ensure the safety of the product, you are good to go.
Beautify your Cosmetic Fulfillment with NextSmartShip
One of the biggest aspects of cosmetic fulfillment is the possibility of efficiently managing your supply chain. The process includes getting the best sources, marketing your order, ensuring timely supply, and maintaining long-term client and customer relationships. What sets NextSmartShip apart from other 3PL companies is that they provide all these services with extensive experience and competitive pricing.
They know how to do DTC marketing; that’s how they started it all. Furthermore, as they are China-based, they have the power to support your ambition with the best sourcing.
Finally, with the best global footprint in terms of regional warehouses, you don’t need additional service providers when NextSmartShip provides all these services under one roof.
Conclusion
Beauty fulfillment requires more care than other forms of fulfillment services, such as temperature control, packaging safety, and other services. Picking, Packing, Kitting, and assembly are just a few services that must be provided with cosmetic fulfillment. As long as you have an experienced, professional, and reliable 3PL, you can see your business boom. NextSmartShip delivers all of these and more services at a much more competitive pricing than the market. So get in touch with an expert today and see how they can tailor it to your business.
