The benefits of third-party magazine subscription fulfilment
If you're a magazine subscription service, you might want to outsource fulfilment. Find out more in our guide.
Magazine fulfilment is when you pick, pack and dispatch your magazine orders, typically on a subscription basis.
Magazine companies of all sizes face a choice. They can take care of fulfilment themselves, either stocking their mags on their company premises or at a warehouse that they rent or own. Or they can get a third party to do it for them – what's known as a "3PL" or "third-party logistics company".
Naturally, you can't get just anyone to handle your fulfilment services – not least because if an order goes missing or is delayed, it's you, not your 3PL, who gets the rap.
So, if you do go for third-party magazine subscription fulfilment, make sure you partner with an experienced, flexible 3PL with good-quality facilities and the ability to scale up and down.
But before we take a closer look at what to look for in a 3PL, here are five key reasons why third-party magazine subscription fulfilment can help your business grow.
1. It keeps the customer satisfied
Whether you're a magazine producer, stockist or both, chances are you have a to-do list that's longer than the Nile.
This isn't just stressful – it's also vulnerable to human error. Getting a third party to take care of the fulfilment process means that you can reduce your workload – and that your customers always get what they've paid for.
Working with a 3PL can also increase customer satisfaction by improving the doormat appeal of your deliveries.
There's a reason why big eCommerce firms have branded boxes. It's because delivery isn't the end of the customer journey. It's another way for you to connect with the customer and inspire them to shop with you again.
A good 3PL can help you design attractive, durable packaging that keeps the customer onside even after the purchase has been completed.
2. It lets you manage your subscriptions with ease
Subscription fulfilment isn't just about boxes and labels. It's also about tracking and managing orders.
Again, this is something you can do yourself – but when time is tight, it should be one of the first things to outsource.
A reputable 3PL will let you integrate your online store with its warehouse management system (WMS). This means all the information you need about your orders is visible and transparent.
No one gets into the magazine industry to pore over spreadsheets. Let a tried-and-trusted 3PL do the boring stuff for you.
3. It lets you spend less time on logistics
As anyone in the magazine industry knows, there's a fine art to magazine design and production. Each issue is the result of a myriad of moving parts – from design to content, from editing to branding.
A good magazine is like a Swiss watch. It's only as good as its finer details. This is good news for the reader but bad news for the producer – if, that is, they also have to handle fulfilment.
The same goes for magazine stockists and subscription services. Stocking, cataloguing and branding don't happen by themselves. They're the result of grit and graft.
At Stowsafe Fulfilment, we're passionate about picking, packing and dispatching. But we're under no illusions that to the outside observer, it's a bit, well… boring.
If you're already struggling to fit all your jobs into the working day, don't weigh yourself down further by arranging fulfilment logistics too. Leave it to the experts. That way, you can get on with all the other things that will help your brand grow.
4. It teaches you more about your subscriptions
A 3PL is only as good as its facilities, sure – but it's also only as good as its WMS.
This essential piece of software takes care of your inventory, updating sales, returns and dispatches in real time. This data is available to you as well as your 3PL at the click of a button.
In practice, this means that you can oversee operations like never before. But as valuable as this is, it's just the tip of the iceberg. Because as well as giving you visibility, a WMS will give you data.
"Good data makes for better decisions" is fast becoming as axiomatic as "water is wet". If you don't have solid sales data, how can you make informed decisions about your inventory and messaging?
Your 3PL should have a WMS which gives you abundant analytics and reports that can help you make better decisions. It's one of the key benefits of outsourcing fulfilment – so make sure you take advantage of it.
5. Scale with ease
Whatever stage your business is at, you're going to want to grow.
If you manage your own storage and fulfilment, it can be extremely tricky to scale up without spending a lot of time, effort and money.
With a 3PL, by contrast, the amount of space you take up in a warehouse is flexible. Need more shelf space? No problem. Going through a fallow period which means you need less? Again, no problem.
Easy scaling is one of those things that businesses don't always know they need – but once they get it, they wonder how they ever did without it.
How Stowsafe can help
If you run a magazine subscription service, outsourcing fulfilment can free up a lot of time, money and effort. And at Stowsafe Fulfilment, we can give you its benefits in spades.
First and foremost, we pick, pack and dispatch your magazines so that you don't have to. This means fewer late deliveries, fewer missing parcels and greater customer satisfaction.
But we also do all we can to reflect and promote your brand identity. All your deliveries can be customised – just let us know your vision and we'll make it a reality.
And finally, we have a state-of-the-art WMS that can give you a clear insight into your inventory as well as invaluable data to drive better decisions.
With Stowsafe, we take care of the routine tasks so that you can get on with what you're good at: providing a service that brings pleasure to people across the UK.
Are you looking for a fulfilment company to handle magazine subscription fulfilment? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our experts for a free, no-obligation consultation.
