Gear Up for an Optimized Drop Shipping Experience
Drop shipping has long been appealing to those who want to operate an ecommerce presence without all the hassle of actually managing one.
For the unfamiliar, drop shipping is a fulfillment model that allows sellers to effectively buy products individually from a wholesaler and ship them directly to the customer. Instead of purchasing a huge amount of inventory, sellers simply partner with a drop shipping supplier and list their merchandise for sale.Print On Demand (POD) platforms align somewhat perfectly with drop-shipping solutions and as a result a substantial industry has formed around these combined offerings over the years.
As any experienced seller will know, there are numerous companies offering drop shipping and POD services today (Shopify being one of the most notable). Traditional drop shipping, however, has not really been the best experience for sellers or their consumers as there are often long ship times and very poor customer support (not to mention low-quality products typically) - all of which obviously lead to a rather poor buying experience in general. Fortunately, there are some providers emerging that are increasingly worth a closer look that could very much change the industry.
GearLaunch, for example, is a unique Web-based service enabling anyone to design and sell custom apparel and accessories ( from T-shirts to tote bags) to their own audience and with no upfront costs and far fewer distribution challenges. The company not only offers a solid and pretty sophisticated commerce platform that sellers can use, but also a host of business operations support and logistics services such as production, shipping and personalized customer support.
The platform can be used by anyone (e.g., musicians, non-profits or influencers) looking to start selling designs to earn money, raise funds or distribute brandable gear. GearLaunch is a truly fully integrated design and sales platform (which is very easy to use based on our experience) that promises super-fast support times (five minute phone, two-hour email). As an POD drop-shipping option, GearLaunch is competitive in every way (in some instances far better) and could definitely stand on its own - but it's about to get way, way better for the exchange-to-exchange commerce platform and its users.
GearLaunch recently announced a new integration with Shopify that will enable drop shippers to gain access to GearLaunch's array of curated, print-on-demand products and backend operational support services (such as that speedy customer service and global supply chain logistics). All the seller UX and customer UX is on Shopify, while GearLaunch handles all of the actual order management.
GearLaunch's existing user base will be able to continue using GearLaunch's post-purchase services through new or existing Shopify accounts.
It's a very sensible fit for both GearLaunch and Shopify. If you're looking to launch your own ecommerce storefront without the hassle, this integration will certainly prove attractive.
