Streamlining Inventory Availability for Furniture Drop Shipping with Software Solutions

Inventory availability is critical for success in the furniture drop shipping business. With the growing complexity of logistics and customer expectations, software solutions have emerged as vital tools for ensuring that products are in stock and ready to ship. As the industry continues to evolve, investing in software solutions will be essential for furniture retailers aiming to stay competitive, meet customer expectations, and drive growth in the ever-changing world of eCommerce. 

Let’s look at some of the current challenges of today’s home goods industry, along with the benefits of utilizing automation software and drop shipping. We’ll also explore the latest feature release from TrueComerce Home, which provides multi-warehouse inventory information per vendor, to help retailers reduce costs while improving efficiency. 

Challenges Within the Retail Furniture Industry  

Like any industry in today’s market, the furniture industry has obstacles and operational headaches it must overcome to ensure resiliency and growth.  The “big and bulky” nature of furniture makes it difficult and expensive to ship long distances.  Vendors have invested huge sums of money to build out a network of warehousing that limits handling of the product.  However, this creates a new challenge for retailers: identifying which distribution center nearest to the customer has the desired item. 

1. Ensuring Inventory Visibility 

Inventory visibility is one of the biggest struggles among home goods retailers and suppliers. The ability to track inventory in real-time is crucial to ensuring they have the correct information to inform the customer when their item will arrive. 

The key to having full inventory visibility is to leverage a supply chain network that connects all stakeholders. This not only provides control over data but also allows data to be shared with supply chain partners and customers. 

2. Optimizing Shipping and Distribution 

Furniture retailers face increasing pressure to offer fast and reliable shipping options. As vendors expand their reach by opening multiple distribution centers across the United States, retailers face the challenge of determining the nearest ship point to each customer, and triangulating the optimal distribution center can be complex, time-consuming, and costly. To thrive in this demanding marketplace, retailers must invest in software solutions that streamline the drop shipping process. 

3. Streamlined Omnichannel Shopping 

In today’s eCommerce-dominated landscape, the furniture industry is becoming more sensitive to omnichannel shopping trends. This evolution requires retailers to embrace software solutions to provide a seamless shopping experience across buying platforms so that they will be better positioned to meet the needs of their customers and grow their businesses. 

Implementing Automation Solutions to Drive Success 

When RC Willey Home Furnishings wanted to enhance inventory visibility and improve productivity, they made the decision to replace their old, legacy EDI system with a cloud-based supply chain solution from TrueCommerce. This allowed them to easily handle their product variability and process orders faster to rise above the competition. Not only that, but the automation of customer communications elevated their customer experience. 

“The ability to see where product is and know when it will arrive at our DCs is critical to our customer experience.” – Stuart Peterson, Vice President of Supply Chain at RC Willey Home Furnishings 

Additionally, TrueCommerce Home’s new feature release addresses shipping efforts by providing multi-warehouse inventory information per vendor, making it easier for retailers to select the most suitable shipping location. The ability to choose the nearest distribution center to the customer ensures shorter transit times and reduced transportation expenses. By leveraging the multi-warehouse inventory information supplied by TrueCommerce Home, retailers can significantly reduce shipping costs and improve the speed to the final delivery destination.    

Finally, furniture retailers can take advantage of eCommerce integrations to simplify their online selling processes across storefronts and marketplaces. The retail showroom is a wonderful way to represent your value proposition and product selection while utilizing a dynamic inventory and marketplace feed from preferred vendors, providing an “endless aisle” that customers expect. These eCommerce integrations enable retailers to process online orders in minutes and keep pricing and inventory availability up-to-date for online buyers. The result is increased sales, improved customer retention, and more profits from selling online. 

Fully Furnish Your Supply Chain with TrueCommerce Home  

By automating and streamlining their operations, retailers can enhance inventory availability, reduce costs, and deliver a seamless and efficient shopping experience, improving overall customer satisfaction. These benefits translate into a competitive advantage for retailers in the home industry, enabling them to meet customer expectations and stay ahead of the competition. 

TrueCommerce has been at the forefront of cloud-based platforms, designed to provide end-to-end supply chain visibility for furniture retailers. The platform allows retailers to automate purchase orders and streamline the drop shipping process – from the factory all the way to the customer’s doorstep. This automation not only saves time and effort but also ensures that products are readily available for shipping.

From EDI to drop ship solutions, companies like TrueCommerce provide the essential tools that automate inventory management, order processing, and shipping, enabling retailers to offer a more comprehensive selection of products and meet consumer demand. Contact an expert at TrueCommerce today to learn more about our solutions for the furniture industry. 

About the Author 

Seth Weisblatt has over 20 years of experience in the home furnishings industry. He is currently the Director of TrueCommerce Home at TrueCommerce, where he oversees the home vertical within TrueCommerce platforms and provides digital integration solutions to key suppliers. With a passion for the furniture industry, he owned and operated a successful retail store in Fort Worth, Texas, transforming and modernizing the “mom-and-pop” retailer into a regional powerhouse. Seth also led the home furnishing division for a national buying group, consulting with hundreds of furniture brands and retailers. Additionally, he served as the VP of Digital Marketing for the world’s largest furniture manufacturer, Ashley Furniture. 

Seth resides in Plano, Texas, with his supportive wife, two high-energy dogs, and four incredible children. When he’s not telling dad jokes or driving the oversized dad-bus (SUV), Seth is likely in the kitchen putting together an over-the-top meal or on the road, enjoying the chance to create new memories and chasing sunsets.