Health, Wellness, and Beauty Fulfillment

The health and beauty industry has seen a massive surge in demand over the past few years. People are investing in their health and beauty needs more than ever before. According to a report by CommonThread, the beauty and personal care market will reach a whopping $784 billion in sales by 2027. With this increased demand comes the challenge of fulfilling orders quickly and efficiently. Health, wellness, and beauty fulfillment have unique challenges that other verticals do not. The receiving, storing, packing, and shipping of beauty products require additional care and supervision. This article will discuss the challenges of health, wellness, and beauty fulfillment and the solutions to overcome them.

Challenges in fulfillment of health, wellness, and beauty-related products

Expiration Dates

Managing the expiration dates of health and beauty products can be a challenge for retailers. Products such as makeup, skincare, haircare, and other beauty products have expiration dates that are often hard to keep track of. Many products have a short shelf life and must be rotated regularly to ensure customers get the freshest products. Additionally, retailers must be mindful of the differences in expiration dates of different beauty products, as some products may expire sooner than others. Retailers must also keep a close eye on the expiration dates of returned products to ensure that customers are not purchasing expired products.

Regulating Temperatures

The challenge of regulating the temperatures of health, wellness and beauty products during fulfillment is a significant concern for many businesses. These products are sensitive to extreme temperatures and humidity changes and must be stored and shipped carefully to ensure their quality and efficacy. Temperature-controlled environments must be established, monitored, and maintained during storage and shipping to ensure that the products are not exposed to temperatures outside their acceptable ranges. It is also essential to have procedures in place to track and monitor the temperature of the products throughout the entire process, from warehouse to customer, to ensure that the products remain within their acceptable temperature range. OSHA recommends that warehouses maintain all internal companies at a range of 68-78 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity in the approximate range of 20 to 60 percent. These standards can dramatically fluctuate based on the location of the warehouse.

Custom Packaging

Custom packaging for health and beauty products poses a unique challenge during fulfillment. These products often need to be packaged in specialized materials to ensure their safety and integrity, such as airtight containers or leakproof bags. Additionally, products may require additional protection to ensure they arrive undamaged, such as cushioning or extra layers of cardboard. This can add extra costs and time to the fulfillment process. Many of the products offered in the health, wellness, and beauty industry are expensive and vary widely in the materials used and the shape of the containers. Also, beauty brands boost their average order value (AOV) by offering multi-buy sales, buy-one-get-one, and customer bundles. This adds to the complexity of packaging multiple products within one shipment. Furthermore, ensuring the packaging complies with relevant regulations can add further difficulty. These factors make packaging for health and beauty products a challenge during fulfillment.

Expedited Shipping

Expedited shipping is essential for health and beauty products as it ensures that customers receive items quickly and safely. With the growth of online shopping, customers increasingly rely on the speed and reliability of expedited shipping to receive the beauty and health products they need. Expedited shipping is particularly critical for products that need to be stored in a cool, dry place or require refrigeration. These items can quickly become damaged if not shipped promptly. Additionally, many customers wait until they run low on a product and rely on expedited shipping to save the day. Businesses can ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering the fastest available shipping.

Solutions for successful health, wellness, and beauty fulfillment/span>

FIFO method for inventory (first in, first out)

The FIFO method (First In, First Out) is a great way to maintain the quality of health and beauty products. It ensures that the oldest products are used first, thus protecting the integrity of the product. This method can be used in many ways, from stocking shelves to fulfilling orders. Retailers can use the FIFO method to ensure that their customers receive the freshest products possible. Additionally, this method helps to reduce waste by helping to prevent expired products from being sold. For retailers, using FIFO helps maintain customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers will always receive the best products. This method requires a highly organized inventory management system and rigorous return management protocols, but it is highly effective.

Automated Inventory Management

Automated inventory management is essential to efficient health and beauty product fulfillment. This technology allows retailers and distributors to track product availability, accurately forecast demand, reduce out-of-stock, and maintain accurate inventory counts. Automated inventory management systems provide real-time updates on inventory levels and can be used to alert staff when stock is low, or replenishment is needed. Ensuring the use of a high-tech inventory system also helps manage expiration dates, boost order accuracy, and manage multi-SKU product lines. Automated inventory management improves the visibility of the entire fulfillment process, from ordering to delivery. With automated inventory management, health and beauty product fulfillment can be more efficient and reliable, ensuring that customers receive their products quickly and accurately.

Strategic Fulfillment Center Locations

Because health, wellness, and beauty brands rely on delivery speed and accuracy, it is essential to procure fulfillment centers in strategic locations. This helps with delivery speed as well as return efficiency. Beauty brands that partner with a quality 3PL with multi-site distribution have a leg up on competitors simply due to their ability to distribute products quickly.

Memorable Unboxing Experience

Unboxing experiences can be a great way to boost customer satisfaction when fulfilling health and beauty products. Customers feel special and valued when they receive a custom-branded package that is memorable and personalized. This increases brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Big beauty brands understand that this experience can be a shareable social event. Finally, memorable unboxing experiences can help to build a brand identity, allowing customers to associate the company with a particular style and quality. When a company invests in developing custom packaging and creating an experience, it helps to drive more sales in the future.

Value-added Solutions with a 3PL Partner

As businesses fulfill health, wellness, and beauty products, it can feel overwhelming to keep track of lot numbers, expiration dates, compliance requirements, and specialized labeling for specific products. Partnering with a 3PL can help manage many of the challenges in fulfilling beauty products.