Shipping supplies aren't sexy, as Gary Neubert is the first to admit. So when Neubert launched GatorPack, which sells items like packing peanuts and wrapping tape, he knew he needed something to give the an edge.
His solution is one that many e-tailers could benefit from, no matter what they sell: same-day fulfillment.
Any order placed on GatorPack's Web site or eBay Store before 3:30 pm ET goes out the door that day. To back up its promise, Florida-based GatorPack pays shipping on any order not shipped the day it is placed.
"There aren't too many ways a small mom-and-pop can differentiate themselves from the competition on the Internet," Neubert says, noting that fulfillment has become his calling card. In his view, the customer loyalty created by the site's rapid delivery is a major part of the company's success.
Pressure Cooker
"My background is in systems, so setting up the fulfillment system was right up my alley," Neubert explains.
As soon as an order is generated, two "departments" go into action ("departments" in name only -- GatorPack has only five employees.)
Personnel in GatorPack's 7,000 square-foot warehouse gather the items from among the company's 100 SKUs; Simultaneously, office workers prepare the shipping and packing labels. The two teams must check their work against each other's to verify the order has been filled correctly.
It all has to move like clockwork, because GatorPack fills some 200 orders a day, and holiday seasons bring much higher volume. Neubert estimates that the 200-order-per-day pace is about half of the maximum his staff could handle.
As much as same day fulfillment helps GatorPack, it also makes the business resemble a pressure cooker. "It's like a guillotine over your neck," Neubert says. "It forces compliances with the little checks and balances."
Changing Expectations
Online shoppers tend to get impatient if their products take too long to be shipped, Neubert notes. This is especially true given that GatorPack targets "residential entrepreneurs" -- such as eBay sellers -- an audience that tends to have limited back-up supplies.
That's a dramatic change from customer expectations in the "old days" -- before most small e-tailers accepted credit cards. Then, customers sent checks or money orders through the mail, and fulfillment could afford to be downright sluggish because customers never knew how fast turnaround took, since they didn't know when their payment had arrived.
Today, shipping on time isn't just critical for GatorPack, it's a differentiator. Neubert said many of his competitors pay lip service to same-day shipping, but don't guarantee it.
On the other hand, Neubert is willing to put his money where his mouth is, and provides confirmation to back up his promise of timely delivery.
"In our system, it's provable -- every shipment has a tracking confirmation that verifies when we shipped it," he says.
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| While GatorPack's owner admits that its design is a bit old-fashioned, customers appreciate its simplicity and familiarity. |
Corny Site
Not satisfied with streamlining fulfillment, Neubert has designed the front end of his business -- the purchasing process -- to move like the wind. With this in mind the GatorPack site is simple in the extreme. Its front page presents a simple product menu, with big bold letters. No searching needed.
While Neubert concedes that design is "kind of corny," he says its functionality makes up for the look.
"People are a little numb to your typical Web site, where you're overwhelmed by products," he says. "We tried to keep it as simple and generic as possible, and keep the detail on other pages -- you can get to them conveniently, but you're not forced to wade through it."
He adds that he's loath to change the site because he knows his customers are used to it.
"One of the things that irks me to no end is a site you depend on, but you wake up one morning to find everything's all different." Making the user cope with a new design without an adequate reason is a mistake, in Neubert's view.
Taking simplicity still further, Neubert has done something truly radical: He doesn't use a shopping cart. It adds too many steps, he feels.
| Vital Statistics |
| Name: |
GatorPack |
| Founded: | 1999 |
| Sales/revenues: | Undisclosed |
| Content management/storefront system: | Custom Web site / eBay Store |
| Database backend: | Custom |
| Visitor analytics system: | Custom |
| Hosting provider: | Softcom CA |
| Payment solutions: | Major credit cards via Authorize.net, PayPal |
| Number of employees: | 5 |
| Number of tech staff: | 1 |
| Key strategies: | • Immediate fulfillment
• Simple design and buying process |
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