AO.com has added a dropshipping solution to enhance its fulfilment offering.
The UK appliances retailer is using BluJay’s DropShip solution. Dropshipping is a supply chain management method in which the retailer does not keep goods in stock but transfers the customer orders and shipment details to a third party who then ships the goods directly to the customer.
The company will have access to BluJay’s commerce suite and networks of logistics firms and suppliers, meaning AO will be able to offer further products in the future.
AO’s head of retail development, Jennifer Hollowood-Smith, said: “Our last-mile delivery is central to our business model and customer relationships. We can’t afford to compromise on quality, and we are excited to be working with BluJay. With their systems on board, we are perfectly placed to capitalise on the market and take our business into the next phase of growth.”
Sian Hopwood, SVP B2B Operations at BluJay, said dropshipping is “an essential competence for businesses looking to build and maintain strong customer relations in the ecommerce age.”
According to a recent eDelivery opinion piece by Ed Bradley, director at VirtualStock, “the principal function of dropshipping is to enable retailers to expand the range of products that they retailers can sell online without holding the inventory.”
