The Business Journal recently published an article entitled “Local Hardware Stores Adapting to New Era of Competition.” It offers an intriguing look at the current position of hardware stores as they work to hold onto older customers while also educating and appealing to younger customers who are not as familiar with a DIY mentality.
The article mentions Fishbowl CMO Kirk Tanner when it discusses how companies can use inventory management software to plan for fluctuations in demand: (more…)
The big box retailer that you’ve been trying to get into just agreed to your first big purchase order, but now they want you to implement EDI and you’re uncertain of everything that it requires. Sound familiar? Many of your fellow vendors implement EDI because a major retailer or other key customer demands it. Why? EDI streamlines and improves workflow and it enhances supply chain visibility and predictability. Digital transactions processed through EDI are so efficient that companies that use these systems often give preference to trading partners that already have EDI in place. While it’s true that having an EDI solution can give you an edge in negotiations, EDI can also help support your business’s success in the modern digital retail world. (more…)
SPS Commerce is a global provider of EDI services and analytics. This EDI allows you to connect and do business with tens of thousands of retailers that require you to transact using their unique electronic requirements. Fishbowl handles the order fulfillment side and SPS Commerce handles the document and order delivery side.
This is a big benefit to Fishbowl customers in the following ways: (more…)
HighJump Software is a global provider of EDI services. And HighJump TrueCommerce EDI is a necessary tool when working with big box chains, such as Walmart, Target, Shopko, Cabela’s, and many others. And Fishbowl integrates with HighJump’s EDI helps you ensure your order management system complies with all of the requirements of every store you sell to.
Let’s delve into this integration a bit more: (more…)
Drop shipping is an approach to order fulfillment that frees a retailer from keeping product in inventory. Instead, vendors can rely on the source company, such as wholesalers and manufacturers, to ship these products to the vendor’s customers. This arrangement has a number of benefits that make it a popular option with online and direct-mail merchants.
When a customer submits an order, the retailer processes the order and accepts payment, then, according to systems in place, either digitally or manually submits the order to the product source along with payment and customer information. The product is then sent directly from the source warehouse to the customer. All parties are satisfied and the retailer makes a profit from the difference between what the customer is charged and what is paid to the product source.
There are definitely a lot of reasons why a retailer should look into drop shipping, here are 5 to get you started: (more…)
Running a store requires the use of a wide variety of equipment. The kinds vary, but examples include shopping carts, display racks, hand trucks and conveyor systems. Some stores may even have the need for large machinery and motorized tools, such as paint mixers, lifting equipment or refrigeration units. Taking steps to maintain equipment like this can save you money, prevent accidents and avoid lawsuits. Follow these tips for making sure your store’s equipment stays in working condition. (more…)
Today, there is a growing concern over online data security, especially with the prevalence of data breaches among large companies. For e-commerce companies, owners have a responsibility to their customers to make sure they’re taking the necessary steps to keep customer data safe and secure. Fortunately, there are a few steps all online business owners can take on their own to increase security for any online storefront, boost customer confidence when shopping, and keep clients coming back time and time again. (more…)
Merchant services allow businesses to accept credit and debit card payments from customers. That’s a pretty integral ingredient in having a successful business, especially when you think about how many people pay with plastic instead of paper and coins.
Fishbowl is compatible with a number of merchant services providers:
So you’ve got a bunch of great products and you’re looking to make the leap into the big leagues, doing business with some of the biggest retailers, like Target and Wal-Mart. What’s the most important thing you need to get? An EDI solution!
EDI stands for electronic data interchange, and it is incredibly important to wholesale distributors, manufacturers, and other businesses that ship lots of goods to retailers. Big retailers won’t even do business with you unless you have an EDI solution.
What an EDI solution does is it takes all of the information about an order that you need to send to retailers and it formats it to meet their specifications. (more…)
An important part of doing business is accepting payment from customers. If you run a distribution business, but you’d like to open your warehouse to retail customers as well, you’ll need a good point of sale system. It helps a lot if this point of sale system integrates with your inventory software.
Fishbowl’s Point of Sale SolutionLuckily, Fishbowl offers a point of sale solution that is:
