Dropshipping Is the Future of E-Commerce – Our Brands Tell Us Why

Over the past 5 years, Google Trends Data has shown search interest in dropshipping rise from 58 to 91! More and more brands are turning to dropshipping as their primary fulfillment method and with its numerous advantages, it’s easy to see why! We asked three of our brands three questions:

1. How has dropshipping has changed the way you conduct your business, online and offline?
2. Why do you believe dropshipping is this next big thing for designers like yourself in E-commerce?
3. Why would you recommend dropshipping to other designers?

1. How was Dropshipping Changed the Way you Conduct your Business?

Exposure to many more retailers – Weekend Society

“Dropshipping has allowed us to meet and connect with hundreds of online boutiques that we would not have likely met otherwise. This, in turn, grants us access with brand new customers, especially in the international market, that may not have heard of our brand before. We have seen great interest from retailers so far and now work with over 750 shops, big and small, through the Modalyst platform alone.”

Turns your E-Commerce website into a global brand – Le Chic

“Dropshipping has changed the way we conduct our business in terms of being able to work with a vast variety of customers worldwide. It has opened the doors to opportunities of exposing our products to cautious retailers so that they are able to test them out in their stores or website. We exclusively only dropship to retailers via Modalyst and a couple other larger retailers due to the volume of business we do with them so it is a special way of working we only offer you guys!”

Allows you to focus on product design and other aspects of the E-Commerce experience – Melie Bianco and Weekend Society

“In a sense drop shipping has also allowed us to really focus on what we are really good at such as design, and allow that to translate into people’s E-commerce shops all over the world.”

Weekend Society agrees “Modalyst has provided an essential tool for us in this process to manage this number of retailers- a platform to manage orders and communicate with our retailers in a succinct, simple fashion. Managing all of these relationships with our own infrastructure would be quite challenging and overly time-consuming to achieve the same outcomes. In our eyes, that is all time we could be putting toward growing our brand, and most importantly, time we can be devoting to the design, creation and evolution of our lines, and overarching business. The ease with which any of our retailers can access and sell our products and use our digital assets allows for us to consider more businesses to partner with because of the ease with which we can now set-up new accounts.”

2. Why do you believe dropshipping is this next big thing for designers like yourself in E-commerce?

The current ordering system in E-Commerce is broken – Melie Bianco

“I believe the traditional ordering system seemed to be broken. Retailers used to have to commit to quantities and styles in blind faith, and close them out if they didn’t do well. I think this created the “close-out” mentality, where customers just waited til the end of the season. Dropshipping allows us as designers to really focus on what is really selling versus what is being ordered, this is critical when deciding on shapes,colors, and designs in the future.”

Retailers are now more aware and cautious – Le Chic

“Dropshipping is the next big thing and is growing all around because retailers are cautious in investing a lot of money into inventory that they are unsure of whether or not will sell well for their customer. Drop shipping allows the customer to really test and see what will sell well for their customers and save money in packaging and labor costs as well since the drop shipper takes care of that.”

Low costs and barriers to entry – Weekend Society

“Dropshipping is a strategy that offers very low barriers of entry for the level of access and reach an up-and-coming brand can achieve.”

3. Why would you recommend dropshipping to other designers?

Clear communication with retailers – Weekend Society

“Though we highlight the streamlined communication and retailer management that Modalyst affords us, we can’t stress enough the importance of keeping up your own end of the bargain. Clear communication and support from brand is often necessary for these retailers, and choosing how you communicate and service these retailers is an important aspect in having them represent your brand to your own standards.”

Great way to move “stuck” inventory – Le Chic

“For designers starting out that want to expose their brand, drop shipping is an efficient way for retailers to carry your styles without worrying about whether or not they will be “stuck” with inventory and trying to figure out how to move it. As you know, a designer that is small and unknown, will consistently get rejected because no one has heard of them. Therefore, offering your styles for drop shipping is risk free for the retailer and will provide you with a greater chance and opportunity to expose your product to more retailers and put your brand out there.”

What do you have to lose? – Melie Bianco

“Dropshipping may sound scary and overly involved for some designers, but the fact is that platforms like Modalyst make it a no brainer. The tools are in place for a seamless drop shipping delivery, contracts are set with the retailers and designers, there is very little back in forth in between, which makes integration so much smoother. That being said, extra income and great local and international exposure are probably the biggest reasons why you should consider drop shipping. What do you have to lose?”

What are your thoughts on dropshipping? Let us know by commenting below.