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29.08.25

From feedback to fulfilment: Real challenges and real solutions in eCommerce

From feedback to fulfilment: Real challenges and real solutions in eCommerce

eCommerce businesses have faced a plethora of challenges in recent years. As your dedicated eCommerce partner with over 65 years of experience, we’re here to help manage these challenges with trusted solutions. 

eCommerce is the process of receiving, processing and delivering orders, which larger companies in the UK often outsource. Granby has worked with some of the largest eCommerce companies in the world and always maintains accurate and controlled operations for online retailers. We help brands move beyond transactional fulfilment to deliver strategic growth. 

Key challenges in the eCommerce industry

Increasing customer expectations

Today’s consumers expect more than ever from the brands they engage with. Convenience is no longer a differentiator, it’s a baseline requirement across the entire shopping journey, from ordering through to delivery and returns. For eCommerce businesses, this shift presents both opportunities and challenges, as they work to deliver a seamless, end-to-end experience that meets rising expectations.

Beyond efficient order processing, customers increasingly expect products to make a strong visual impact. Personalisation is becoming a key value-add, enhancing the unboxing experience and reinforcing brand identity. When executed effectively, it not only meets customer expectations but also elevates your brand presence in a competitive market.

Granby supports brands across every aspect of personalisation and customisation, helping them create memorable customer experiences that drive engagement and loyalty. A recent example is our partnership with a luxury chocolate brand, where we managed the personalisation of red ribbons for their iconic Easter bunnies. This high-volume campaign involved end-to-end promotional handling, from personalised print management to final fulfilment and reporting, delivering smiles to customers nationwide.

Personalisation is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a strategic imperative. In today’s competitive landscape, customers expect products that feel tailored to them. Granby’s expertise in fulfilment and promotional marketing ensures that brands can meet these expectations with precision, creativity, and operational excellence.

Investing in visually appealing packaging delivers a range of strategic benefits. It enhances brand perception, increases the likelihood of repeat purchases, and encourages social sharing, amplifying your brand’s reach organically. In today’s dynamic market environment, packaging serves as a powerful brand touchpoint that can significantly influence the overall customer experience.

Sustainability

Sustainability is important to consumers, with 50% of people ready to pay for more sustainable packaging. Granby is committed to its sustainability initiatives, ranging from banning single-use plastics to creating a Net Zero Working Group. Find out more about our sustainability initiatives

Granby supports brands with exceptional packaging solutions. Our options grab attention, appeal to your target audience and ensure that you comply with your sustainability goals.

Increasing operational costs

As with many other industries, eCommerce brands are experiencing increased operational costs. These commonly relate to marketing, warehousing, delivery solutions and customer support. 

To remain competitive in today’s fast-paced market, eCommerce brands must have robust, scalable processes in place. Granby partners with brands to deliver comprehensive support across warehousing and distribution, promotional marketing, and eCommerce fulfilment, ensuring every aspect of the customer journey is optimised for efficiency and impact.

By outsourcing operational functions to Granby, brands benefit from reduced overheads, streamlined workflows, and enhanced service quality. Our award-winning 3PL solutions are underpinned by decades of experience, advanced technology platforms like SCOPe and OrderSure, and a commitment to transparency and real-time visibility. Whether it’s managing inventory, executing promotional campaigns, or handling reverse logistics, Granby provides a fully integrated fulfilment service that supports customer excellence and drives brand growth.

Data risks

In an increasingly digital retail environment, eCommerce brands face growing threats from scammers and data protection breaches. At Granby, safeguarding client data is a top priority. We are proud to be certified under both the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus schemes, which validate our ICT defences against commodity-based cyber attacks and demonstrate our commitment to maintaining secure systems across our organisation.

Granby also holds ISO 27001 certification, a globally recognised standard for information security management. This ensures our network controls, access protocols, and data handling procedures are aligned with rigorous international benchmarks. Our systems are supported by 114 defined controls, externally audited by UKAS-accredited bodies, and embedded within a certifiable management framework.

We implement a multi-layered security strategy that includes:

  • Encryption protocols for data in transit and at rest.
  • Role-based access controls governed by the principle of least privilege.
  • Regular penetration testing and security audits to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities.
  • Disaster recovery and business continuity plans, including daily cloud backups and secure failover mechanisms.

Granby’s approach to cybersecurity is proactive and comprehensive, covering physical, technical, and human factors. From secure configuration of systems to GDPR-compliant pseudonymisation techniques, our infrastructure is designed to protect client data while enabling operational resilience and customer trust.

Scaling for growth

Scaling effectively, particularly during seasonal peaks, can be a significant challenge for eCommerce brands. Granby’s infrastructure and operational model are purpose-built to support growth. Our flexible warehouse configurations allow us to adapt quickly to changing volumes and product types. Combined with robust systems and processes, this ensures seamless scalability without compromising service quality. Additionally, our trusted resource bank of trained staff enables us to rapidly increase capacity during high-demand periods.

Reverse logistics

Poor returns are costing businesses around £60 billion every year, and according to research, 1 in 5 non-food items were returned last year. Many shoppers, particularly those in the younger demographics, purchase more items than they require, in different colours or sizes, with the intention of sending items back. 

Having poor processes in place for reverse logistics can cause issues for your eCommerce business. Not only does it create inefficiencies, but it can also cause cash flow problems and skew sales data. Brands must carefully consider their fulfilment process and shipping costs, ensuring they contribute to customer satisfaction. 

Granby manages stock effectively using OrderSure. When items are returned, they are carefully assessed for damage, faults, or other issues. Depending on the outcome, the item may be restocked, recycled, or responsibly disposed of. This process directly supports brands’ circular economy goals by enabling the reuse of viable products, reducing waste, and ensuring that materials are either reintegrated into the supply chain or handled sustainably.

Real challenges and real solutions in eCommerce

How can Granby support your business?

Granby is a highly experienced eCommerce partner that can support your success. Here are just a few of the ways that we can support you.

Increased transparency throughout the eCommerce fulfilment process

All of our advanced software is built in-house by our expert team. OrderSure is our bespoke inventory management software. This advanced system allows clients to monitor their inventory with ease. 

Being built in-house allows us to tailor the software to meet our clients’ needs. When you decide to partner with us, we’ll provide you with your own bespoke dashboard, which provides an overview of all available stock. This information can be viewed and printed at the touch of a button. 

This solution aims to make ordering stock simple for you. You’ll gain full transparency into when deliveries arrive with us and how they are progressing, and you’ll have access to our online support team whenever you need it.

We ensure that your experience is tailored to you, which is why you can customise pick strategies, manage users and their roles and set specific criteria for your stock. You’ll have access to everything you need with one single sign-on. 

Granby’s bespoke OrderSure system enables you to reach the highest level of efficiency while making cost savings and enhancing the customer experience.

Extensive experience

Granby has over 65 years of dedicated experience in brand fulfilment. During that time, we’ve worked with businesses across many sectors, including FMCGs, retail and travel. We have been trusted by some of the biggest eCommerce companies in the UK.

By partnering with us, you’ll have access to a committed and trusted team that understands your goals. We are an extension of your in-house team and truly believe that your success is our success.

End-to-end solutions for eCommerce fulfilment

We’re here to provide our expertise throughout the entire process, from stock arrival to despatch. Our teams carefully pick, pack and despatch items in line with your requirements. We ensure that products look great and have the necessary precautions in place to ensure safety during transportation. You’ll be able to track your inventory with ease using OrderSure. 

All deliveries can be shipped locally, nationally or globally, depending on your requirements. Granby partners with high-quality delivery providers to optimise logistics across every stage of the fulfilment journey. Through intelligent route planning and strategic carrier selection, we enhance delivery speed, maximise efficiency, and support sustainability goals. Our integrated approach ensures that each parcel is delivered with precision, reflecting the standards our clients and their customers expect.

Seamless integrations for eCommerce retailers

Granby ensures seamless integration with your preferred eCommerce platforms and marketplaces, supporting operational efficiency and customer experience. We regularly work with brands using WooCommerce, Magento, Shopify, Amazon, and TikTok Shop, adapting our fulfilment processes to align with their systems and workflows. This flexibility enables smooth transactions and scalable performance across diverse retail environments.

We utilise our advanced 3PL fulfilment system, SCOPe, to support seamless integrations. This system enables full visibility of your data, so you can make informed decisions regarding your supply chain, performance and fulfilment operations.

The rise in TikTok online shopping

TikTok Shop is rapidly emerging as a key channel for both brands and consumers, driven by its high-conversion social commerce model. As of late 2024, over 216,000 merchants had active sales on the platform, with more than 1,000 stores generating over £1 million in annual Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). This growth reflects a significant shift in consumer behaviour, where product discovery and purchasing are increasingly influenced by creator-led content and platform-native experiences.

TikTok continues to gain traction among younger audiences, offering brands a powerful channel for discovery, engagement, and conversion. Granby recognises the platform’s rapid growth and ensures seamless integration with TikTok Shop’s API, enabling real-time order processing, efficient fulfilment, and branded personalisation.

Why does this matter? Recent research shows that 56% of UK online shoppers have purchased through social media, with 44% of those transactions occurring via TikTok Shop. This reflects a significant shift in consumer behaviour and highlights a valuable opportunity for brands to diversify their sales channels.

Through our scalable fulfilment solutions and compatibility with all major platforms, brands can expand their reach and reduce dependence on a single channel. This enables you to build resilience, enhance customer loyalty and optimise your competitive advantage.

Inventory management and security

Having robust inventory management processes in place is essential. At Granby, we work closely with brands to ensure every item is stored and handled correctly according to its unique requirements.

Our secure, 77,000 square foot warehouse has space for 7,000 pallets and has BRCGS status, highlighting our commitment to safety, quality and compliance. We have high-security rooms available for high-value stock, and our sites are covered by high-tech intruder detection and prevention measures. Some security measures include on-site CCTV, which is linked to the local police and security staff. Every employee is given an ID badge, which must be used to gain access to buildings on site.

eCommerce fulfilment support

I’m ready to scale my eCommerce business

In a recent article, we shared our three tips for scaling eCommerce, which included implementing a robust returns process, utilising multi-channel distribution and optimising your supply chain performance. We’d highly recommend having a read of it if you want to enhance your fulfilment efficiency. 

Are you looking for eCommerce support? Then look no further. Granby is a third-party logistics company ready to provide dedicated support and scale with you. Contact us today to see how we can help with eCommerce and logistics management.

Think we could partner?

Think we could be the partner for you and are interested in working together? Call us or fill in the contact form and we will get the ball rolling!