Marketplace eCommerce

Bulk Ordering for Marketplace eCommerce

August 30, 2022  |  6 min read
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Who Uses Bulk Ordering in Marketplace eCommerce?

In marketplace eCommerce, bulk ordering is often used by wholesalers to buy a lot of items at once from manufacturers and then resell them in bulk to retailers.

Buying groups will also bulk order from eCommerce marketplaces to get a wider range of possibilities to choose from and the convenience of online bulk ordering.

That’s why it’s crucial to have an easy bulk-ordering process that customers can just sail on through without any issues. Let’s discuss what bulk ordering can do for your eCommerce marketplace.

bulk ordering in marketplace ecommerce
how bulk ordering can help

How Bulk Ordering Can Help Marketplace eCommerce

People can go onto eCommerce marketplaces, log into their account, and be greeted with relevant items, view their shopping lists, past orders, and more. With bulk ordering, your customers won’t have to order and reorder the same item a bunch of times to get the amount they want (which, if it’s that much of a hassle, they’ll probably just go elsewhere).

Instead, with Clarity’s bulk ordering features for marketplace eCommerce platforms, they can just fill out the form once or even upload their own form to the system. This makes bulk ordering easy, meaning your customers are more likely to do it on your platform.

Benefits of Bulk Ordering for Marketplace eCommerce

  • Cost Efficient – Making a bulk purchase means getting those items at a lower rate. Plus, shipping costs are often lowered or waived. This also makes bulk ordering profitable for businesses that are reselling the items.
  • Time Efficient – Bulk ordering allows users to place a single order for many items, instead of having to place separate orders for each item. If there are a hundred items being purchased, that means just filling out one form and adding it all to the cart at once, rather than filling out a hundred order forms and adding each one to the cart individually.
  • Environmentally Friendly – Some bulk orders can package things together rather than individually, which means less packaging material overall. Plus, delivering several items at once rather than one at a time results in less carbon emissions from transportation.
  • Assured Quality – When businesses bulk order the same items from the same business each time, they can be assured of the quality and consistency of those orders based on past experience with them. Some companies let businesses order a smaller sample of the items first to test them out before completing a large bulk order.

Marketplace Bulk Ordering Solutions

There are multiple ways to set up bulk ordering for your marketplace eCommerce platform. Here are some examples below.

Example 1: Template Order Form

  • Manual Entry vs. Document Upload – The user can either manually enter the details or upload a bulk order document.
  • Doc Upload Review – If the user chooses Document Upload, they then review their import results in a grid-view ordering form. From here, the user can see the items and change order and quote amounts.
  • Additional Options – The order form shows different options for fulfillment locations based on catalog and inventory data. There are also discount options.
  • Dynamic Display – The order form dynamically displays or hides fields for items based on whether or not they’re available to order right away. There’s also a dynamic subtotal as the user goes through the form, including quotes that need to process.
Key Takeaways:
Self-Service

For best results, give the user as much self-service capability as possible.

Dynamic Presentation

The bulk order form can dynamically present multiple locations or fulfillment centers and different lead times and costs.

Templates

Templates are helpful for users and allow for quick and easy bulk uploads.

Punchout Catalog

Users can complete a bulk upload through a Punchout Catalog.

Multiple Options

Punchout Catalogs and Templates can be combined, and the user can use flat files on their system too.

Example 2: Quick Order Form

  • Easily Add Items – This is a simpler form where users can quickly search for and add items to their order.
  • Account-Related Items – Users can add items that are related to their account. This is especially helpful for recurring maintenance items.
  • Directly Input SKU – Users who know exactly what they want can add items directly by typing in the quantity and SKU information in the form.
  • SKU Verification – A verification process ensures that SKUs are recognized by the system. If not, an error message displays so the user can correct it.
  • Shopping Lists – Users can add items to Wish Lists, Shopping Lists, and Favorites. With these, users can easily re-add items to their cart.
  • Recurring Orders as Subscription – Users can subscribe to get items automatically purchased and delivered at set time periods.
Key Takeaways:
Offer Convenience

Give users multiple ways to add items to the order form so they can do what’s easiest for them.

Simplify the Process

Quick order forms and subscriptions offer a streamlined way for users to order and reorder items.

Utilize Shopping Lists

Wish lists and shopping lists benefit your users and increase client satisfaction.

Discover Your Best Options

There are lots of different ways to set up bulk ordering for your marketplace eCommerce platform. We encourage you to evaluate each of these possibilities to find the best one for your business. It’s a good idea to have conversations with experienced vendors so you can understand the potential options.

 

Clarity Can Help

We offer a complimentary discovery process to help you evaluate your options and find the best solution for your business. Click below to contact us—we look forward to hearing from you!

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Author
 
Written by Autumn Spriggle
Autumn Spriggle is a Content Writer at Clarity Ventures who stays up to date on the latest trends in eCommerce, software development, and related topics to provide readers with the latest and greatest. She strives to help people like you realize the full potential for their business.

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