Industry Tips and News
27 November, 2024
Shipping from the US to the UK: A Complete Guide
This guide covers everything US-based e-commerce businesses need to know about shipping goods to the UK.
19 November, 2024
Omnichannel Excellence in the Beauty Industry: Navigating a New Era of Retail
The retail industry is constantly evolving, but the fundamental change in recent years is that the customer is now in charge. Read the key takeaways from the Omnichannel Excellence Panel here.
11 November, 2024
Post-Peak Strategies for Long-Term Growth in Fashion, Beauty & Wellbeing
In this third part of our guide on peak season fulfilment, we’ll explore how to ensure your brand’s post-peak strategy is optimised for long-term success.
15 October, 2024
How Effective Demand Planning Can Reduce Business Costs
The purpose of demand planning is clear in the savings to your business. ILG shows how to forecast effectively, reducing waste and downtime in your operations.
08 October, 2024
Preparing Your Fulfilment for Peak Season
In this guide, we cover the 5 key operational areas to prioritise during the peak period, and how ILG can help your brand streamline its fulfilment.
01 October, 2024
How a 3PL Can Prepare You for Chinese New Year Shipping
Chinese New Year has a larger impact on global shipping than you might expect. ILG explains how to prepare for this holiday by partnering with a 3PL provider.
12 September, 2024
Three Steps to Success – How US Beauty Brands Can Conquer Europe
With European online beauty and wellness sales set to reach over $146 billion by 2028, the allure of Europe for US beauty brands is undeniable. Read our three steps to conquering Europe.
10 September, 2024
How to Scale Your Fashion Brand with a 3PL
As your fashion business grows, so do the complexities of managing stock, fulfilling orders, and maintaining customer satisfaction. Find out how to effectively scale your fashion brand with a 3PL.
22 August, 2024
Prepare for Peak Season: 10 Steps to Perfect the Pre-Purchase Path
It’s never too early to prepare for peak season. Optimise your e-commerce pre-purchase journey with our 10-step checklist to boost sales and success.
14 August, 2024
Poland – The Strategic Gem at the Heart of EU Fulfilment
For brands looking to conquer Europe, Poland may not be the first country that springs to mind as being central to your sales strategy, but as a hub for EU fulfilment, it has so much to offer.
07 August, 2024
How to Register for VAT in Poland
Our new fulfilment centre in Poland, allows you to connect easily with customers all over Europe. To start fulfilling your orders from Poland, you’ll need to register for VAT. Find out how here.
31 July, 2024
When Do I Need an EORI Number and How Can I Get One?
Do you need an EORI number for your business? ILG’s guide covers all you need to know about when one is required, gives examples, and explains how to apply.
22 July, 2024
5 Things to Consider When Choosing Your Jewellery Fulfilment Partner
Choosing the right fulfilment partner for your jewellery brand means the logistics of your brand are handled by 3PL experts, leaving you to focus on the many other important aspects of your business.
04 July, 2024
Battling E-Commerce Basket Abandonment in a Zero-Tolerance Era
In today’s volatile retail landscape, UK retailers are losing a staggering £34.4 billion annually to e-commerce basket abandonment. Read more in the new 2024 Basket Abandonment Report.
10 June, 2024
How to Increase Your Customer Retention Before, During and After Sales Peaks
When it comes to e-commerce, customer experience is key, especially during peak seasons. Find out how to keep customers coming back after peak seasons.
23 May, 2024
The EU’s New Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)
In this blog, we summarise what new restrictions are contained in the PPWR, how it will affect UK companies and what changes you need to put in place in order to comply?
15 April, 2024
How to Make Your Order Fulfilment More Sustainable
As brands become increasingly dedicated to operating sustainably, it’s vital that their supply chain partners are equally environmentally conscious to create an aligned vision for their customers.
27 March, 2024
The Beauty of Seamless Returns: Why Working with a 3PL is Essential
Returns have become an inevitable part of online shopping, and in the beauty industry, they play a significant role in customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
28 February, 2024
Delivery to Retail With a Trusted 3PL
Not all fulfilment providers offer delivery to retail or wholesale fulfilment. Partnering with a 3PL that does is essential to reach customers through all channels.
12 February, 2024
Delivering Love, One Package at a Time: Your 3PL Partner for Heartfelt Logistics this Valentine’s Day
As the demand for personalised presents continues to rise, e-commerce brands are recognising the importance of offering value-added services like personalisation and gift wrapping.
05 February, 2024
How Fast and Reliable Shipping Aids Growth
How your business treats shipping can have a big impact on how online shoppers choose to make a purchase. Read about the benefits of working with a 3PL that gives you multiple shipping options here.
25 January, 2024
Peak 2023: Is Beauty a Recession-Proof Sector?
Is beauty recession-proof? We take a look at the numbers behind Peak 2023, how ILG customers performed and why beauty is bucking the trends.
19 January, 2024
Is Your 3PL Handling Quality?
For any business that produces goods for the consumer market, the importance of quality control (QC) cannot be overstated.
29 November, 2023
How to Prepare Your Beauty Business for Sweeping New US Regulations
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to implement significant modifications to cosmetic regulation, find out how to prepare your beauty business here.
13 November, 2023
How to Scale Your Beauty Brand with a 3PL
Find out how working with the right 3PL can grow your beauty brand, elevating your offering and expanding your reach to meet growing demand.
23 October, 2023
How to Prepare Your E-Commerce Business for Global Peaks
In the West, certain annual peaks are given for e-commerce but many countries have their own traditions, and preparing for these ahead of time will mean you can get the most benefit from these peaks.
16 October, 2023
Five Steps To Switching Your Fulfilment Provider
For every business that relies on a fulfilment/3PL partner to get products into the hands of their customers, working with the right provider is a must.
25 September, 2023
How TikTok’s Potential Change in Policy May Signal a New Era of Opportunity for Brands
News of a potential change to TikTok’s policy regarding external links could have significant implications for brands and their social commerce activities.
18 September, 2023
How is Gen-Z Consumer Behaviour Transforming the Beauty Market
Gen-Z has significant power to influence the way brands launch, market and distribute their beauty products. We explore the ways Gen-Z is influencing beauty brands.
25 July, 2023
How AI is Shaping the E-Commerce Customer Experience
With e-commerce continuing to define modern retail, we’re firmly in an age where digital technology is at the helm of the customer experience.
06 July, 2023
Top Tips for Expanding Your US E-Commerce Business Into Europe
As online shopping continues to redefine the modern retail experience, the opportunity to make your brand more accessible to international audiences is more enticing than ever before.
15 June, 2023
How Beauty Subscription Boxes Can Help Brands Retain Their Customers
In this blog we look at the growth of subscription beauty services and how beauty brands can make the model work for them.
13 June, 2023
Brexit Developments – Is the Situation Improving for UK Businesses?
In this article we summarise what has happened as a result of Brexit in terms of trade, investment and labour and how that has impacted on European fulfilment and logistics.
30 May, 2023
How Your Business Can Benefit from a Multi-Carrier Delivery Partner
Starting your journey with a delivery partner or carrier that secures the best ROI for your business is only the first piece of the puzzle – then comes managing day-to-day delivery needs and making adjustments to your account where necessary.
17 May, 2023
The EU Green Deal: What do Fashion Brands Need to Know?
Why saving the planet makes sense for clothing and accessory brands. In this article we look at new regulations, the actions fashion brands need to take and the benefits of these actions for the planet, its people and the fashion business.
10 May, 2023
How Our Fulfilment Clients Benefit from a Long-Term Partnership
At ILG, one of our key metrics for success is the growth of our clients. Our mission is to make our customers more successful, and we believe this is best achieved through long-standing partnerships with them.
05 April, 2023
How to Make Your E-Commerce Packaging More Sustainable
Choosing the right delivery packaging for your beauty and wellbeing products is vital. Balancing a perfect unboxing experience and the sustainability of your outer packaging materials can transform the experience for your customers.
14 March, 2023
Summiting the Peak Season: Peak 2022 in Numbers
2022’s peak season was a strong one for e-commerce and retail brands. Here’s how it fared in numbers, and how we tackled it for our fulfilment customers.
22 February, 2023
Why Overstocking is Under-Performing
With supply chains in disarray and brands nervous of disappointing customers by running out of products, overstocking is now a global phenomenon.
27 January, 2023
How to Effectively Navigate E-Commerce Returns
Online shopping hasn’t just revolutionised the way customers buy; it’s also revolutionised the returns process.
04 January, 2023
How Your 3PL Can Fulfil Orders in the European Market
For e-commerce businesses growing into EU markets, reliable European fulfilment is the first step on your path towards international success.
12 December, 2022
Crossing the Atlantic: What US Beauty Brands Need To Know About Entering The UK Market
Cracking the UK is far from plain sailing and requires key partners on the ground with local knowledge. So, what do US beauty brands need to know?
29 November, 2022
What are the Benefits of Omnichannel Fulfilment?
Omnichannel fulfilment is the provision of fulfilment services for all of a brand’s retail channels. For most brands these services are split between multiple fulfilment partners. Here we look at the advantages of bringing them all together under one.
23 November, 2022
Why Client Service is Key to a Successful Fulfilment Partnership
Successful fulfilment is about more than just meeting orders at peak. Find out how client service can enhance the 3PL experience here.
17 November, 2022
4 Tips for Choosing Your Beauty 3PL Partner
Choosing to outsource your beauty fulfilment – whether for the first time or when moving to a new 3PL provider – is a big decision and one that is crucial to get right.
02 November, 2022
Fulfilling Social Commerce Orders and Managing Influencer-Led Spikes in Demand
As social commerce booms as a sales strategy for fashion, beauty and wellbeing brands, the ability to respond to sudden peaks in demand is becoming increasingly important.
05 October, 2022
How to Improve Customer Experience During Peak Times in Ecommerce
When it comes to e-commerce, customer experience is key, especially during peak seasons. When trying to appeal to new customers, and keeping current customers happy with your service, there are many ways to improve your customer service.
29 September, 2022
7 Tips for Maximising Success During Peak Season
With businesses across the nation preparing for the busier shopping period, now is the perfect time to refine your peak season planning. We’ve compiled a list of tips to maximise success during peak.
05 August, 2022
Heading for a Recessional Peak?
Find out how an exceptional customer experience and building brand loyalty can help brands as purse strings of UK consumers tighten.
26 July, 2022
How a 3PL Company can Personalise Your Fashion Brand’s Products
Product personalisation is a vital part of fashion fulfilment and one that ambitious fashion brands can leverage to give orders a bespoke feel.
30 June, 2022
The New Packaging Levies, Part II – How Beauty Brands Can Adapt for the Better
We take a look at how the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging in 2023 will affect beauty brands.
28 June, 2022
UK-Australia Free Trade Deal Promises New Opportunities for ILG Customers
In December 2021, the UK signed a free trade agreement with Australia, which will offer some significant benefits for ILG customers.
27 June, 2022
Why a 3PL Provider is the Best Choice for Order Fulfilment
If you’re at the helm of a growing retail brand, getting your ecommerce and retail order fulfilment right is essential.
21 June, 2022
CEW Announces Beauty Awards Finalists
The CEW Beauty Awards are back for 2022 and with over 300 entries from more than 175 brands, the finalists have been revealed!
15 June, 2022
Pick and Pack with ILG
Pick and pack is an important part of the process for businesses as they strive to offer the best e-commerce experience for their customers.
24 March, 2022
The Growth of Digital Technology in Beauty Marketing
Here we look at some of the stand-out examples of beauty brands embracing AI, AR and VR and consider how the technology might evolve in the coming years.
15 March, 2022
New Packaging Levies, Part 1
Two new pieces of legislation are set to transform the way UK businesses approach packaging. How will these new laws apply, who will be affected and what should you be doing to prepare?
22 November, 2021
Stocking up for Black Friday? Is your 3PL Prepared?
In Parts 1 and 2 of this series on Black Friday 2021, we’ve looked at consumer behaviour and retailers’ attitudes in this year of disruption and unpredictability.
08 November, 2021
Twist or Stick? How Retailers are Approaching Black Friday Amid Huge Market Uncertainty
Since it landed in the UK in 2013 Black Friday has forced retailers to completely rethink the traditional Christmas shopping period and post-Christmas sales.
03 November, 2021
Peak or Trough? Why Customer Behaviour is So Hard to Predict This Year
Black Friday falls on 26th November this year and retailers will be hoping for a spectacular uplift in sales.
21 September, 2021
The Global Logistics Crisis and What UK Retailers Can Do About It
The world is currently experiencing a crisis in the shipment of goods and it’s affecting UK businesses more than most.
18 August, 2021
Congratulations to CEW Beauty Awards Finalists
ILG clients are set to win big at the 2021 CEW Beauty Awards. With 359 entries across 33 categories, this year’s event was the biggest CEW Beauty Awards so far.
16 July, 2021
CEW Puts our Beauty Fulfilment to the Test
Our beauty fulfilment teams have been busy supporting the CEW 2021 Beauty Awards Product Demonstration Event.
25 May, 2021
Brexit and the Road to Poland – Part 3
The Founder of Little Green Radicals talks about the advantages of moving stock to the EU in Part 3 – The client’s tale.
23 April, 2021
Brexit and the Road to Poland – Part 2
Our decision to open a warehouse in Wroclaw, Poland, was signed off in September 2020 and I was assigned to manage the project the following month.
08 April, 2021
Brexit and the Road to Poland – Part 1
In January 2020, with one year left until the UK left the EU, we made the decision to prepare a contingency plan in the event of a hard Brexit.
27 January, 2021
Peak of Peaks: Black Friday 2020
It’s official: the Black Friday peak pre-Christmas 2020 was the busiest period ever at ILG. Take a closer look at the numbers behind the ‘Peak of Peaks’.
11 December, 2020
Ready for Brexit? Read our Checklist
Brexit is happening. With just days left until new rules and processes come into force on 31st December, all UK businesses that trade with the EU need to be prepared.
23 November, 2020
Building More Space for Black Friday
Watch our video to see how ILG has been preparing to meet record Black Friday demand.
29 October, 2020
Delivering a Successful Peak – Part 3
When I grew up, there was no e-commerce or online sales at Christmas time. The challenges we grappled with then were a world apart from those we face today.
22 October, 2020
Delivering a Successful Peak – Part 2
As time passes and ILG and our clients continue to grow, each peak period throws up new challenges which we must prepare for and overcome.
15 October, 2020
Delivering a Successful Peak – Part 1
As we count down the days to our expected peak trading period from 16th November, I would like to take a moment to reflect and give you an insight into what ILG is doing to ensure we deliver a successful peak.
30 September, 2020
6 Black Friday 2020 Retention Tips
How to keep newly acquired Black Friday sales customers coming back for more.
14 September, 2020
Are You Ready for a No-Deal Brexit?
On Thursday 10th September, we hosted our first webinar, tackling the main areas of concern as we approach that 31 December watershed.
10 September, 2020
How Black Friday 2020 will be Different and 5 Ways to Prepare your Business
As the days count down to Black Friday on 27th November, Cyber Weekend 2020 is set to become the most challenging peak period ever for retailers, fulfilment providers and delivery companies.
12 June, 2020
Safe-Sign for Safe Signing and Deliveries
As lockdown continues, keeping our distance and avoiding contact with non-householders are still our best protections against Covid-19 infection.
10 June, 2020
Has COVID-19 Turned Europe into an Online Market? And What Should You be Doing About It?
It won’t come as any surprise that e-commerce has experienced a major spike during the coronavirus pandemic.
29 January, 2020
Forward Planning – How to Best Prepare Your Company for Peak Periods
Last year’s peak November sales period was our busiest ever at ILG – by some considerable margin – and feedback from our clients shows that it was a successful period for our customers too.
23 October, 2019
Many Happy Returns: How Retailers Can Win New Customers this Christmas
A recent survey* of 15,800 consumers worldwide found that 77% of them are already planning to return a proportion of the gifts they receive this Christmas.
06 June, 2019
5 Logistics Tech Trends Offering Brands a Competitive Advantage
In this article, we’ll go through the main ways tech is impacting the fulfilment and delivery industry.
01 April, 2019
How to Perfect Your Product Packaging
The fulfilment expert’s guide to sustainable, stand-out packaging. Impending legislation (coming in 2022) is forcing businesses to reconsider their choice of packaging.
11 November, 2018
They Think it’s all Dover… are you Prepared for When the Brexit Whistle Blows?
The main areas of concern for UK businesses currently importing or exporting goods to Europe.
01 June, 2018
5 Ways your 3PL Partner can Support D2C Beauty Sales
Shopping habits are changing, a trend significantly accelerated by the market disruption caused by COVID-19.
03 May, 2018
Meeting the Challenges of Reverse Logistics (and Turning Them to your Advantage)
Returns have always been a fact of life for retailers. Some have treated them as a selling point, others have tried to pretend they weren’t happening.
21 July, 2017
Secrets of a Warehouse Stock Manager
Continuing our series in which ILG Head of Projects and Development, Lee Simmons and I address the key questions customers ask about outsourcing their fulfilment operations.
29 June, 2017
Top Tips for Efficient Receipt of Goods
The arrival of goods at our warehouse from your supplier marks a complex transition point. To ensure that this receipt of goods happens smoothly and without mishap, we follow a tried and tested procedure.
26 April, 2017
Key Considerations when Importing Stock
Many of our clients have their products manufactured or sourced abroad and shipped to the UK. This requires an understanding of the import and customs clearance process.
23 March, 2017
Why it Makes Sense to Outsource your Fulfilment
Based on feedback from our customers, the chief reasons for choosing to outsource fulfilment are a desire to grow their businesses and to get away from managing warehouses!
28 February, 2017
When to Outsource Your Fulfilment…and Who to Trust it to
The decision to outsource your fulfilment to a third party is not one that any business takes lightly. At ILG we liken it to entrusting your children to a babysitter for the first time.