Multi Vendors for Drop-Shipping?

[mike373]

Hi, I'm looking to see if Zen Cart can handle multiple vendors for drop-shipping.

Any info on this?

Thanks!
Mike

[fairestcape]

I had a discussion about this earlier with a client.

There is no practical way to construct a module that adequately handles order and shipping processing on a e-commerce site (note I say e-commerce, not just zencart) that houses products and different shipping rates/policies for multi-dropshippers.

The reason is not so much in the software, but in the physical logistics of how drop-shipping operates.

Consider:

You stock products from 3 different dropshippers.

Dropshipper 1 uses Royal Mail
Dropshipper 2 uses Private Courier at a flat fee
Dropshipper 3 uses FedEx

Each dropshipper has their own rate and fee structure.

If a customer orders 3 products off your site - one each from each of the different dropshippers - how are you going to calculate the shipping fee?

Furthermore, customers are likely to be horrified that the COST of shipping (if it were possible to calculate it) would be the SUM of the fees of all three shippers!

The only potential way round this is to build in the cost of shipping into the product base price - which will be very difficult if (for example) one drop shipper's rates are based on WEIGHT and another's products are based on PER ITEM.

As I say, it's a problem of physical logistics, and let's be pragmatic... would you (potentially) pay Shipper 1 @ $20 + Shipper 2 @ $15 + Shipper 3 @ $25 = $60 to have three items shipped to you?

[mike373]

Thanks, Fairestcape. I appreciate the explanation.

[vtjballeng]

You can add them together as many multi-vendor websites on the internet do or you can give them 3 options as some websites on the internet do. Multi-vendor shipping or drop shipping is not unique or structurally impractical to deal with, we currently use it on several website with oscommerce & mvs. CREloaded recently added MVS to their install as well. I would move to Zencart quickly if MVS or some system like it were available but short of that we will need to port our own solution to Zencart.

Are there any practical installations / addons or have any Zencart admins implemented a mall / multivender / dropship type infrastructure?

[Shooters]

Ok, what if I offer free shipping and have several manufacturers that drop ship for me? All I want to do is bounce the IN STOCK on the items and if not in stock.. then fire off an email to manufacture to ship. Would be nice to also what items drop shipped/back ordered/email sent.. and send customer and admin copy of drop ship notifications.

I had a discussion about this earlier with a client.

There is no practical way to construct a module that adequately handles order and shipping processing on a e-commerce site (note I say e-commerce, not just zencart) that houses products and different shipping rates/policies for multi-dropshippers.

The reason is not so much in the software, but in the physical logistics of how drop-shipping operates.

Consider:

You stock products from 3 different dropshippers.

Dropshipper 1 uses Royal Mail
Dropshipper 2 uses Private Courier at a flat fee
Dropshipper 3 uses FedEx

Each dropshipper has their own rate and fee structure.

If a customer orders 3 products off your site - one each from each of the different dropshippers - how are you going to calculate the shipping fee?

Furthermore, customers are likely to be horrified that the COST of shipping (if it were possible to calculate it) would be the SUM of the fees of all three shippers!

The only potential way round this is to build in the cost of shipping into the product base price - which will be very difficult if (for example) one drop shipper's rates are based on WEIGHT and another's products are based on PER ITEM.

As I say, it's a problem of physical logistics, and let's be pragmatic... would you (potentially) pay Shipper 1 @ $20 + Shipper 2 @ $15 + Shipper 3 @ $25 = $60 to have three items shipped to you?