Let’s imagine you’re a reseller, and a client places an order for a box of light bulbs, which your supplier fulfills. The original invoice, as well as the name of your supplier, are included when it comes. The invoice reflects a considerably lower price than the customer paid. In this case, your customer may want to place future orders directly with your supplier, leaving you out of the picture.
So, in this case, what is the best course of action? Blind shipment is a dropshipping best practice that protects your supplier’s identity. Continue reading to find out more about blind shipping.
What is blind shipping?
Blind shipping is dropshipping in which orders are shipped straight from the manufacturer to the buyer while the supplier’s name and identity remain hidden. The consumer will believe it originated from you because of this.
There is no branding or labeling to identify who your provider is, much like with white label services. The package must be prepaid, and the request to ship blind must be made before delivery. Before the bill of lading (BOL) is sent to its final destination, the shipper’s name and contact information are removed.
Why do retailers use blind shipping?
Blind shipment is a supply chain management strategy that protects your organization by keeping your supplier’s identity hidden (and possible profits or recurring income). This encourages clients to order through you rather than directly from the source, allowing you to keep your intermediary position rather than losing customers to your provider. The blind shipment also eliminates the possibility of competitors discovering your source.
Advantages of Blind Shipping
Blind shipment has various advantages when dropshipping goods, including protecting your business and reducing the risk of retail supply chain concerns.
1. Ensured supply chain management
Blind shipment helps retailers keep their supply chains running smoothly and avoids the danger of customers buying straight from the supplier. You may safeguard your company from losing consumers by continuing to act as the intermediary. When dropshipping, blind shipping can help protect your supply chain, but be aware that you may lose control over product quality and shipment timelines.
2. Maintain your competitive advantage
When you employ blind shipping, your suppliers’ information is kept secret from competitors. Your competitors may find out about your good relationship with your supplier and collaborate with you to give clients the same high-quality products at a lower price if you have a good relationship with them and they supply you with a reasonable price and the best things.
3. Maintain a hands-off approach
Blind drop shipping allows you to run and safeguard your eCommerce business with minimum involvement. You are not required to own or manage inventory, and your supplier fulfills orders while remaining anonymous. While this is a low-cost logistics option, many online merchants prefer to keep their inventory with a third-party logistics (3PL) partner for more control, shorter transit times, and fewer difficulties.
How does blind shipping work for eCommerce orders?
When orders are transmitted straight from the manufacturer to the buyer over the internet, blind shipping is employed. The process of blind shipment is described as follows:
On the BOL, the supplier replaces their name with your company’s name.
The BOL is delivered to the consignee with hidden supplier information.
After that, the BOL is turned over to the carrier, who will ship it straight to your client.
Conclusion
Only when you’re dropshipping orders as an online firm would you contemplate blind shipment. Although dropshipping has shown to be successful for some eCommerce firms, it’s crucial to remember that it’s a quite different logistics strategy than working with a third-party logistics provider. Unlike dropshipping, outsourcing fulfillment to a 3PL may help you improve supply chain efficiency, acquire control, and give a better customer experience.
Is blind shipping safe?
Thankfully, there is a shipping method that allows firms to do just that—know it’s as blind shipment, and it’s been used by numerous enterprises to keep their finances secure. The majority of the time, distributors desire blind delivery.
What is blind packaging?
When a shipper sends a product straight from a supplier to a client while keeping the supplier’s name hidden from the buyer, this is known as blind shipping. When a supplier does not know the client’s name or who they are shipping to, it is called double-blind shipping.
What is double-blind shipping?
Double-blind shipping is used when both the sender and the receiver’s identities are hidden from each other. Double-blind shipping guarantees that the consumer does not go straight to the vendor/manufacturer and that the vendor/manufacturer does not go straight to your customer to sell to them at a lower price.
