Virtualstock & commercetools partner to automate retail ops

Virtualstock has announced a new strategic partnership with commercetools to enhance retail efficiency through automated, seamless order and inventory management. Virtualstock is recognised as Europe's dropship and curated marketplace SaaS platform, and commercetools is known globally for its expertise in composable commerce.

The collaboration between the two companies is set to streamline retail operations by enabling automatic sharing of order and delivery status, as well as stock updates, between retailers and their dropship suppliers. Virtualstock's cloud-based platform provides a unified connection for retailers with their suppliers, ensuring complete visibility across the supply chain. This includes comprehensively tracking stock availability, order status, and delivery status.

The partnership is particularly pertinent as consumer expectations continue to evolve. According to current data, 81% of consumers now expect faster customer service, intensifying the pressure on retailers to improve their response times and operational efficiencies. Economic and technological shifts are also contributing to changing expectations.

Christopher Holley, Global Director of Technology Partnerships at commercetools, commented on the partnership, stating, "Our partnership with Virtualstock exemplifies our commitment to providing enterprises with cutting-edge solutions that streamline operations and enhance scalability. Our integration with Virtualstock enables automated, seamless order and inventory management, empowering businesses to deliver exceptional customer experiences with increased efficiency."

The newly developed connector between commercetools and Virtualstock will significantly reduce the development requirements for retailers who use both platforms. This, in turn, will lower the time and costs associated with onboarding new dropship suppliers and products. The automation facilitated by this connector reduces human errors and speeds up both the fulfilment and shipping processes, thereby meeting the increased demand for quick and reliable customer service.

David Stobie, VP of Growth at Virtualstock, also shared his thoughts on the partnership. "We are thrilled to announce our strategic partnership with commercetools. The new connector, which automates the connection between retailers and their suppliers, is available from the 27th of August 2024. It demonstrates our joint commitment to helping businesses conquer the complexities of ecommerce and unlock new levels of productivity and profitability," he said.

The connector utilises Virtualstock's REST API to ensure the transparency and visibility of critical data both upstream and downstream in the supply chain. This level of automation is expected to minimise human errors and enhance operational efficiencies, thereby accelerating the overall order fulfilment and shipping processes.

commercetools empowers enterprise businesses by providing a flexible and scalable backend that aids in faster time-to-market, lower total cost of ownership, and higher average order value. Meanwhile, Virtualstock’s platform simplifies the ecommerce operations, enhancing profitability through a one-to-many connection with suppliers.

As both companies continue to develop innovative solutions to meet the evolving demands of the retail sector, the partnership between Virtualstock and commercetools is a significant step towards improving operational efficiencies and customer service in the industry.