E-commerce continues to grow as the preferred shopping channel for consumers across every industry – including food and beverage. In fact, revenue from online food and beverage fulfillment is anticipated to rise to $25.7 billion per year by 2025.
From delivery to and beyond, with more consumers ordering grocery products directly to their homes than ever, omnichannel fulfillment strategies have never been more critical. From small business to brands selling through Amazon FBA and marketplaces, direct to consumer, and retail channels need trustworthy, high-quality fulfillment partners equipped to meet customer demand from every angle, that can also handle FDA-compliant storage needs and special requirements.
The distributed, configurable Flowspace Network is among the largest networks of FDA-registered warehouses in the country, and brands like Lifeaid rely on Flowspace as their fulfillment company to power omnichannel product fulfillment.
“The ability to track lot numbers and quantities per lot is very important to [Lifeaid]. We can accurately audit what lots our products are being sent to and what lots they leave from with all of our warehouse partners.”
– Logistics Coordinator, Lifeaid
Flowspace offers a suite of food logistics solutions to ensure FDA-compliant quality control at every step of the fulfillment process, including:
Lot Tracking and Reporting
Flowspace offers full lot tracking and reporting capabilities in line with FDA and ISO regulations and certifications. This provides brands with real-time visibility into where items are stored, and allows for immediate reporting on per-lot location and activity.
Lot tracking is especially important for perishable items, or inventory with expiration or best-by dates. In the event of a food safety audit or recall, lot tracking enables brands to respond rapidly. If a brand needs to prioritize the shipment of specific product batches, lot tracking makes that possible.
FEFO Picking
Flowspace supports First-Expired-First-Out (FEFO), a picking logic that ensures that the oldest items or those with the earliest expiration dates are picked first. FEFO is best used for food product items with best-before dates, and requires expiration date tracking for perishable goods.
Real-Time Inventory Visibility
The Flowspace platform gives brands access to real-time inventory levels across all fulfillment centers in the Flowspace network. With a predictive view of remaining stock, brands are empowered to make inventory management decisions in order to stay ahead of low inventory and replenishments.
Special Handling and Security
The Flowspace network includes dozens of fulfillment centers equipped to handle special handling and services. From AIB/GSFI-certified warehouses to fulfillment centers with additional security and special handling, the Flowspace network can support unique or custom brand requirements.
To find out how Flowspace can handle food fulfillment services and supply chain for your brand, get in touch today.
Written By:
Allison Champion
Allison Champion leads marketing communication at Flowspace, where she works to develop content that addresses the unique challenges facing modern brands in omnichannel eCommerce. She has more than a decade of experience in content development and marketing.
