According to Statista, the dropshipping market will be worth $300 by the end of 2024. And by 2026, it will be worth a whopping $470 billion. 

 

This comes as no surprise knowing that the dropshipping business model is one of the fastest-growing business models among ecommerce businesses. In fact, 27% of retailers worldwide use dropshipping order fulfillment in their online businesses (source: growthdevil.com).

 

With that in mind, if you want to get in on this emerging business trend, you need to learn how to fulfill dropshipping orders on Shopify. In this article, we’ll teach you how to do that using CJdropshipping.

 

CJdropshipping, from its name, is a dropshipping supplier that caters to businesses in the US and worldwide.

 

What Does Shopify Order Fulfillment Mean?

 

Source: Pexels

 

The order fulfillment process on Shopify differs depending on the type of business you’re in. 

 

In general, there are five types of businesses that you can do on Shopify:

- Digital products business

- Services business

- Retail business

- Wholesale business

- Dropshipping business

 

Digital Products Business

Digital products on Shopify include digital art, pre-recorded courses, and selling seats for live events.

 

As such, in digital products like these, the order fulfillment process does not involve physical delivery to the customers’ doorsteps. Instead, it’s as simple as a click of a button to provide access to the customers.

 

Thus, there is no logistics involved. And when compared to other types of Shopify businesses, order fulfillment for digital products is the fastest and easiest to execute.

 

Services Business

A service-oriented business is one that also does not sell physical products but instead sells time and labor (service) to the customers. As such, customers pay for the cost of labor and the materials needed to perform the service.

 

The order fulfillment process for a service-oriented business that sells through the Shopify platform includes going to the place of your customers and performing the agreed service.

 

Retail & Wholesale Businesses

A retail business sells physical products directly to the end customers. On the other hand, a wholesale business is an entity that sells to other businesses (usually retailers) in bulk and at a discounted rate.

 

Another differentiating factor of wholesale and retail businesses is that order fulfillment for wholesale could happen even before full payment if payment terms are offered to customers. Whereas in retail online stores, fulfillment could only be executed after full payment.

 

Although these two types of businesses differ in the quantity of the products that they deliver per individual customer, the fulfillment process is quite similar. The merchant (the retailer or the wholesaler) must physically deliver the goods to the customers.

 

If you have a physical store and want to launch an online store, you can synchronize your inventory management using Shopify POS. Check out the Shopify hardware store to see the equipment that you can use.

 

Dropshipping Business

The dropshipping business has the most complex order fulfillment process amongst all types of businesses as it includes a third-party fulfillment service.

 

There are three parties in a dropshipping business – the dropshipping supplier, the retailer (store owner), and the customer. 

 

Although the customer places the order with the retailer, the latter is not the one who fulfills the order. Instead, it’s the dropshipping supplier who does. As such, the merchant or store owner acts only like a middleman who bridges the customer to the dropshipping supplier. 

 

With that many parties to a sale, the dropshipping fulfillment process must be complex, right? 

 

It depends on the dropshipping fulfillment of your choice.

 

There are two types of dropshipping fulfillment methods:

- Manual fulfillment method

- Automatic fulfillment method

Let’s talk about these in the next section.

 

Types Of Shopify Order Fulfillment Methods

 

 

Source: Pexels

 

When it comes to fulfilling dropshipping orders on Shopify, there are two primary fulfillment methods for physical products: 

- Automatic order fulfillment

- Manual order fulfillment

 

Both fulfillment methods have their pros and cons. As such, each one may be proven advantageous when used properly based on your business needs and preferences.

 

Understanding the dropshipping fulfillment process is crucial for ensuring timely deliveries and customer satisfaction, thus encouraging repeat orders.

 

By leveraging the right fulfillment process, you can streamline your operations to prepare your dropshipping business for growth. But whatever fulfillment method you choose, you’re going to need a third-party fulfillment service that doesn’t just have the right product selections but is also very reliable. 

 

Later, we’ll talk about CJdropshipping and we’ll explain why it’s a great dropshipping platform for both new store owners and season dropshippers.

 

But for now, let’s first understand the two fulfillment methods on Shopify dropshipping.

 

Automatic Fulfillment Method

Of the two fulfillment methods, automatic fulfillment is the most streamlined and efficient because it simplifies fulfillment without requiring any input from the store owner.

 

With automatic fulfillment, once an order is completed by a customer, the integrated dropshipping software automatically communicates directly with your third-party fulfillment service or dropshipping supplier. 

 

The latter then processes and ships the order to your customer. As such, this method reduces manual intervention and in doing so, minimizes potential errors and order inaccuracies. 

 

Best use cases for automatic fulfillment

The automatic dropshipping fulfillment method is best used by the following types of stores:

 

- High-Order Volumes: seasoned dropshipping business owners who own high-volume Shopify stores will benefit from this automatic process as they don’t have to place individual orders manually.

- Standardized Products: you’ll benefit from this automated process if you are selling standardized products on your Shopify store – products that don’t need customization. This ensures quick and efficient order processing.

- Scaling Businesses: growing dropshipping businesses that come from manual order fulfillment would benefit from the quick order turnaround of automated fulfillment. Thus, they can handle larger order volumes while reducing manual labor. 

- International Shipping: For stores dealing with international customers, automatic fulfillment streamlines the process and helps manage complex shipping logistics efficiently.

 

Manual Fulfillment Method

The manual fulfillment method involves more hands-on management of the fulfillment process as it requires input from the store owner.

 

With this method, store owners need to manually process each order from their Shopify dashboard. As such, when a customer places an order, it isn’t automatically forwarded to the third-party fulfillment service. 

 

Instead, the store owner verifies the details first and places the order with the supplier – manually inputting all the order and customer details.

 

While you may think that there is no advantage to this method as it requires more effort and attention, it could benefit store owners who want to ensure the quality of the products that are delivered to their customers, thus giving a more personalized approach.

 

Additionally, the manual order fulfillment process is also beneficial to drop shippers who are selling custom orders or accepting special requests from their customers that require closer supervision.

 

Best use cases for manual order fulfillment

The manual order fulfillment method is best used by the following types of stores:

 

- Startup stores: if you’re just starting your dropshipping business with a few products, we recommend manually placing orders to the dropshipper to better understand the dynamics of dropshipping. This will also help you gain the skills in sourcing the best suppliers for your specific products.

- Low Order Volumes: if your store receives a low number of orders per day, a manual fulfillment would be beneficial in that you can closely monitor each order that is placed by your customers.

- Custom Orders: when orders require customization, manual fulfillment ensures that all customer requests are properly communicated to the suppliers, minimizing potential errors.

- Quality Control: if you are just testing out a new supplier for a specific product, a manual fulfillment method will help you ensure a high level of quality control.

 

Did you know? You can also fulfill Shopify orders using Amazon. With Shopify Amazon integration, you can list your products on Amazon by adding it as a sales channel. This will let you enjoy more visibility as your products will also be searchable on Amazon.

 

How Does CJdropshipping Work?

 

CJdropshipping is a dropshipping supplier with more than 400,000 various products in their platform that spans across 13 general categories:

· Computer & office

· Bags & shoes

· Jewelry & watches

· Health, beauty & hair

· Women’s clothing

· Sports & outdoors

· Home, garden & furniture

· Home improvement

· Automobiles & motorcycles

· Toys, kids & babies

· Men’s clothing

· Consumer electronics

· Phones & accessories

 

Similar to other dropshipping platforms CJdropshipping acts as a portal where dropshippers (retailers) can find products, push those products to their Shopify stores, and sell directly to customers.

 

As such, dropshipping using CJdropshipping works the same way as others:

- The customer places and pays the order to the Shopify store owner’s website

- The Shopify store communicates and pays the order to the dropshipping supplier

- The supplier fulfills the order by shipping the order to the customers

 

In terms of reliability and warehouse network, CJdropshipping has a vast fulfillment in the North American region with warehouses scattered across the United States and Canada that can process 20,000 dropshipping orders per day.

 

 

In addition to that, CJdropshipping has global warehouses spanning from Europe to Asia. With that in mind, if you’re located in the US, Europe, or Asia, launching a dropshipping business with CJdropshipping will be a wise business move as you can rest assured that you can fulfill customer orders in the shortest time possible. Thus, keeping them happy and satisfied.

 

 

CJdropshipping Features

CJdropshipping is not your ordinary dropshipping supplier. It provides a set of powerful tools and features so you can accurately monitor your dropshipping business.

 

At the same time, the order fulfillment service is also customizable so you can tailor your products according to your branding. 

 

Let’s talk about some of the unique features of this dropshipping fulfillment platform.

 

Product sourcing

Just like other dropshipping suppliers, CJdropshipping purchases products in bulk from the main manufacturers.

 

They then mark-up these prices before they sell wholesale to dropshippers for Shopify store owners.

 

As such, if you cannot find the product that you want to sell in their current product listing, you can request them to source a product from you from their manufacturer network.

 

Print-on-demand

Among the many advantages of CJdropshipping over DSers-AliExpress is the availability of a print-on-demand or POD business model. 

 

With DSERs-AliExpress, dropshippers cannot put their own designs over their products. They’re stuck with what the platform has.

 

Whereas in CJdropshipping, it’s possible through POD. As such, you can sell branded items such as mugs, caps, shirts, and other types of white-label products.

 

Photography services

All products in CJdropshipping have existing marketing assets like photos so you can upload high-quality photos to your Shopify store.

 

However, one obvious disadvantage with this is the lack of uniqueness. Just a simple search on Amazon and your customers would find similar (and usually cheaper) products.

 

One way to counteract this is by using custom photos that only you have. Luckily, you can request photography services on any product that you want to sell through your store.

 

Custom packaging

Another great thing about CJdropshipping is their custom packaging feature. As mentioned, the main problem drop shippers have is uniqueness.

 

And when you want to establish a dropshipping business that is designed to last, one thing you need to pay attention to is branding.

 

And one crucial aspect of branding is custom packaging. Thus, if you want to establish a Shopify pet store, you can use their POD service to brand all the pet products that you sell through your store and then, use custom packaging with your brand logo in it to create a truly unique brand.

 

Wholesale 

If you have a fast-moving product in your store, chances are, other drop shippers have their eyes on it too. This leads to scarcity in supply when that product reaches peak popularity. 

 

To battle the scarcity, CJdropshipping allows merchants to purchase products in bulk and store them in their warehouses. That way, your supply chain is secured. And that means your profits are secured too.

 

3PL Fulfillment

CJdropshipping’s dropshipping fulfillment service isn’t just for Shopify store owners who are sourcing their products from China. In fact, you can take advantage of their vast network even if you manufacture your products and sell them globally.

 

This is possible using their 3PL fulfillment. With this service, you can ship your products to any of their fulfillment warehouses for storage and when orders come in, they will be the ones to execute the fulfillment. 

 

This feature is highly beneficial for global and growing brands who want to lessen their shipping costs and want to deliver customer orders at a faster rate.

 

CJdropshipping Pricing

CJdropshipping eliminates the barriers to entry for all aspiring drop shippers. That’s because anyone who has a Shopify store can use CJdropshipping for FREE.

 

Yes, that’s right you can enjoy our fulfillment network without paying a single dollar.

 

As such, as long as you have a Shopify store, you can start working on your most-coveted dream of financial freedom.

 

 

For those looking for more advanced features, CJdropshipping has four types of subscription plans:

- Free

- Plus

- Prime

- Advanced

 

New drop shippers who are still “testing the waters” can opt for our Free plan. With this, you can start your dropshipping business with zero financial risk and no commitment.

 

Otherwise, you can opt for the Plus plan which offers more features such as coupons and VIP products.

 

As your business grows, you can upgrade your plan to a Prime or Advanced plan depending on your needs.

 

 

Why Choose CJdropshipping? Here Are The Benefits

Dropshipping defeats all the constraints and barriers of starting a new business. As such, these translate to benefits. Here are some of them:

 

Low startup costs

A Shopify dropshipping business requires minimal initial investment because there is no need to purchase inventory upfront. All you need is an online store. This reduces the financial risks and makes it accessible for new entrepreneurs.

 

No inventory management

With a dropshipping business, there is no need to invest in a complex inventory management system as there is no need to do so because you don’t have physical inventory. Your supplier handles the stocks, allowing you to focus on marketing and sales.

 

Wide product selections

With more than 400,000 SKUs in CJdropshipping, plus their product sourcing feature, you can sell anything that you can find.

 

This wide product selection allows you to easily expand your Shopify dropshipping business – all without worrying about needing large capital investment. 

 

All you have to do is list the products to your store.

 

Scalability  

Because financial risks are minimal in a dropshipping business, scaling or growing your business is easier. As well as venturing into other niches or product categories.

 

As soon as you get the hang of dropshipping, it will be easier for you to launch new dropshipping brands to open new income streams for you.

 

Flexibility and mobility

With all the above benefits combined, you can live your life to the fullest when you succeed in dropshipping. You can enjoy life’s little rewards without being confined in an office space because you can run your dropshipping business from anywhere in the world.

 

 

How To Fulfill Dropshipping Orders On Shopify With CJdropshipping

Shopify store owners can choose between manual or automatic fulfillment processes for their dropshipping business when using other dropshipping suppliers.

 

However, when using CJdropshipping, you can only use a manual order fulfillment service as there is no automated fulfillment with this platform. 

 

But this does not mean that CJdropshipping is inferior to other suppliers. 

 

CJdropshipping’s manual order fulfillment process is designed to give more control over merchants for proper business management. 

 

Let’s find out how to fulfill orders on Shopify manually using CJdropshipping.

 

Manual Order Fulfillment Service With CJdropshipping

Manually fulfilling an order on Shopify with CJdropshipping is fairly simple.

 

First, go to your CJdropshipping dashboard and find Store Orders.

 

In the Store Orders dashboard,

- Click the Sync Store Orders button

- In the dialogue box, select the store you want to pull orders from and select a sync date. If you fulfill orders daily, select the current date.

- After that, click the Sync now button

 

 

After the sync button, CJdropshipping will pull all paid orders from your Shopify store. After pulling all orders from your online store, select the orders that you want to fulfill and click the Add to Orders Picking button.

 

 

Then, go to the Cart section of your CJ dashboard, select the products that you want to fulfill, click Add purchase and pay the total value of the products.

 

 

After order payment, CJdropshipping will fulfill the orders for you. All you have to do is monitor the shipment so when your customers ask for progress you’d be able to give them an accurate response about the whereabouts of their orders.

 

Conclusion

It is without a doubt that CJdropshipping’s manual order fulfillment process requires a bit more work from store owners when compared to automated shipping. 

 

However, when you think of it, the manual order fulfillment process is a more secure method as it prevents unwanted charges to your card. It also prevents unavailable items from being processed.

 

With manual fulfillment, only those orders that you want to fulfill will be processed as you are given a choice to select orders before finalizing it.

 

Generally speaking, CJdropshipping is among the best platforms that you can use if you want to start your dropshipping business. Taking into account its POD and custom packaging features, you can create a branded experience that would make your store unique.

 

Customers want a personalized experience every time they buy. As such, they would prefer to buy a branded item over a generic one. With that in mind, you’re in it for the long run, doing dropshipping with CJ is the best decision you could make.

 

Now that you know how to fulfill orders on Shopify using CJdropshipping, it’s now time to start your online business and work towards your financial dreams.

 

FAQs

 

How to fulfill dropshipping orders?

Fulfilling dropshipping orders on Shopify depends on the dropshipping platform that you’re using. If your dropshipping platform has both manual and automatic fulfillment, you can choose either one.

 

Manual dropshipping fulfillment means that when you receive orders from your customers, you need to place those orders on your supplier’s platform. Such is the case for suppliers like CJdropshipping. 

 

If your platform has an automatic dropshipping fulfillment, every order placed by your customers is automatically ordered to your supplier. Thus requiring no manual input from you.

 

How does fulfillment work in dropshipping?

Order fulfillment on dropshipping is done by the dropshipping supplier. If you’re using CJdropshipping, when an order is placed on your store, you need to place that same order to the CJ platform and after confirmation, your product will be shipped to your customers.

 

What is the complete process of dropshipping?

 

There are three parties in a dropshipping business.

- Supplier (CJDropshopping, DSers-AliExpress, Spocket, etc.)

- Retailer

- Customer 

 

The retailer or Shopify store owner finds a product from the dropshipping supplier and lists it in his store. The customer then places an order on the store. 

 

When an order is placed in the store, the retailer forwards the order to the supplier and the supplier packs and delivers the order to the customer.