Inospace has launched an outsourced fulfilment warehouse facility to assist small and medium-sized e-commerce businesses with their warehousing and distribution needs at one of its existing properties, Island Works Logistics Park at Paarden Eiland in Cape Town.
A second facility is scheduled to open in early 2024 in Midrand, Johannesburg.
Businesses can now rent a fixed warehouse space and/or daily scalable outsourced warehouse space, leaving Inospace to pack and dispatch orders on their behalf.
The company’s digital platform allows seamless integration into existing e-commerce platforms like Shopify, making it easier for users to schedule deliveries and ship products directly to their customers, whether they are other businesses or end-user consumers.
“Our business model is based on the view that traditional landlordism is being disrupted – real estate requires customer-centric solutions and value-adding services. An integrated fulfilment facility provides e-commerce businesses with a seamless logistics ecosystem,” says Inospace CEO Rael Levitt.
He explains that the automated fulfilment process starts right after users have placed an order on Inospace’s platform. The company provides storage for the user’s stock until an order is placed. Inospace then processes the order, packs, and dispatches it to the end-user on behalf of the customer for a fee.
The platform automatically selects the lowest pre-negotiated courier prices and the most favourable terms based on customers’ requirements.
Inospace has created two pricing models – a starter plan of R5 250 for up to 100 orders per month and a custom plan with costs based on usage and orders that exceed 100 orders a month.
The last-mile logistics park owner and operator invested over R20 million in revamping the space to convert it into an e-commerce fulfilment warehouse and distribution facility, and to develop software to optimise e-commerce fulfilment while maximizing transparency in the supply chain.
Alongside the investment into this facility, Inospace has appointed Dean Venske, a seasoned executive with extensive knowledge and experience in logistics, to head the logistics team and in-house warehouse managers.
“By launching an all-in-one logistics solution, Inospace is providing a much-needed boost to growing e-commerce businesses in South Africa. This levels the playing field for smaller businesses who can compete more effectively with larger companies,” adds the company’s Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Jodi Sher.
