Blind Shipment
In the age of e-commerce, speed is key. Businesses that are able to get products quickly to customers win. To keep the supply chain lean and efficient, many distributors ship products directly from manufacturers to customers.
But this could have unintended consequences. For instance, competitors could find out where distributors are getting their supply and strike a deal to undercut them. Customers might also decide to buy directly from the manufacturer to access cheaper prices. To avoid such situations, distributors employ a technique known as “blind shipment”.
In a blind shipment, the manufacturer’s information is either redacted completely or replaced with the distributor’s information. In a double blind shipment, the distributor hides the identity of both a shipper and a buyer from each other, so manufacturers cannot find out who the customers are. That way, products can still be shipped directly to customers without undermining the distributor’s position as the intermediary.
This facilitates an effective division of labor: manufacturers can focus on handling inventory while distributors handle marketing and sales. This keeps costs low for smaller businesses hoping to compete with e-commerce giants. At DHL, blind shipments come at no extra cost. Simply select “hide sender” when registering your shipment on My DHL Parcel.
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