Drop Shipping
Drop shipping is a retail fulfillment method where a store doesn't keep the products it sells in stock. Instead, when a store sells a product, it purchases the item from a third party (usually a wholesaler or manufacturer) and has it shipped directly to the customer. This model eliminates the need for inventory management and warehousing, making it popular for e-commerce businesses.
Developers should learn about drop shipping when building or integrating e-commerce platforms, as it's a common business model for online stores. It's particularly useful for entrepreneurs starting with limited capital, as it reduces upfront costs for inventory. Understanding drop shipping helps in developing systems for order processing, supplier integration, and automated fulfillment workflows.