Fulfillment, shipping, returns
We're picking our first 3PL and we're doing $2–10M a year
You are packing orders in a garage, a spare room, or with a local shipper who knows your name. The question at $2–10M is whether a 3PL will still pick up the phone when a launch week goes sideways.
The lists for this job
These are the ones I'd pick first, which is why I partner with them. I may earn a referral fee.
DISCLOSURE
Listings and verdicts can't be bought. Sponsored slots and reviews are always labeled.
WHAT MATTERS
- They will take your current volume, in writing.
- Your cart connects without a custom build.
- You can get the inventory out if you leave.
- Returns can come back to the same building.
Before you sign
- Who owns the inventory if you leave, and how fast they must ship it out.
- The fee schedule: pick, pack, storage, receiving, accounts, and the minimum.
- What happens to orders already in the building if you terminate.
- Who pays for a reship when they miss.
NONE OF THESE
If you are still shipping a small number of orders a day, a local warehouse or doing it yourself can still cost less. Look at the actual order file before you sign.
Questions
Do I need a 3PL yet?
Not if a small local setup is still calm and the cost per order is fine. Move when misses, space, or your own time are the constraint.
Should returns go to the same building?
If they do not, you will run two relationships for one order. Ask the question before you send inventory.
What if I hate them in six months?
The contract has to say how inventory leaves. If that clause is vague, do not sign.