Ecommerce Order Fulfillment: 6 Top Ecommerce Fulfillment Service Centers

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Written By Sharline

Sharline is an expert on Chinese export trade. With 10 years of experience in the field of sourcing in China, she is familiar with all relevant regulations and laws about China's exporting. She loves to share her experiences with people and has written many helpful articles.

The design of your website, Instagram ads, or your email copay has nothing to do with the success of your ecommerce business.

The only thing which can make you a success story is how smoothly your fulfilment runs.

Therefore, you would have to admit that ecommerce order fulfilment plays a vital role in the success of an ecommerce business.

The ecommerce order fulfilment services store, and manage the inventory, take responsibility for picking and packing the products, and ensure the quick delivery of products around the globe.

Ecommerce order fulfilment lets you get plenty of free time. So, sellers can relax and focus more on your business.

If you are interested to know more about the ecommerce order fulfilment, you can continue the reading.

Ecommerce Order Fulfillment

What Is Ecommerce Fulfillment?

The ecommerce fulfilment services are one essential part of your business, which lets you deliver the products at the door of the customers.

The fulfilment service involves multiple things, storage and management of the inventory, picking, and packing of the goods, and finally, the shipment of your products at the door of the customers.

So, in ecommerce, the sellers get the orders, and then fulfilment services ensure the successful delivery of the products.

Ecommerce order fulfilment is an integral part of every ecommerce business, which can play a crucial role in the success of your business.

Understanding The Order Fulfillment Process

The order fulfilment process depicts the steps involved in the successful delivery of the goods in ecommerce.

You can get to know about the way products are collected from the sellers and then processed before their shipments.

It is the process in which a business owner hires the service of a third party, which can receive the pack and ship the products at the doors of customers.

Receiving

The third party or company receives the inventory just after the seller receives the orders from the buyers. After receiving the inventory, the next step is to count the number of products.

Inventory Management

After counting and inspecting the goods, the next step is to manage the inventory. All the products are adequately packed, and then they are shelved accurately.

It is essential to arrange the products properly so that they can be delivered quickly just after receiving the order.

Order Processing

Most of the fulfilment companies receive the order as the seller receives the order. Then the company packs the products properly and gets ready for the shipment.

Shipping

The shipping is a very crucial step. The customers cannot wait for their products; therefore, it is essential to make sure that the buyer is getting the parcel within two to three days.

Returns Processing

The fulfilment companies also monitor the return processing. The company can get the products in case of any issue and then resend the new products to the customers.

It is essential to resend all the products on time to the customers.

Which Ecommerce Order Fulfillment Ways Do You Want To Use?

The fulfilment of the products is not a simple process. For the fulfilment of the products, you need to contact several companies.

After getting the products, you send them to different warehouses and let them reach the customer.

There are several types of fulfilment services, and you can select one of them according to your needs. A description of all of them is given below:

Third-Party Fulfillment

Third-party fulfilment is also known as the 3P. In third party fulfilment, you need to do a partnership with an outside fulfilment company. The fulfilment company takes care of the shipping and other issues.

In this mode of fulfilment, you have to pay the monthly charges or fees. The sellers do not pay for the rent of the warehouse or something else. You can get the following services:

  1. Inventory handling
  2. Order acceptance
  3. Packaging, branding, and shipping
  4. Return management

Advantages

  1. The third part of fulfilment services handle all the issues, and you get plenty of free time. You can use this time for the betterment of your business.
  2. The partnership of your ecommerce platform with other companies can provide efficient order processing.
  3. Third-party fulfilment can let you save a lot of money. For instance, here, you do not need to pay for the workers, shipping, warehousing, returns, and many others.

Disadvantages

  1. You may lose control over the shipping processing.
  2. Different companies cannot offer you branding or quality checking.
  3. The shipping timings can vary greatly. Therefore, it is highly recommended to research before you contact a company.

Third-Party Fulfillment

Self-fulfilment

Self-fulfilment is an easy process and does not involve a large number of parties. Well, in this mode of fulfilment, the owner is responsible for each problem.

  1. Get the products directly from the supplier
  2. Inventory management and storage by owner
  3. Packing and shipping
  4. Handle all the returns

Advantages

  1. It is a cheaper mode of fulfilment, therefore quite suitable for smaller businesses.
  2. Branding is possible.
  3. Better customer services.

Disadvantages

  1. It is a time-consuming procedure.
  2. You will need extra workers.
  3. You have put more effort and money, and they get a little profit in return.

Dropshipping

In this mode of fulfilment, the seller gets or receives the orders from clients and then transfers the order to the supplier.

Well, the supplier has to ship the products directly to the door of the customer. In this mode of fulfilment, the seller gets a lot of advantages.

For instance, the seller does not handle the inventory and other shipment issues. Therefore, sellers get plenty of time and earn the amount of profit.

Advantages

  1. You can start the dropshipping site within no time without paying hefty upfront.
  2. Dropshipping Company is responsible for the packaging and shipping of the products.
  3. You can sell thousands of products at a time.

Disadvantages

  1. No control over the quality of the products
  2. You can sell private-labelled products.
  3. The profit margin is relatively low.

Dropshipping

Amazon FBA

Amazon also provides fulfilment services. Amazon BA can be essential for all those who are selling the products at the Amazon.

The company can handle all the issues for you, and you can focus more on your business.

Advantages

  1. It is an excellent way to get plenty of free time so that you can focus on your business.
  2. No need to worry about inventory storage
  3. Amazon can provide you with the best quality goods, which can make your business a success story.

Disadvantages

  1. Amazon does not provide you with their services without any cost. You need to pay a considerable amount of money to handle all of these issues.
  2. No control over the quality or shipment of the products
  3. Amazon can cut your potential revenue.

Suggested reading:Shipping From China to Amazon FBA: Complete Guide

Amazon FBA

How To Choose The Best Ecommerce Fulfillment Service For Your Online Store?

When you are choosing the best ecommerce fulfilment services for your online store, you need to keep the under given factors in your mind:

Easy Integrations

The right ecommerce fulfilment services will help you in the integration of your online store.

Easy integration is beneficial for the seller. The seller can easily set up the quickly without any developer.

Therefore, if you need a quick development of your store, choose those services that can offer you an easy integration and make the setup of your store an easy task.

2-Day Shipping

It is a very crucial factor in the success of your business. The customers cannot wait for the products; therefore, you need to choose those fulfilment services which assure you the delivery of products within two days.

Beside it, if you want to compete with other companies, you need to provide two-day shipping options. Furthermore, make sure that the warehouses are every near to the suppliers.

It can reduce the risk of any damage during the transport of products. If you add the two-day shipping option, it will attract a large number of customers for you.

Multiple Fulfillment Warehouses

The location of the warehouses is significant, and beside it to ensure the quick delivery of goods, you can choose the multiple fulfilment warehouses. Ecommerce fulfilment plays a crucial role in the success of your business.

Suppose the warehouse is just near to the supplier. In that case, it will eliminate your travelling distance, which can ultimately eliminate the cost of travelling and risk.

Therefore, it is the best way to make your business a success story. If the warehouses are present at the prime locations, it can benefit you in various ways. It is the only way which can let you entertain a large number of customers at a time.

Shipping Discounts

Shipping discounts or free shipments can be an excellent way to attract customers. Many fulfilment services can let you get the shipment carriers to negotiate discounts.

It can reduce the shipping charges, and as a result, you can offer free shipments or low-cost shipments to the customers.

Well, it is an excellent way to attract customers. It is highly recommended to research so that you can get the shipment at a low price.

The total cost of the shipment depends on different factors, such as receiving inventory, warehousing, picking, and packing. Beside it, there can be different other additional costs depending on different factors.

Shipping DiscountsTechnology Specialization

The technology has enabled them to combine ecommerce fulfilment services with inventory and order management services. The technology lets the sellers get an automated process.

The technology lets the sellers know about their inventory and get an idea about the whole process. In this way, you can get a reliable, accurate, and transparent data.

Partner Network

You can do a partnership with one of the most successful leading ecommerce companies. Well, this partnership can help you to get business support beyond fulfilment.

Returns Management

Well, it is not compulsory that the customers love your products each time. It is might possible that they may not like the goods or get a damaged piece.

So, you will have to receive the returns. But, if you want to keep a good relationship with your customers, try to facilitate them on each step.

Through inventory management, you can speed up the returns. In this way, customers can get all of their goods on time.

Beside it, you can also provide the prepaid returns to your customers and can also share the returns tracking information. It is the best way to satisfy them.

You need to get a partner who can offer you the right technology. The advanced technologies can provide you with the right software or other tools and can manage the returns like a pro.

Storage Fees

For the beginners, it is not easy to get an idea about the size or volume of the inventory.

Suppose you want to get the storage houses at a cheap cost. In that case, it is essential to determine the dimensions of the products.

It can give you an idea about the weight or volume of your products, and as a result, you can get an economical storage house.

Different fulfilment companies can provide you with different prices depending on the size or volume of your goods. For example, several companies can charge you according to the number of pellets or bin.

Beside it, you need to consider the cost of the pick and pack and other transport charges.

You will have to pay, and the warehousing services will handle all the issues. In this way, you can get a lot of time to focus on your business.

Suggested reading:Best Warehousing Services In China: The Complete Guide

Storage Fees

Top 6 Best Ecommerce Fulfillment Companies

The sellers have several choices to choose the best fulfilment partner. But, to get the right partner who can make your business a success story is a difficult task.

The following are the best companies that can provide you with the best ecommerce order fulfilment services.

Here a brief description of all of them is given; you can get through them and can get the one for your business:

Leeline

Leeline is the best fulfilment company, which can provide you with the best quality products directly from Chinese markets. The company has well trained and experienced staff, which can help you out at each stem.

The company will provide you with a list of best Chinese suppliers. You can contact them, and the company will monitor the whole manufacturing procedure; so that you can get the best quality products.

Once the products have been prepared, the company will transfer products from the supplier to the warehouses with great care.

The company offers you the best warehouses to store your products and take responsibility in case of any damage or breakage.

The company is experienced in customs clearance and documentation. If the sellers want to save their time, money, and time, they can contact the Leeline.

Shipbob

It is one of the best order fulfilment companies and provides you with the best order fulfilment services.

The company an ensure you the same day delivery of the product for all the orders placed in New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, San Francisco, and Chicago.

Furthermore, the company can provide you with free software for your business. So, you can manage the inventory and other orders.

The software can manage the ecommerce software, physical logistics, and other marketplaces for the warehouse inventory.

The company has warehouses just near to the merchants and end consumers so that they can eliminate the risk of the damage during transport.

Beside it, this can reduce the delivery time, and customers can get the products on time.

The company is considered to be the rising star in the fulfilment sector. The company provides you with ideal fulfilment services for small businesses.

The following are the unique features of the Shipbob:

  1. The company does not charge for the pick and pack services. The company charges you only for the inventory you receive, storage of inventory, and its transport. There will be no hidden charges beside it.
  2. The company offers you a flat rate for the shipments. For instance, the seller will have to pay $5 for each shipment, instead of paying for each pallet. It is an excellent way to reduce fulfilment expenses.
  3. The company offers you the batch fulfillments, which are ideal for the bulk orders. It can be beneficial for marketing promotions, backer rewards, product launches, and many more.
  4. The company comes with advanced analytics and reporting systems, which enables the sellers to make smart decisions.
  5. The company has a well-trained staff. All of these staff members can handle your inventory. They can let you know about the status of your inventory regularly.

FedEx Fulfillment

FedEx is one of the best fulfilment companies. In 2017, the company was launched as a small company.

In the beginning, the company used to fulfil orders through different channels such as online marketplace or websites.

Now, the company consists of integrated supply chain systems, which make it easy to use. The company offers you different services such as are housing, packaging, fulfilment, reverse logistics services, transportation.

Most of the sellers get benefit from these services to manage the inventory and to integrate the selling channels.

The company let the sellers know about their inventory and its status through different tracking systems.

Beside it, the company also offers you different services, which make it an undeniable option like same-day delivery of products, smooth returns, and transportation services. Above all, you can avail all of these services at the lowest prices.

The following are the features of the FedEx, which make it unique from all others:

  1. The company can integrate with multiple marketplaces and ecommerce platforms at the same time. It can help the sellers to get a fast and accurate order fulfilment.
  2. The company has a vast working network, which lets you fulfil the orders of your customers in more than 200 countries. So, you can deliver the products to each customer who is present in the access of FedEx.
  3. The company can also offer you with customized services. Therefore, the company can provide the products according to the specific requirement of a customer.
  4. The company is well known for controlling the returns. The company deals with all the issues regarding the return procedures.
  5. Through FedEx, the users can perform all the tasks on the same platform. For instance, the sellers can manage the inventor and can manage their shipments.

Red Stag Fulfillment

It is the most popular US-based ecommerce centre. They can deliver products all over the world in just 48 hours. They know very well how to deliver delicate and fragile products over long distances.

The company has very well experienced and highly trained staff, who can deliver the products over long distances without any damage.

Furthermore, in case of any mistake or error, the company can pay you up to $5 per client. The following are the unique features of the company, which make it different from others:

  1. The company will not charge you any setup fee. Beside it, you can also get a 30 days trial without any long-term contract. Therefore, you can get to know about the services of the company without paying.
  2. The company is well experienced in handle the inventory, manage the shipments and packaging. Beside it, the company also pays for all of your damages. The sellers can get up to $50 in case of damage or missing the order.
  3. The company supports the ecommerce integration both directly and through the API. The company gets the orders as they are placed on your site. In this way, all of the products are delivered on time.
  4. The company has a close partnership with different courier services, and therefore, the products are delivered within 2 to 3 days. Beside it, the company charges you quite low for the shipment of the products.
  5. The company has a network of warehouses, due to which they let the customers get their orders on time. Beside it, the multiple numbers of warehouses located in different locations help the company to reduce the shipment cost.

Red Stag Fulfillment

Fulfillment By Amazon (Fba)

FBA lets anyone sell the products at the platform of the Amazon. The FBA is very beneficial for those who are selling products through multiple channels or selling at the Amazon.

Well, you are selling just a single product or thousands of goods at a time; FBA will help you in the quick delivery of goods all over the world.

FBA stores your products in more than 140 warehouses and handles the shipment of the products very efficiently. The company also takes care of the payments and refunds and offers you 24/7 services.

The following are the unique features of the fulfilment by Amazon, which make it a better choice as compared to others:

  1. Through FBA, you can sell on Amazon and also on different other platforms or your website. FBA provides you with a constant supply of the goods; therefore, you can get a large number of orders. Therefore, FBA is an excellent option to manage the multi-channel selling of the products.
  2. The FBA provides your products at the lowest possible prices. Therefore, you can offer free shipments to your customers. Beside it, the prime members of Amazon can also get the free two-day delivery of the products.
  3. Amazon provides sellers with the best customer services. For instance, you can get the benefits from the 24/7 customer support in different languages.
  4. The return centres of Amazon let the customers return the products whenever needed. The customers will have to pay the return processing fee.
  5. The customers can get quick and fast delivery of the goods. Beside it, FBA offers multiple shipping options, several payment methods, an easy return policy, and many more.
  6. The company has a vast network of the warehouse, which is spread all over the globe. A large number of a warehouse makes the inventory management, it is processing, and distribution more efficient

Rakuten Super Logistics

The companied has a well-trained staff that can provide the products to your customer on time.

The company has more than 12 fulfilment centres, due to which they can deliver the products within 24 hours. The company is capable of shipping the products both at the national and international levels.

The company utilizes the shipping cost optimizer, which can tell you the affordable shipping method depending on the products and delivery date.

Beside it, the company also provides services such as client support, pick and drop services, freight services, and many more.

The company makes use of advanced technology tools for inventory, shipping, and analysis.

The company provides the following unique services, which make it superior among others:

  1. The company has a collection of several advanced tools such as SmartShip organizer, SmartFill, SmartFreight, SmartSuport, SmartStock, and many more.
  2. The company assures you of accurate delivery of the products. And for that purpose, the products have to pass through different security checks.
  3. The company claims the delivery of the products with 24 hours.
  4. The company provides you with the best services, and you can get a response for any query within 3 hours.
Rakuten Super Logistics

How Leeline Help You Ship The Product To Customers With The Best Delivery Method

Leeline is one of the best sourcing companies and lets you get the best Chinese products at low prices.  You can contact them and can get unique goods directly from the factory.

The company is well experienced and has well-trained staff, which can provide you with all the products you need on time.

Fair and straightforward Shipping Rates

The company is well experienced and has been dealing in international trade for the last several years. Therefore, you can rely on them and can get the best quality goods on time.

The company can help you in getting the best shipping services at an economical price. Furthermore, the company will also ensure the safest delivery of your products on time.

Works With Your Ecommerce Tools

The company can stand beside you at every step and let you get benefit from the well-trained staff. The company can make better use of your ecommerce tools so that you can get a large amount of profit.

Powerful Shipping Automation

The company offers you automatic shipments, which can save you precious time. Furthermore, it will save you time, and you can focus more on your business and make it a success story.

At Your Service, 24/7 Online

The company offers you the best customer services, 24/7. So you can contact them at any time without any hesitation, and the company will try to facilitate you at each step.

Suggested reading:Best Freight Forward Service In China: Ultimate Guide

How Leeline Help You Ship The Product To Customers With The Best Delivery Method

Final Thoughts On Ecommerce Order Fulfillment

The success of your ecommerce depends on how smoothly your fulfillments run. The ecommerce order fulfilment plays a crucial role in the success of your business.

You can hire different fulfilment services, which can manage your inventory and let you focus more on your business.

Well, low fulfilment services can slow down the growth of your business. The poorly packed parcels and shipment errors can make the customers unhappy and can ruin all of your efforts and money.

FAQ For Ecommerce Order Fulfillment

The following are the questions which most of the sellers used to ask about the ecommerce order fulfilment:

1. What Is A Fulfillment Partner?

The fulfilment party is just like a third party that can ensure a smooth supply of products.

The fulfilment partner can help you in the growth of your business and m let you get tremendous success.

2. What Do Fulfillment Centers Cost?

The fulfilment centres can charge you between $75 and $250 per month. But, you can also get additional services by paying the $40 to $60 per hour.

3. How Can I Improve My Order Fulfillment?

You can improve the order fulfilment by:

  1. Select the right shipper
  2. You need to choose the warehouse depending on their locations
  3. Try to communicate with your customers
  4. Be smart in return and refunds

4. What Is The Difference Between A Distribution Center And A Fulfillment Center?

The distribution centres focus on the business, and they do not depend much on the location of the warehouses. The fulfilment centres are greatly affected by the location of the fulfilment centres.

5. How Can I Be Successful In Ecommerce?

The following are the tips which can make your business a success:

  1. Try to focus on the needs of the customers
  2. Say on the top of the SEO
  3. Add social elements
  4. Go mobile
  5. Test everything
  6. Continue evolving