Want to grow a small business? You’ll need to keep your shipping costs in check.
But that’s a lot easier said than done. Between paying retail rates on postage, buying packing supplies, and spending your time boxing up packages, shipping in-house can get really expensive, really quickly. That’s why many small businesses choose to work with third-party logistics companies, or 3PLs.
But choosing the right fulfillment center for your small business can seem hard, especially if you’ve never done it before. That’s why we’ve compiled this list of eight high-quality order fulfillment centers to help your small business ship packages quickly and cost-effectively.
1. Fulfillrite
When it comes to hiring help with fulfillment for the first time, the learning curve can be steep. Fulfillrite has established itself as a trusted name in order fulfillment, particularly catering to eCommerce brands and crowdfunding campaigns. The company has hundreds of reviews on TrustPilot, Shopify, and Google Reviews, where the average rating is 4.9/5 across the board. Their focus is on efficiency and reliability, and they apply that to their core services of warehousing, order fulfillment, and returns.
In addition to its core services, Fulfillrite also offers many value-added services that many small business owners are likely to appreciate. Among them are kitting and assembly, freight and customs, and subscription box fulfillment. Clients can also track all their inventory real-time through their online portal, seeing individual orders as they pass through every stage of the shipping process.
Website: Fulfillrite
2. Deliverr/Flexport
If you are currently researching fulfillment options, you should know that Deliverr has recently become a part of Flexport. By combining Deliverr’s expertise in fast and reliable fulfillment with Flexport’s robust freight solutions, the newly combined company promises to streamline the entire logistics process “from port to porch.” Basically, if you need a single company to help your small business manage freight and order fulfillment under one roof, this is a great choice.
Small business owners will also find much more to like about Flexport, not the least of which is their all-inclusive pricing model. Everything from pick and pack to postage is included in a single fee, which makes it easier to know how much shipping will really cost. Flexport can also support global freight, distribution, fulfillment, and returns, making it possible to ship your business’s products across the globe.
Website: Deliverr/Flexport
3. FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon)
While by no means an obscure choice, many business owners swear by Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA). There are plenty of good reasons for this too – Amazon has a vast logistical network, and their service takes care of storage, picking, packing, shipping, and even customer service all under one roof. That enables you to focus more on making and marketing products, rather than shipping them.
Sellers send their inventory to Amazon’s global network of fulfillment centers, where products become eligible for Prime two-day shipping and are processed by Amazon upon purchase. The service also provides a host of new seller incentives such as free promotional clicks on ads, free shipping to fulfillment centers, and free return processing under certain conditions. For those looking to expand internationally, FBA Export enables businesses to tap into over 100 countries without dealing with the complexities of global selling.
And one last thing – FBA clients need not worry that only Amazon orders can be shipped through the service. Amazon does support multichannel fulfillment (MCF).
Website: Fulfillment by Amazon
4. ShipNetwork
ShipNetwork, formerly known as Rakuten Super Logistics, offers an extensive suite of eCommerce fulfillment services backed by over 20 years of industry experience. This 3PL has positioned itself as the go-to solution for businesses looking to optimize shipping costs and improve order accuracy. With an emphasis on faster shipping and lower costs, ShipNetwork offers a variety of attractive features such as guaranteed 100% order accuracy, 1-day fulfillment, and 1-2 day ground delivery within the US.
ShipNetwork offers US-based customer support and boasts a simple setup process that seamlessly integrates with popular eCommerce platforms used by small business owners, including Shopify, Amazon, and eBay. What sets ShipNetwork apart is its commitment to optimizing shipping expenses, which, according to ShipNetwork, often constitute nearly 80% of a company’s average monthly 3PL spend. They promise to save retailers an average of 9.6% on annual shipping costs, offering volume discounts that scale with your business.
Website: ShipNetwork
5. ShipMonk
For small businesses seeking to find a 3PL that balances global scale and customer service, ShipMonk is a great option. ShipMonk has 12 strategically-located fulfillment centers across continental Europe, the UK, and North America, making it easy to ship globally for an affordable price. Their cloud-based software is also quite user-friendly and offers four key functionalities: inventory management, order processing, shipping, and warehouse management. Its inventory portal allows businesses to monitor stock levels across various platforms, receive low stock alerts, and even blacklist outdated SKUs.
But again, it’s not just about the technology; ShipMonk also places a high premium on customer service. Their “Happiness Engineers” are empowered to solve problems with an efficiency rarely seen in large organizations, and as a result, the company has received loads of awards and accolades, up to and including being featured in Inc. six years in a row.
Website: ShipMonk
6. ShipHero
ShipHero offers two basic services. The first is their fully outsourced fulfillment, which means letting ShipHero take care of warehousing, order fulfillment, returns, and the rest of the responsibilities that come along with it.
Their second is less common, but could be very helpful if you need it – they provide a Warehouse Management System (WMS). This WMS software can make it much easier for you to run your own small business warehouse, should you choose to do so. Their WMS is designed to streamline operations, offer real-time carrier rate shopping, and significantly increase picking efficiency.
For both options, though clients can expect several of the same advantages, including myriad eCommerce integrations and transparent pricing which can sometimes be as low as $1.50 per package for labor costs (which is very competitive). ShipHero also has broadly positive reviews on Shopify, Trustpilot, G2, and Capterra.
Website: ShipHero
7. Flowspace
Similar to ShipHero, Flowspace offers both fully outsourced fulfillment and WMS software known as OmniFlow. For those choosing to opt for fully outsourced fulfillment, Flowspace has 33 million square feet of fulfillment space and boasts industry-leading on-time shipping rates along with US-based customer support.
For those who prefer to manage their own fulfillment via software, OmniFlow provides a comprehensive suite of tools to manage fulfillment from any location and across any sales channel. This includes everything from inventory and order management to network design and real-time analytics. The software also automatically rate-shops for the best shipping options, streamlining operations and reducing costs.
What sets Flowspace apart is its focus on flexibility and scalability, offering specialized solutions for various industries – many of which are very difficult to fulfill – including food & beverage, beauty & hygiene, furniture & home goods, and more. Additionally, their network of over 130 fulfillment locations nationwide makes it easy to ship your small business orders worldwide and through a variety of sales channels.
Website: Flowspace
8. eFulfillment Service
With over 20 years of experience in fulfillment, eFulfillment Service has been helping small-to-medium-sized businesses scale their operations for a long time. This family-owned business offers a wide range of small business shipping essentials, including pick and pack, kitting, warehousing, and inventory management. What sets them apart are their affordable and transparent pricing structures, particularly since they have no setup fees, no minimum order requirements, and no long-term contracts. Small businesses can benefit tremendously from this flexibility.
Their award-winning service is tailored to businesses ranging from start-ups to enterprises, and their accolades include recognition from Multichannel Merchant magazine as a Top 3PL provider since 2014. User reviews highlight the eFulfillment Service’s prompt and efficient customer service, as well as their adaptability, even amid challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Website: eFulfillment Service
Final Thoughts
Finding the right 3PL for your small business can save a ton of time and money. This, in turn, can give you the spare time and capital needed to focus on revenue-generating activities, set your business up to scale, and perhaps even get eight hours of sleep every night.
Every 3PL listed in this article has worked with small businesses before and is well-suited to help your business grow. Most of the companies on this list serve a wide geographic area, so if you choose to pick one from this list, all you will need to do is make sure the company you choose provides all the services your small business is likely to need before signing on. Then, once your inventory arrives at the warehouse, orders will start going out on your behalf, and you’ll never have to touch a roll of packing tape again!
Overwhelmed by all the work that goes into setting up an eCommerce store? Check out our free eCommerce/Shopify checklist. It lists everything you need to know to get your store up and running.
Need help fulfilling your orders? Click here to request a quote from Fulfillrite.
Brandon Rollins is a Marketing Consultant at Fulfillrite. His main areas of expertise are online marketing and supply chain management. He also runs Pangea Marketing Agency and writes for Marketing is the Product.
