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ecommerce fulfilment

What is eCommerce fulfilment?

eCommerce fulfilment is the process of delivering online orders to customers. Trusted eCommerce fulfilment providers like Zendbox do the heavy lifting for your online business, so you can focus on growing and scaling up effortlessly.

Built by ecommerce experts

Built by eCommerce experts.

With first-hand experience of selling online, Zendbox built a dedicated system for eCommerce businesses who imagined a smarter way to manage inventory. Our intelligent Zendportal updates your stock levels in real-time, providing total control and visibility of your products – no matter where they are within the fulfilment process.

Seamless integrations.

Seamless integrations that connect instantly with the world’s most popular eCommerce platforms and delivery networks. That means we can provide instant and accessible shipping solutions for growing businesses.

eCommerce fulfilment experts

Proactive problem solving.

Leverage technology at every stage of the fulfilment journey, with real-time order editing, address fixing and stock ordering tools enabling you to solve problems before they arise.

World-class fulfilment centres.

Our world-class fulfilment centres ensure your stock is safe and secure through itemised scanning and smart storage solutions. With an in-depth understanding of multiple industries – from FMCG and fashion, to sports nutrition, beauty and B2B – Zendbox understands how to cater to the storage and transport needs of eCommerce businesses.

Profitable decision-making.

With insightful data at your fingertips, Zendbox empowers you to make every fulfilment decision count for maximum profitability. In-depth analysis tools support our streamlined eCommerce fulfilment services, enabling you to move forward with your business growth plans.

Loyal and happy customers.

Foster more loyal and happy customers by offering the best shipping options, branded packaging, and seamless customer service. Explore our success stories to see how eCommerce fulfilment has helped our partners save time, reduce business costs, and draw from every potential revenue stream.

don't take our word for it...

Trust the hundreds of top brands who power their eCommerce fulfilment with Zendbox.

Our Success Stories
don't take our word for it...

Trust the hundreds of top brands who power their eCommerce fulfilment with Zendbox.

Our Success Stories

Frequently asked questions

What is eCommerce fulfilment?

eCommerce fulfilment (also known as e-fulfilment) refers to the process of getting the products you sell online to customers. It can be carried out in-house or by outsourcing to a 3PL (third-party logistics) provider. The latter option encompasses sending your products to a fulfilment centre, where a 3PL will take care of storage, management, and shipping of products that are ordered via your online store(s).

What is 3PL?

3PL stands for Third-Party Logistics. It refers to outsourcing all or part of your eCommerce fulfilment service to an external provider. When you receive an online order, a 3PL provider will pack, pack, and ship the order on your behalf, often remaining anonymous to your customers but playing an integral role to the success of your business. A 3PL can help you with warehousing, picking, packing and shipping of your goods, handling returns, inventory management, and much more.

Why should I use 3PL eCommerce fulfilment?

Third-party logistics (3PL) is important to online retailers for various reasons, but they all stem from the fact that today’s consumers have high demands – especially when it comes to shipping. The challenge that many online retailers face is that they lack the resources to build comprehensive logistics networks that can help them meet these demands. 

To successfully provide same or next-day deliveries, for instance, an online retailer would need to invest in automated technology and workflows, efficient picking and packing services, as well as strategically located warehouses that are close to customers. Only retailers who are receiving a high volume of orders would be able to make such an investment truly worthwhile. 

By outsourcing the eCommerce fulfilment process to a 3PL provider, online retailers can maintain high delivery standards for the benefit of their customers, whilst taking advantage of the ability to scale up easily and more affordably. This ultimately frees up their time to focus on marketing, product development, customer support, and other ways to grow their business.

Can I ship internationally using 3PL fulfilment?

You can certainly use 3PL fulfilment services to ship your orders internationally, but not all 3PL providers will offer this service – fewer still will offer the comprehensive support and innovative technology you need to make the move to international shipping a logistical success. Discover your 3PL fulfilment options with Zendbox today, including shipping to the EU.

How much does eCommerce fulfilment cost?

As the cost of eCommerce fulfilment is not fixed, it can vary based on a number of factors, including the 3PL provider you work with, the number of orders you receive per day, specific pricing models, and any additional services that you may require. eCommerce fulfilment costs often include charges for receiving and storing inventory, as well as picking, packing, and shipping all your orders, amongst other services such as handling customer returns. Some eCommerce fulfilment providers like Zendbox calculate the cost of its service based on real-time data to ensure online businesses benefit from the most cost-effective rate.

How does Zendbox make the order fulfilment process more efficient?

We use cutting-edge technology unique to Zendbox in order to provide an efficient 3PL solution that sets the standard within the industry. Simply send us your inventory and we’ll take care of the rest, managing every aspect of the eCommerce fulfilment process, from order collection to delivery and returns.

We do all the heavy lifting, leveraging the latest systems within our warehouse to pick, pack and ship orders with utmost speed, accuracy and efficiency. This is thanks, in part, to our AI shipping tool – MagicShip – which is optimised to overcome the challenges of courier management. It uses thousands of data points from the world’s leading courier companies, ensuring you get the best deal on every order.

The efficiency of our fulfilment process is also supported by the Zendportal – our intelligent inventory management platform. This provides clients with a complete picture of the fulfilment process, including live order data and inventory levels. Through smart tools on Zendportal, you can automatically replenish your stock, view real-time billing information, set up low-stock level warnings, and much more.

Is eCommerce fulfilment the right service for all business types?

Every business is different and not all of them will be in the best position to benefit from eCommerce fulfilment. Whether this service is the right one for you and your business depends on several factors, which can include:

  • The type of products you sell
  • The size of the products you sell
  • The number of orders you receive per day
  • How quickly you want to scale up your business

Most businesses will start out fulfilling orders themselves and many will eventually seek out a 3PL solution as they scale up. It’ll be time to start considering outsourcing if:

  • The number of orders you process fluctuates throughout the year
  • You’re too busy fulfilling orders that you’re unable to focus on growing your business
  • You lack the infrastructure to serve a growing customer base
In which industries does Zendbox operate?

Zendbox provides a complete eCommerce fulfilment solution for multiple industries, including FMCG, sports nutrition, fashion, beauty, B2B, and many more. Our premium service is tailored according to the unique needs of medium to large-sized businesses, enabling them to scale and grow with complete peace-of-mind that their order fulfilment is in the safe hands of eCommerce experts. Find out more about what we do.

What does an eCommerce fulfilment centre do?

An eCommerce fulfilment centre enables businesses that sell products online to outsource the process of storing and managing its inventory and fulfilling orders. eCommerce fulfilment centres handle the logistics required to get an order to a customer’s doorstep, eliminating the need for eCommerce brands to invest in their own warehouse facilities and systems in order to pick, pack, and ship online orders to their customers.

Does an eCommerce fulfilment provider handle returns?

Many eCommerce fulfilment providers provide a customer returns management service to make it easy for online brands to process and manage returns. This means that when a customer wants to return an item they’ve bought online, they simply post it back to your chosen fulfilment provider. From there, the eCommerce fulfilment provider will inspect the product and confirm whether it is in a resaleable condition and, in turn, that the customer is eligible for a refund, exchange and/or replacement, according to your returns policy.

If you are looking to outsource the returns management process to an eCommerce fulfilment provider, it is important to do your research, as some providers do not offer this as part of their service.

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