3PL & Warehousing
Third-party logistics warehouses, when to outsource fulfillment, and what 3PLs do.
A 3PL (third-party logistics) warehouse stores your inventory and handles order fulfillment on your behalf — receiving goods, storing them, and picking, packing, and shipping orders to customers. Many also offer returns processing, kitting, FBA prep, and freight coordination, letting ecommerce brands scale without operating their own warehouse.
Consider a 3PL once you consistently ship more than about 100 orders per month, run out of storage space, or spend too much time packing instead of growing. A 3PL also unlocks discounted carrier rates and faster regional delivery. In-house can stay cheaper at very low volumes with monthly minimums.
Most 3PLs cover receiving and inspection, storage, pick and pack, and carrier shipping. Many add value-added services: FBA prep and FNSKU labeling, kitting and bundling, returns processing, freight coordination, and multichannel order fulfillment. On PrepLists you can filter warehouses and prep centers by the exact services you need.