Ecommerce order fulfilment direct to consumer and business to business order fulfilment is a complex affair. Many large businesses have chosen to strip their own logistics out of their balance sheet and instead opt to outsource warehousing and logistics to third party suppliers.

Whether you are a big nursery brand or retailer who is looking to improve your warehousing and logistics operation to save costs or a small brand looking to outsource logistics at an affordable price for the first time, Joshua Gluck,  CEO at Warehouse Box, an ecommerce and B2B order fulfilment provider for nursery brands is here to explain what 3PL can do for your business:

Joshua, can you start off by explaining what is third party logistics?

Third-party logistics (3PL) or order fulfilment is the outsourcing of ecommerce or business to business order logistics to a third party company. It includes receiving goods, warehousing, inventory management, pick and pack, delivery and tracking, inspections and returns.  A 3PL provider enables an e-commerce business to focus on growth, save costs and ultimately scale up their current business.

Tell us a bit about Warehouse Box and what makes you different to other 3PL companies?

Based in Wigan (UK) and Poland, Warehouse Box works with businesses across different categories and territories to provide warehousing, order processing, pick and packing, delivery and returns worldwide. 

At Warehouse Box, we don’t just see a box.  We see the love and care that has gone into that box.  Whatever is inside, we know that it means a lot to both you and your customer, whether that’s a direct customer, a retailer or an international distributor.

As your warehousing and fulfilment partner, you can trust us to take extra care of your special deliveries so you can focus on growing your business.  Not only that, we promise fair and transparent pricing with no hidden charges.  What you see is what you get.

What are the benefits to a business who currently runs their own warehousing and logistics to outsourcing?

There are so many benefits to working with a good 3PL partner.  One of the main reasons we are seeing a shift in  businesses opting to work with a 3PL partner is cost management. 3PL providers such as Warehouse Box have long-standing relationships with shipping companies and couriers, enabling them to negotiate better volume-led rates on behalf of their customers.  

Additionally, by outsourcing logistics operations to a 3PL a business can eliminate the need for costly warehouse space, equipment, technology and staff. Peace of mind and reassurance that your business is in safe hands with a team of experts also enables businesses to focus on what they are good at and grow.

Outsourcing to a good 3PL company also enables you to cope with fluctuations in sales around seasonal demand and as the business scales up without huge investment.  Many 3PL partners have international hubs, so you can easily fulfil orders from overseas, which is great for those businesses who need to overcome the complexities of exports, especially since Brexit.

And what about those who may be running a small business out of a small office, storage unit or garage?

I think the perception of a small business is that you couldn’t possibly afford to outsource their storage and order fulfilment, but I think you would be surprised.  When you add up the time spent doing the orders yourself, costly postage costs and storage alone, it is worth at least getting a quotation and having a conversation. Its what freeing up this time can mean for you and your business ultimately.  By outsourcing your order fulfilment, it means you can focus on growing your business. 

What changes and challenges have you seen since Brexit, and how can businesses deal with this?

Since the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU, there have been several changes and challenges for logistics that businesses need to address. Some of the key issues include:

• Tariffs and barriers to trade.This may iron itself out eventually, but until countries in the EU iron out their trade agreements, exporting and importing products can be complex and there may be hidden costs, ultimately affecting profit margins.
• Customs and Border Controls. Customs checks and border controls has resulted in extra paperwork for shipments into and out of the UK. This has resulted in extra costs and delays.
• Rules and standards. We know that the UK has, even before Brexit different rules and regulations around products, such as fabric fire retardancy, but since Brexit, there are extra compliance issues to deal with.
• Increased admin. Customs declarations and the need to extra form filling has led to many businesses having to employ extra staff to deal with exports and imports from and to the UK.

Partnering with an experienced order fulfilment business can help save on a lot of the stress, cost and worry of managing your exports and imports, as they can deal with the complexities freeing up your resource.  Adapting to the ever-changing rules and regulations brought about by Brexit.  We have a partnership with a customs clearance agency to make the process simple for our clients.