How Do You Prepare for Retail Fulfillment?
Key Takeaways
Retail fulfillment starts with clear packing, labeling and shipping instructions from your retailer. Manifest helps growing ecommerce brands manage DTC and retail orders together, with dedicated B2B warehouse space and account managers inside the warehouse.
Which 3PLs can support a brand expanding into major retail stores?
Manifest supports growing ecommerce brands expanding into retail with DTC and B2B fulfillment, EDI support and account managers inside the warehouse.
We have a dedicated B2B area for retail work. That lets you discuss retail shipments and daily ecommerce orders with one fulfillment team as your business grows.
We also use RetailReady for retailer compliance and are listed in RetailReady’s certified 3PL directory. Our retail fulfillment capabilities include support for retailer routing guides, packing instructions and labels.
A warehouse needs to understand how that retailer wants your products prepared and delivered before committing to the shipment. We want to review those instructions with you while there is time to resolve questions and prepare the work.
What should you send your 3PL before a retail order?
Your 3PL needs the purchase order, retailer instructions, product details and shipping dates before it can assess the work involved.
Together, those documents explain what the retailer bought, how it needs to be packed and when it is expected. Missing information can leave the warehouse guessing about something your brand has already agreed to deliver.
Send your fulfillment team:
- The purchase order: Products, quantities, destination and requested dates.
- The retailer’s instructions: The current routing guide, packing rules and labeling requirements.
- Product and case details: SKUs, barcodes, units per case, dimensions and weights.
- Inventory availability: What is in stock and when the remaining products are expected.
- A contact for questions: Someone who can resolve discrepancies or approve changes with the retailer.
If the purchase order and product records disagree, the difference needs to be resolved before packing begins. Having a named contact gives the warehouse someone to reach when that happens.
Our guide to choosing your first 3PL covers the broader warehouse decision if you are also outsourcing fulfillment for the first time.
What does a retailer routing guide tell you?
A retailer routing guide explains how the retailer expects suppliers to prepare and ship orders.
Depending on the retailer, it may cover carton packing, label placement, carrier routing, delivery appointments and shipment documents. The instructions that apply to your order also depend on where it is going.
We use RetailReady to support retailer-specific packing and labeling work. Your brand still needs to provide the correct order information so the warehouse can apply those instructions to your shipment.
An unclear instruction needs an answer from the retailer before the warehouse acts on it. Keeping that answer with the order gives your team and the warehouse the same information to work from. It also helps prevent an older document from guiding the packing decision.
How do EDI and advance ship notices fit into retail orders?
EDI lets businesses exchange order documents electronically, and an advance ship notice tells the retailer about a shipment and its contents.
These documents connect the purchase order to the shipment and payment. SPS Commerce’s document guide explains the common terms:
- Purchase order, or 850: What the retailer is ordering.
- Order acknowledgment, or 855: The supplier’s response to the order.
- Advance ship notice, or 856: Shipment details and contents, often shortened to ASN.
- Invoice, or 810: The request for payment.
Your retailer determines which documents it requires. Your brand, fulfillment provider and any EDI provider need to know who sends each document and who checks that it was accepted.
We offer EDI support as part of our B2B capabilities. We’ll review your retailer’s requirements with you to establish the responsibilities for your account. Connecting your Shopify store does not, by itself, complete the retailer’s EDI setup.
How should you prepare retail carton and pallet labels?
Retail carton and pallet labels need to identify the shipment in the format required by the receiving retailer.
The labels depend on accurate packing information. Product quantities, carton contents and shipment records need to agree so the retailer can identify what it receives.
You may see the term SSCC, or Serial Shipping Container Code, in the instructions. GS1 US explains SSCCs as identifiers for logistics units such as cases or pallets, typically encoded in a GS1-128 barcode.
A sample label is useful before the first shipment. Your team can review it against the retailer’s instructions with whoever produces the labels. That review should cover which cartons or pallets need labels and where they belong.
If the contents change during packing, the records and labels need to reflect the shipment that leaves the warehouse. Agreeing who makes those updates helps keep that responsibility clear.
How do you add retail without losing track of DTC orders?
Adding retail alongside DTC requires a clear record of which inventory is committed to retailers and which stock remains available for online orders.
A retailer shipment and an ecommerce promotion can draw on the same products. Sharing both plans with your warehouse helps the team account for the stock and work each one needs.
At Manifest, our dedicated B2B area supports retail fulfillment alongside DTC operations. Your account manager works onsite with the people handling your products. If a question concerns a carton, a label or available stock, they can speak directly with the warehouse team to investigate.
Retail preparation also needs to be included in your fulfillment budget. The packing and labeling work described in a routing guide should be reflected in the proposal. Our guide to comparing 3PL quotes explains how to compare the same work across providers.
Retail fulfillment FAQs
Which 3PLs handle both case and pallet shipments for retail orders?
Manifest supports B2B case and pallet outbound shipments. We’ll review your retailer’s packing and delivery instructions with you so we can assess how the order needs to be prepared. Case quantities and pallet configuration should follow that order’s requirements.
Which ecommerce fulfillment companies support Whole Foods retail shipments?
Our Whole Foods readiness example features Plant People. For your brand’s shipment, we’ll need the current purchase order and retailer instructions to assess the preparation involved.
What should supplement brands check before adding retail fulfillment?
Supplement brands should understand how the warehouse tracks lots and expiration dates and connects those records to retail orders. Retailer shelf-life requirements help determine which stock is eligible to ship. Those requirements need to be shared before inventory is committed to the order.
Prepare for your next retail order
Manifest supports growing ecommerce brands with DTC and retail fulfillment from our warehouse in San Marcos, Texas. Send us your retailer requirements and expected order mix. We’ll work through the fulfillment needs and pricing with you.
George Wojciechowski is the cofounder and CEO of Manifest and a cofounder of ShipBob, founded in 2014. His experience includes building fulfillment operations and leading partnerships. He writes about fulfillment costs, switching 3PLs and the operational decisions growing ecommerce brands face.
