Fulfillment Center
A warehouse facility specifically designed for processing individual customer orders, typically for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer businesses. Fulfillment centers handle receiving inventory, storing products, picking individual items from orders, packing them for shipment, and handing them off to parcel or freight carriers. They differ from distribution centers, which primarily ship in bulk to retail locations rather than individual customers.
Detailed Explanation
A warehouse facility specifically designed for processing individual customer orders, typically for e-commerce and direct-to-consumer businesses. Fulfillment centers handle receiving inventory, storing products, picking individual items from orders, packing them for shipment, and handing them off to parcel or freight carriers. They differ from distribution centers, which primarily ship in bulk to retail locations rather than individual customers.
Example
An online supplement company uses a 3PL-operated fulfillment center in Nevada that receives bulk inventory, stores 500 SKUs, and ships 2,000 individual customer orders per day via parcel carriers.
Related Resources
Need Help With Your Freight?
Understanding freight terminology is the first step. Let us handle the rest — tell us about your shipment and we will match you with the right carrier.