Fulfilment Services UK: Complete Guide to Warehousing, Pick & Pack and Delivery
For businesses selling products online or supplying customers across the UK, fulfilment can quickly become one of the most important parts of the operation.
Taking an order is only the beginning.
The product then needs to be stored, picked, packed, labelled, dispatched and delivered to the customer.
For businesses experiencing growth, managing every part of this process internally can become increasingly time-consuming and expensive.
This is where fulfilment services UK can provide a practical solution.
WSUK provides fulfilment, warehousing, storage, pick and pack, transport and distribution services designed to help businesses manage the movement of stock from their suppliers through to their customers.
What are fulfilment services?
Fulfilment is the process of managing what happens to a customer's order after it has been placed.
A typical fulfilment operation can include:
Stock received
↓
Goods stored
↓
Customer places order
↓
Order picked
↓
Products packed
↓
Label created
↓
Order dispatched
↓
Delivery to customer
The fulfilment provider manages the physical logistics behind the order.
This allows the business to concentrate on sales, marketing, customer service and growth.
What does a UK fulfilment service include?
Fulfilment services can vary depending on the provider and the requirements of the business.
A comprehensive fulfilment operation may include:
- Goods-in
- Warehouse storage
- Stock management
- Pick and pack
- Order processing
- Packaging
- Labelling
- Dispatch
- Courier management
- Pallet distribution
- Returns handling
- Transport
- Inventory management
The exact service can be tailored around the business and its products.
UK eCommerce fulfilment
eCommerce is one of the biggest reasons businesses use fulfilment services.
An online retailer may receive dozens, hundreds or even thousands of orders.
Managing all of those orders from a small warehouse or office can become difficult as sales increase.
A fulfilment operation can take care of the physical process.
For example:
Customer places order online
↓
Order received
↓
Stock located
↓
Product picked
↓
Product packed
↓
Shipping label applied
↓
Order dispatched
↓
Customer receives delivery
This creates a repeatable process that can scale as order volumes increase.
Pick and pack fulfilment
Pick and pack is one of the core components of fulfilment.
Picking involves locating the correct product or products from the warehouse.
Packing involves preparing those products for dispatch.
Accuracy is important.
The wrong product, quantity or delivery address can result in additional costs and an unhappy customer.
A professional fulfilment operation can provide a structured process for managing orders from receipt through to dispatch.
UK warehouse fulfilment
Warehouse fulfilment combines storage with the physical processing of customer orders.
Stock can be received into the warehouse and stored until it is required.
When an order is received, the relevant products are picked from storage, packed and prepared for delivery.
This means businesses don't necessarily need to operate their own warehouse.
Instead, their stock can be held within a dedicated fulfilment operation.
Fulfilment for growing businesses
Fulfilment can become particularly valuable when a business starts growing.
A company may initially be able to manage orders itself.
Perhaps the founder stores products in a garage, office or small warehouse.
But as order volumes increase, problems can appear.
There may be:
- Too much stock
- Not enough storage space
- Increasing packing requirements
- More courier collections
- More customer enquiries
- More returns
- More staff time spent processing orders
Outsourcing fulfilment can allow the business to move these physical processes to a specialist logistics operation.
Fulfilment for eCommerce businesses
Online businesses can use fulfilment services to manage the physical side of their operation.
This can be particularly useful for:
- Shopify businesses
- Online retailers
- DTC brands
- Amazon sellers
- Subscription businesses
- Growing eCommerce companies
- Product manufacturers
- Importers
- Distributors
The exact fulfilment requirements will depend on the products and order volumes.
UK-wide fulfilment services
A fulfilment operation doesn't necessarily need to be located in the same town as the business owner.
What matters is having an effective warehouse and distribution network capable of serving customers across the required delivery area.
For businesses selling throughout the UK, a strategically positioned Midlands fulfilment operation can provide access to major road networks and population centres.
WSUK operates within the wider Midlands logistics network, supporting businesses with warehousing, fulfilment, transport and distribution.
Fulfilment services from the Midlands
The Midlands has become one of the UK's most important logistics regions.
Its central position provides access to major road networks connecting businesses with customers across England, Scotland and Wales.
For fulfilment businesses, location can therefore be important.
Stock can be received into a warehouse, processed and dispatched into the wider UK distribution network.
This can help businesses avoid managing multiple separate logistics operations.
Fulfilment and warehousing
Fulfilment and warehousing often work together.
Warehousing provides the physical space to hold stock.
Fulfilment provides the processes required to move that stock through the warehouse and ultimately to the customer.
A business may therefore use a combined service covering:
Inbound stock
→ Storage
→ Order processing
→ Pick & pack
→ Dispatch
→ Delivery
This creates a complete logistics solution.
Fulfilment and pallet storage
Not every product needs to be shipped individually.
Some businesses receive stock by pallet and hold that stock until it is required.
Pallet storage can therefore form an important part of a wider fulfilment operation.
For example:
Supplier
↓
Pallet delivery
↓
Warehouse
↓
Pallet storage
↓
Orders received
↓
Pick & pack
↓
Dispatch
This allows businesses to combine bulk inbound logistics with individual customer order fulfilment.
Fulfilment and transport
Fulfilment doesn't end when an order is packed.
The goods still need to reach the customer.
That means transport and distribution are important parts of the overall fulfilment process.
Depending on the business, this may involve:
- Parcels
- Pallets
- Courier deliveries
- Multi-drop distribution
- UK-wide transport
- Same-day delivery
- Scheduled deliveries
The right solution depends on the products, order volumes and customer requirements.
Fulfilment for manufacturers
Manufacturers can also benefit from fulfilment services.
A manufacturer may produce products in large quantities but not want to manage individual customer orders and deliveries themselves.
A fulfilment provider can receive the stock, store it and manage the downstream order process.
This allows the manufacturer to concentrate on production while the logistics operation manages:
Storage → Orders → Pick → Pack → Dispatch → Delivery
Fulfilment for importers
Importers can use fulfilment services to manage goods arriving from overseas.
A shipment may arrive into the UK by:
The goods can then be transported into a warehouse for storage and onward fulfilment.
This creates a connection between international freight and domestic distribution.
For example:
International supplier
↓
UK port / airport
↓
Transport
↓
Fulfilment warehouse
↓
Customer order
↓
Pick & pack
↓
UK delivery
Fulfilment and returns
Returns are another important part of eCommerce fulfilment.
Customers may return products because they are unwanted, damaged, incorrect or unsuitable.
A fulfilment operation can potentially help businesses manage the physical side of the returns process.
This may include:
Return received
↓
Product inspected
↓
Stock updated
↓
Product restocked
or
Product moved for further assessment
The exact process depends on the business and its returns policy.
How much do fulfilment services cost in the UK?
There isn't one standard fulfilment price.
Costs can depend on:
- Storage requirements
- Number of pallets
- Number of orders
- Number of products per order
- Pick and pack requirements
- Packaging
- Product size
- Product weight
- Delivery method
- Returns
- Inbound handling
- Outbound handling
A business with 100 orders a month will have very different requirements from a business processing 10,000 orders.
The best approach is therefore to obtain a fulfilment quotation based on the actual operation.
When should a business outsource fulfilment?
There isn't a single order volume at which every business should outsource.
However, fulfilment can become worth considering when:
- Orders are increasing
- Storage space is becoming limited
- Staff are spending too much time packing
- Dispatch is becoming difficult to manage
- Customers expect faster delivery
- Returns are becoming difficult to handle
- The business wants to expand nationally
- Management wants to concentrate on growth
Outsourcing can allow the business to move from managing individual orders manually to operating through a structured fulfilment process.
What should you look for in a UK fulfilment provider?
Before choosing a fulfilment partner, businesses should consider:
Warehouse location
Is the warehouse strategically positioned for your customers and transport requirements?
Storage
Can the provider accommodate your current stock and future growth?
Pick and pack
Can they handle your products accurately and efficiently?
Technology
Can orders and inventory be managed effectively?
Transport
Can they support the delivery requirements of your business?
Scalability
Can the service grow with you?
Communication
Can you get clear answers when you need them?
Additional logistics
Can the provider support wider requirements such as pallet storage, transport and distribution?
Why businesses choose Midlands fulfilment
The Midlands provides a central location for UK logistics.
For businesses distributing products throughout the country, this can provide access to major road networks and a large proportion of the UK's population.
The region is particularly attractive for businesses requiring a combination of:
Warehousing
Storage
Fulfilment
Transport
Distribution
By combining these services, businesses can potentially simplify their supply chain and reduce the number of logistics providers they need to manage.
Fulfilment Services UK with WSUK
WSUK provides fulfilment services for businesses requiring warehousing, storage, pick and pack, order processing, dispatch and distribution.
Our wider logistics services can also support businesses requiring:
- Pallet storage
- Warehouse storage
- Transport
- Distribution
- Contract logistics
- Container offloading
- Same-day logistics
- eCommerce fulfilment
From receiving stock into the warehouse through to getting orders on their way to customers, the aim is to provide businesses with a more connected logistics operation.
Whether you're an established eCommerce brand, manufacturer, importer, distributor or growing online business, WSUK can help you explore a fulfilment solution around your requirements.
Looking for fulfilment services in the UK? Talk to WSUK about your warehousing, pick and pack and distribution requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are fulfilment services?
Fulfilment services manage the physical process of receiving, storing, picking, packing and dispatching products to customers.
What is eCommerce fulfilment?
eCommerce fulfilment is the process of managing online orders from the point an order is received through to picking, packing and delivery.
What is pick and pack?
Pick and pack involves locating the products required for an order, preparing them for dispatch and packaging them for delivery.
Can fulfilment include warehouse storage?
Yes. Many fulfilment operations combine warehouse storage with order processing, pick and pack and dispatch.
Can a fulfilment company handle UK-wide deliveries?
Yes. Fulfilment providers can work with courier and transport networks to distribute orders throughout the UK.
Is fulfilment suitable for small businesses?
It can be. Fulfilment can help growing businesses when order volumes, storage requirements or packing demands become difficult to manage internally.
Can fulfilment work with pallet storage?
Yes. Businesses can combine bulk pallet storage with individual order fulfilment depending on their products and logistics requirements.
Where does WSUK provide fulfilment services?
WSUK is based within the Midlands logistics network and supports businesses requiring fulfilment, warehousing, storage, transport and distribution across the UK.