Third-party logistics, almost always shortened to 3PL, means handing your warehousing and order fulfillment to an outside company. The 3PL stores your inventory, then picks, packs, and ships orders for you.
What a 3PL handles
- Receiving and storing inventory
- Picking and packing orders
- Shipping and carrier management
- Returns processing (reverse logistics)
When to bring fulfillment in-house
3PLs are convenient early on, but per-order fees, storage charges, and long-term contracts add up as you scale. Many growing brands hit a point where running their own space gives them better margins, faster turnaround, and full control of inventory and branding.
That is where a flexible small warehouse makes sense. WareSpace gives ecommerce and distribution businesses their own all-inclusive space with loading docks and HVAC, on short-term leases that scale with you. Compare the trade-offs in our cost-to-rent guide or book a tour.
