Best Order Fulfilment Services for Startups in the UK

According to our in-depth research, Huboo is the best overall order fulfilment provider for small ecommerce businesses. This is because of its transparent and affordable pricing, instant signup, and amazing levels of customer support.

However, with so many providers to choose from, it can be difficult to determine which company is the right fit for your business’ budget, order volume, and ambitions. Sometimes, particularly for small businesses, it comes down to the cost involved – prompting plenty of smaller businesses to consider dropshipping as an alternative.

Below, we list the best order fulfilment providers to choose between:

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BEST OVERALL PROVIDER
Provider Huboo	Provider BOXStation	Provider Bezos.ai	Provider MyWarehouse	Provider Green Fulfilment	Provider Amazon FBA	Provider Core Fulfilment	Provider ShipBob	Provider Minatus	Provider Cloud Fulfilment	Provider Red Stag Fulfilment
Best for Low storage and packing prices	Best for Micro businesses requiring order fufilment services	Best for Small businesses that need fulfilment services to handle specialist goods	Best for Reliability with a 100% accuracy guarantee on its picking and packaging service	Best for Small businesses wanting to reduce carbon emissions by working with eco friendly providers	Best for Small businesses that need speedy shipping	Best for Businesses that need to integrate other software with its order fulfilment service	Best for Small businesses selling products to the US	Best for Companies that want friendly, personal customer service	Best for Small businesses wanting real-time insights and stock level movement reports	Best for Small businesses wanting to protect stock from being lost or damaged
Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing	Transparent pricing

Compare costs from these providers using our free, easy to use comparison tool. Compare Costs

Our free order fulfilment services cost comparison tool makes it easy for you to compare costs for your business. Designed by our team of business advice experts, this free, easy-to-use tool provides you with direct pricing quotes from some of the UK’s best fulfilment providers. There’s no obligation on your part, and it takes moments to complete.

Read on to learn more about the UK’s leading order fulfilment (also known as 3PL, or third-party logistics) services for ecommerce businesses to understand whether order fulfilment is right for your business, and which of the multiple competing order fulfilment services may be the best for you to work with.

Huboo: our top pick

Huboo at a glance

Best option for low storage and packing prices

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Highly regarded Bristol-based 3PL provider Huboo has a lot to offer.

It’s got a 99.9% accuracy rate on all orders, for one. So mistakes are few and far between, which keeps your customers (and your business) happy.

Huboo also has a bespoke approach tailored to the needs of your business – so you can rest assured that you are receiving the kind of support that your business actually needs.

Oh, and you’ll also get simple, transparent pricing that happens to be the lowest in the industry:

• Subscriptions start at £50 for businesses that dispatch a maximum of 300 units per month, and cap at £450 per month for up to 5,000 units
• Individual item fees range from £1.36 to £8.92

Better still, Huboo will waive any and all storage fees for your first two months. Even after that, you can rest easy knowing you won’t be paying through the nose – Huboo promises to tailor your ongoing fees to reflect the nature and volume of your products.

You also have access to transparent inventory storage via Huboo’s in-house cloud dashboard. This enables you to oversee exactly where and how inventory is being stored. This is bound to put any merchant’s mind at ease over the conditions their stock is being kept in.

Also unlike fulfilment by Amazon (FBA), Huboo provides a direct line of communication with its fulfilment centre warehouse managers.

Through its customer support centre, users can email their ‘hub manager’ directly with any queries regarding the fulfilment centre of their stock. This direct line of communication is one of the many reasons Huboo stands out amongst other order fulfilment services, as you’ll be able to chat with well-informed managers rather than being kept in the dark.

BOXstation

BOXstation at a glance

Best option for microbusinesses requiring order fulfilment services

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It may not boast the frills of Amazon FBA or the bells and whistles of Huboo, but Leicestershire-based BOXstation still ticks all the boxes for small businesses. Of course, it packs them too, and for cheap – BOXstation charges no minimum fees and offers a flexible, pay-as-you-go service.

That means BOXstation is ideal for micro-businesses processing small sales volumes, while its lack of hidden costs, set up charges, and contracts make it a safe choice for the budget-conscious.

Bezos.ai

Bezos.ai at a glance

Best option for SMEs that need fulfilment services to handle specialist goods

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Bezos is the full package when it comes to end-to-end ecommerce fulfilment. From checking inventory in and having it ready to be sold in 72 hours or less to last mile shipment and a completely customisable returns service, Bezos goes that little bit further for its customers at every step of the way.

As well as direct-to-consumer, B2B, and Amazon FBA preparation, Bezos also has specialist fulfilment centres to handle alcohol, organics, dangerous goods, and heavy and bulky items.

Each business customer gets a tailored solution, and Bezos can even split your stock between multiple warehouses to optimise delivery speed, reduce costs, and eliminate complexity. And to ensure your customers are happy, Bezos’ machine learning and AI software can anticipate and prevent potential problems. It also offers a real-time status dashboard, AI optimised fulfilment and customer communications, as well as a dedicated account manager.

myWarehouse

myWarehouse at a glance

Best option for 100% accuracy guarantee on picking and packaging services

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Tailor-made for businesses with orders of up to 2,000 per month, myWarehouse is a fresh-faced ecommerce business’ dream. Why?

Well it’s cheap, for a start. myWarehouse promises no minimum fees, no hidden fees, no setup fees, and no exit fees… basically, no fees at all. Well, you will pay fulfilment costs, but these are some of the lowest around:

• Picking and packing costs £2.75 per order (+45p per additional item)
• Receiving your products costs 12p per item
• Packaging starts at 75p per order

Throw in same-day despatching and a unique 100% accuracy guarantee, and myWarehouse might just be your business’ ticket to the big leagues.

Green Fulfilment

Green Fulfilment at a glance

Best option for SMEs looking to reduce carbon emissions

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It makes sense to pick a 3PL provider that reflects your business’ priorities. Those looking for the basics will be well served by myWarehouse, while Amazon FBA offers the fastest shipping. If you’d prefer to put the environment first, though, then Green Fulfilment is for you.

Using only eco-friendly paper and recycling all plastics and cardboard, Green Fulfilment is a top choice for the modern, forward-thinking business.

Green Fulfilment also offers strong customer support, a wide range of software integrations (including Volusion and Vend), and an online portal to rival the best. Great for green businesses and green planets alike!

Shipping only a few items a day?

If you're shipping only a few items a day and need an inexpensive fulfilment option, Shopify dropshipping will be a better choice than order fulfilment.

Try Shopify Dropshipping And see if it's right for your business

Amazon FBA

Amazon FBA at a glance

Best option for companies that need speedy shipping

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The world’s top online marketplace’s own ecommerce fulfilment solution is used by millions of sellers worldwide. And it’s no surprise – Amazon’s size and connections allow it to offer same-day delivery, with the shipping speeds to match.

Be warned, though, because whether Amazon FBA is right for you depends largely on what you’re selling… and how good you are at selling it.

Amazon FBA has high storage fees (between 75p and £25 per month), meaning it gets expensive fast – particularly if you’re not moving stock on as quickly as you’d like to be. These costs are most noticeable during the winter months, when Amazon FBA hikes its prices.

What it boils down to is that Amazon FBA is excellent if you’re selling goods of a small size, but at high volume. And if this doesn’t sound like you, you should read on – there are still six ecommerce fulfilment providers to go!

Check out our beginner’s guide to selling on Amazon for more information on FBA.

Core Fulfilment

Core Fulfilment at a glance

Best option for SMEs that need lots of software integrations

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If any 3PL provider is getting close to Amazon FBA and the strong customer service and fast delivery it offers through Prime – then it’s Core Fulfilment.

Its 10pm delivery cut-offs are some of the latest in the industry, and it processes orders on the weekend, too. Core Fulfilment also offers low, transparent rates, and even provides a handy cost calculator – so you know exactly what you’ll be eligible to pay, without even having to pick up the phone. Keep in mind that in order to work with them you will need to have a minimum of 250 orders per month.

• Storage fees are £10.88 per pallet (1m³)
• Picking and packing fees start at £1.95 per single-item order.

What’s more, its intuitive online reporting software integrates seamlessly with most shopping carts, including Magento, WooCommerce, and Shopify. What’s not to like?

ShipBob

ShipBob at a glance

Best option for SMEs selling products to the US

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When you’re based in the UK, it can be difficult expanding out to the US market. With customs fees, import fees, shipping costs, and the lengthy time it all takes, it can feel like it’s not worth the hassle.

Unless, of course, you use ShipBob.

ShipBob dispatches your inventory from its US-based fulfilment centres. All you have to do is get your stock sent over there in bulk, and ShipBob does the rest – storing, packaging, and shipping your goods throughout the US.

With optimised routes and discounts on international shipping, ShipBob does more than just save you money. It takes the difficulty out of a complex logistical setup, and can help connect your products to millions of potential new customers.

Minatus

Minatus at a glance

Best option for friendly and personalised customer service

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If you’ve just started selling on Amazon, Shopify, or eBay, but are set on steering clear of FBA, then Minatus is a good option for you.

Its pay-as-you-go pricing and lack of minimum inventory requirements are a breath of fresh air for small businesses, and it pulls all the sales channels you work with into a single place for more simplicity.

You’ll also get 24/7 access to your stock from a live dashboard, which is surprisingly effective… if a little rough around the edges.

And, if you do still want to use Amazon FBA, Minatus can help. The Wakefield-based company offers a pre-inspection and preparation service for products heading to an Amazon fulfilment centre, getting them packaged and labelled to meet FBA’s strict requirements.

Cloud Fulfilment

Cloud Fulfilment at a glance

Best option for real-time insights and stick level moment reports

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Red Stag Fulfilment

Red Stag Fulfilment at a glance

Best option for protecting stock from being lost or damaged

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Look hard enough at the fine print in any ecommerce fulfilment contract, and you’ll probably find the term ‘shrinkage allowance’. As a percentage, this is how much of your stock a 3PL provider reserves the right to lose or break, and you’ll want this to be as low as possible.

With Red Stag Fulfilment, though, that isn’t an issue. There’s no shrinkage allowance at all, and customers that have switched to Red Stag report a 93% decrease in damaged or lost stock.

Factor in Red Stag’s commitment to same-day shipping, custom package designs, and its personalised, bespoke approach to fulfilment, and you’ve got a fulfilling solution for your small business.

Are order fulfilment services right for your business?

Before we review each provider in further detail, it is important to understand whether order fulfilment services are right for you and your ecommerce business.

To make it clear and easy to distinguish between a business that would benefit from setting up 3PL services and a business that wouldn’t, we’ve put together the table below which specifies the requirements to be eligible for the service.

Still think order fulfilment services are your best option? Read on to learn more about the best fulfilment providers for UK small businesses, or you can hit the button above to compare bespoke pricing information to help make your decision quickly.

If order fulfilment services are not suitable for your business, we would recommend dropshipping as an alternative. Take a look at our dedicated review of the best ecommerce platforms for dropshipping for more information.

How to choose the right order fulfilment service for your ecommerce business

To choose the right provider for your business, you’ll need to consider several factors:

1. Which sales channels do you currently sell on, and which ones would you like to add? If it’s a lot, you’ll need to pick a provider such as Core Fulfilment or Green Fulfilment.
2. What is your order volume, and what’s the average size of the items you stock? Amazon FBA is great for higher volume sales, while sellers with larger items should use Huboo.
3. When do you need your service to be up and running? Some providers take longer to get you set up than others, so this can make a big difference.
4. How much are you willing to spend? BOXstation and myWarehouse provide low-cost, flexible solutions, but offer limitations when it comes to scalability and software.
5. Where will you be selling? Minatus and Cloud Fulfilment are great for UK fulfilment, while Red Stag and ShipBob can help you get a foothold in the US market.

Next Steps

To sum up, Huboo came out on top as the best ecommerce fulfilment provider for UK small businesses and startups. This is thanks in large to its affordable price points and high levels of support, meaning even first-timers will have a positive experience.

It also offers direct communication with its warehouse/hub managers, a feature not offered by other fulfilment services and one that is sure to improve logistical communication and increase customer satisfaction.

Balancing all the aspects of the fulfilment equation to find the ideal solution for your needs isn’t an easy task. But it’s one we can certainly assist you with.

All you need to do is answer some questions with our free, easy-to-use fulfilment services cost comparison tool. You’ll then receive bespoke, personalised order fulfilment services quotes from leading suppliers, who’ll help your ecommerce business come up with a plan that works for you.