Apparel fulfillment FAQ
What is apparel fulfillment?
Apparel fulfillment is the storage, picking, packing and shipping of clothing orders, plus the returns, wholesale and launch work that fashion brands need. A specialist apparel 3PL manages inventory at the size and color level, protects garments from wrinkling and damage, and processes a much higher volume of returns than most product categories.
How is an apparel 3PL different from a general 3PL?
An apparel 3PL treats every size and color as its own inventory unit and builds picking, returns and retail compliance around that. General 3PLs often store size runs together, verify picks visually and treat returns as an occasional exception, which leads to wrong-size shipments and slow restocking.
Do you store garments on hangers?
Yes. Garment-on-hanger (GOH) storage and shipping is available for tailored pieces, outerwear, dresses and other items that should not be folded, alongside standard flat-pack storage for knits, tees and basics.
How do you handle apparel returns?
Returns are received daily, matched to the original order, inspected and graded. Sellable units are re-folded, re-bagged or re-tagged and put back into available inventory; damaged or worn units are set aside for repair, outlet sale, donation or disposal according to your rules.
Can you handle a product drop or limited release?
Yes. Drops are planned with you before launch: we pre-stage inventory, pre-kit bundles if needed, add pack lanes, schedule extra carrier pickups and agree on a ship-by plan so a spike in orders is processed in planned waves.
Do you support wholesale and retail EDI?
Yes. Retail and wholesale orders can be exchanged by EDI, including purchase orders (850), advance ship notices (856) and invoices (810), with GS1-128 carton labels, prepack ratios and retailer routing guide requirements handled during fulfillment.
What order volumes do you work with?
We work with apparel brands from a few hundred orders a month up to high-volume brands with multiple channels. The right fit depends more on your catalog complexity and growth plans than on a single volume threshold, so we scope each account individually.
Which platforms do you integrate with?
We integrate with common ecommerce platforms such as Shopify and BigCommerce, marketplaces including Amazon and TikTok Shop, and wholesale channels through EDI or order import. Inventory and tracking sync back automatically so your storefront reflects real stock by variant.
Where do you ship from?
We offer apparel fulfillment in 25 U.S. markets across the West, Central, South and Northeast, with Canada (Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal) and Mexico City coming soon. Splitting inventory between two or more markets can put most U.S. customers within 1–2 day ground reach.
How much does apparel fulfillment cost?
Apparel fulfillment cost depends on receiving, storage, pick and pack, packaging, shipping and returns processing, and each brand's mix is different. We provide a transparent, itemized custom quote within one business day of receiving your order profile, with no hidden fees.