Accelerate Catalog Fulfillment With the 3PL Technology and Expertise Your Brand Deserves
Streamline multi-channel inventory and lower shipping costs while delighting customers year-round.
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What catalog brands need from a fulfillment partner
Catalog brands face unique fulfillment challenges, especially when managing diverse product assortments that span multiple categories, weights, and dimensions. From heavy home decor to delicate jewelry, each SKU demands careful handling and strategic inventory placement.
Here’s what to prioritize when evaluating fulfillment providers to ensure you find the capabilities your catalog brand needs to scale.
Inventory accuracy across channels
When website and marketplace orders all pull from the same inventory pool, stock counts can fall out of sync and accidentally oversell. Choose a fulfillment partner that syncs every order source in real time and surfaces one reliable SKU count, ensuring a single source of truth for inventory across all channels to eliminate manual spreadsheet work and prevent stockouts.
Controlling shipping costs for heavy catalog orders
Books, decor, and other heavyweight items become costly when every box travels cross-country, increasing costs as they ship across higher shipping zones. Look for a provider that can place inventory in multiple regions and unlock cost-effective options such as USPS Media Mail for your physical catalogs, to help keep shipping fast and affordable.
Handling seasonal surges and mixed order types
Seasonal drops and holiday mailings can coincide with large B2B purchase orders, overwhelming in-house teams. A global network with built-in EDI workflows can help keep DTC shipments and retail orders moving smoothly.
Launching new collections on time
Fresh SKUs need to be received, stocked, and ready to ship the moment the printed catalog lands, or else excitement turns into backorders. Partner with a 3PL that processes inbound inventory efficiently and quickly lists products for sale, and that can work with your team on timing to ensure orders are delivered when your customers need them.
Avoiding excess storage on slow movers
Don’t tie up capital in inventory that won’t sell while it racks up warehouse fees. Look for data-driven analytics and reports that identify slow-moving inventory and provide reorder notifications and replenishment recommendations to optimize stock levels and cash flow.
Delivering gift-worthy unboxing at scale
Shoppers expect an unboxing experience that mirrors the catalog’s lifestyle imagery. A fulfillment partner that stores branded collateral as SKUs and supports custom packaging and inserts can add the right touches to every shipment.
ShipBob’s fulfillment solutions that catalog brands care about
ShipBob helps catalog brands simplify logistics from warehouse to doorstep. With distributed inventory and unified omnichannel fulfillment, you can scale efficiently – whether you’re shipping DTC, selling on marketplaces like Amazon, or supplying major retail partners.
Smart inventory forecasting
ShipBob’s inventory tools provide real-time visibility into stock levels, analytics on SKU performance (including identifying slow-moving inventory), and configurable reorder points and replenishment notifications across channels. With automated insights and customizable reporting, you can confidently plan inventory, reduce manual work, and keep your sales channels in sync.
This proactive approach helps you maintain optimal stock levels, minimize the risk of overselling, and ensure a seamless experience for your customers.
Distributed inventory network
ShipBob empowers brands to strategically store inventory across multiple fulfillment centers in different regions. By placing your heavy or dense products closer to your customers, you can significantly reduce shipping distances and costs.
ShipBob’s Inventory Placement Program and Decision Engine also help automate smart inventory distribution across regions of the U.S. to reduce transit time and costs.
Peak season agility
ShipBob’s global fulfillment network (with facilities across the U.S., UK, EU, Canada, and Australia) is designed to keep your business running smoothly during high-volume periods and new product launches.
Our platform seamlessly manages DTC and large B2B shipments, with automated EDI support for major U.S. retailers. By proactively planning for surges and leveraging automated inventory placement, you can trust ShipBob to fulfill orders on time and to your exact specifications.
This means you can scale confidently, knowing your customers and retail partners will always receive fast, accurate deliveries – even when demand spikes.
Fast, reliable receiving
ShipBob’s fulfillment centers efficiently receive, check, and stow inbound inventory through a defined warehouse receiving order (WRO) process, with status and tracking visible in the dashboard. With proactive communication and clear status updates, you always know the status of your inbound shipments and can confidently launch new collections on schedule.
This operational precision helps brands capitalize on every product drop and marketing campaign without missing a beat.
Data-driven inventory insights
ShipBob’s advanced analytics platform empowers you to monitor SKU performance in real time, with detailed reports on inventory velocity, total units sold, and estimated days on hand. Easily identify your top and bottom performing SKUs, and leverage reorder notifications and replenishment recommendations based on demand forecasts and historical trends.
With configurable reorder points and automated notifications, you can optimize stock levels and reduce unnecessary storage costs by moving slow-selling units to focus resources on products that drive growth.
Custom unboxing at scale
ShipBob’s Customization Suite empowers brands to deliver memorable unboxing experiences with every order, no matter the volume or destination. Our platform allows you to store branded packaging and marketing inserts as unique SKUs, and supports the inclusion of personalized gift notes, ensuring each shipment is packed with the right branded touches.
With our advanced box selection algorithm and straightforward packaging workflows, every order is fulfilled with consistency and care, even when you’re shipping from multiple locations. Delight your customers with a gift-worthy presentation that reflects your brand’s lifestyle and attention to detail.
Types of catalog products that companies fulfill with ShipBob
- Home and living
- Home decor items (picture frames, vases, candles)
- Kitchen gadgets and utensils
- Tableware (plates, bowls, cutlery)
- Kitchen towels and oven mitts
- Fashion and accessories
- Jewelry and watches
- Fashion accessories (scarves, hats, belts)
- Socks and hosiery
- Socks and slippers
- Beauty and personal care
- Beauty and skincare products
- Hair accessories and brushes
- Perfume and cologne
- Bath and body products
- Stationery and paper goods
- Stationery and office supplies
- Greeting cards and postcards
- Calendars and planners
- Notebooks and journals
- Toys and games
- Small toys and puzzles
- Board games and card games
- Collectibles and figurines
- Small puzzles and brain teasers
- Hobbies and crafts
- Craft kits and supplies
- DIY kits (soap making, candle making)
- Educational kits and materials
- Gardening tools and seeds
Success story: Bunker Branding seamlessly onboarded 200,000 SKUs to scale fulfillment
Bunker Branding, a fast-growing apparel and merch company, needed a partner that could ingest a massive product catalog and keep stock levels accurate across channels. With ShipBob’s WMS, the team seamlessly onboarded 200,000 SKUs and centralized product data to provide a single source of truth for SKUs across all channels.
ShipBob’s unified platform supports DTC and B2B fulfillment under one roof, including automated EDI for major U.S. retailers, so the same inventory pool powers every channel without duplicating stock. By distributing inventory across multiple regions using ShipBob’s network, they can ship more orders via cost-efficient ground service and shorten time in transit for customers.
The result is a scalable fulfillment engine, fewer manual touches, better accuracy, and a foundation to keep launching new products without slowing operations.
ShipBob services all customers benefit from
- Connectivity & integrations: ShipBob’s 50+ turnkey integrations with all major ecommerce channels and tools – including Shopify, Gorgias, Klaviyo, NetSuite, Loop, AfterShip, and more – enable you to grow your business smarter, faster, and stronger than ever before. In addition to the ShipBob App Store that lets you instantly connect your tech stack, you can also leverage ShipBob’s Develop API for custom builds.
- Transparent, cost-effective pricing: Unlike many 3PLs, ShipBob has easy-to-predict billing that makes it easy to plan for spend, without too many line items. ShipBob also negotiates rates with carriers and passes those savings on to you.
- Real-time visibility: Track shipments, orders, and inventory across locations from one dashboard. Manage one pool of inventory across sales channels and push stock levels back to your store so you don’t oversell.
- Full-stack fulfillment platform: With ShipBob, you get an all-in-one OMS, IMS, WMS, RMS, TMS, and analytics for a consolidated tech stack. ShipBob’s platform acts as a mini-ERP, being a single source of truth for your orders and inventory.
- Easy, comprehensive onboarding: We’ve onboarded thousands of ecommerce merchants and helped some of the fastest-growing brands scale effortlessly. Our implementation team sets you up for success with everything from configuring your ship options, to syncing your online store.
- Support for growth: ShipBob aims to be the last fulfillment partner you’ll need. Whether you’re shipping 1,000 orders per month or 200,000, we have you covered. With a large fulfillment network to scale into, new channels to expand into, and additional capabilities to tap into, you won’t outgrow ShipBob.
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How it works
How ShipBob goes from your online store to your customer’s door
1. Connect
Connect your store, import your products, then send us your inventory.
2. Store
We store your inventory in any combination of our fulfillment centers.
3. Ship
As soon as a customer places an order, we ship it from the nearest fulfillment center.
FAQs about catalog fulfillment
How does ShipBob integrate catalog orders with ecommerce and other sales channels?
ShipBob offers turnkey integrations with all major ecommerce platforms and marketplaces (like Shopify and Amazon), plus native connections to leading EDI, ERP, order, and inventory management tools – all managed from a single dashboard. This ensures real-time inventory syncing and unified omnichannel fulfillment (DTC, B2B, and marketplace orders) through a single inventory pool.
Can ShipBob handle both phone/mail-in catalog orders and online orders?
Yes, ShipBob supports omnichannel order management. While online orders are imported via direct integrations, phone or mail-in catalog orders can be created directly within the ShipBob dashboard as manual orders. This approach ensures that all orders, regardless of source, draw from a unified inventory pool managed through a single dashboard to maintain accurate fulfillment.
How does ShipBob help maintain inventory accuracy across multiple channels?
ShipBob’s inventory management system uses real-time inventory tracking at the SKU level. This provides a single source of truth for stock levels, updating instantly across all channels, regardless of which channel the order is placed on. This prevents overselling and provides a single, reliable view of your inventory.
What solutions does ShipBob offer for reducing shipping costs for physical catalogs?
ShipBob’s distributed fulfillment network lets you store inventory closer to your customers, reducing shipping distances and costs. We also offer cost-effective shipping options, including USPS Media Mail for eligible items.
How does ShipBob support catalog brands during seasonal surges or new product launches?
ShipBob’s global fulfillment network and proprietary technology are built to handle any surge in demand, from seasonal spikes to high-volume product launches. The defined WRO process ensures products are received efficiently. For time-sensitive launches or pre-orders, ShipBob can set up custom rules or work with your team on the timing to ensure orders are delivered when customers need them.
Can ShipBob help with branded packaging and custom unboxing experiences for catalog shoppers?
Absolutely. ShipBob’s Customization Suite empowers brands to use their own custom branded boxes and marketing inserts (stored as SKUs) and include personalized gift notes to curate a memorable unboxing experience with every order.
How does ShipBob manage returns for catalog and online orders?
ShipBob offers a streamlined returns process that accommodates orders from all channels. You can choose to have returns sent to a non-ShipBob location of your choosing, or leverage ShipBob’s returns services (with options to restock, dispose of, or quarantine by SKU). ShipBob also integrates with partners like Loop and AfterShip that make initiating returns and exchanges even easier.
What analytics and reporting tools does ShipBob provide for catalog brands?
ShipBob’s advanced analytics platform gives you real-time insights into stock levels, SKU performance, order trends, and shipping costs, helping you make data-driven decisions and leverage reorder notifications to optimize inventory and operations.
Is ShipBob equipped to handle both DTC and B2B/retail fulfillment for catalog brands?
Yes, ShipBob supports omnichannel fulfillment for DTC and B2B wholesale/retail distribution orders, which includes automated EDI integration for major U.S. retailers. You can manage all order types from a single shared pool of inventory.
How can ShipBob help my catalog brand scale globally?
With dozens of fulfillment centers across the U.S., Canada, UK, EU, and Australia, ShipBob enables you to store inventory locally within these countries to reduce shipping times and costs, delivering a consistent brand experience worldwide.
Shipping costs are variable in nature, based on weight, dimensions, destination, service, and more. Request your custom quote here: https://www.shipbob.com/quote/.
INTEGRATE ALL OF YOUR TOOLS
Connect to 50+ few-click integrations from our App Store, or build directly with our developer-friendly API
Ship from 60+ global locations
We use our network of fulfillment centers to help you strategically split and manage your inventory to reduce shipping costs and transit times.
FEATURED REPORT
What are catalog brands’ top priorities for shipping and fulfillment this year? Find out
There’s no question that the last several years have thrown a multitude of challenges at ecommerce brands. Despite this, brands are navigating the ever-changing landscape with plans to expand this year.
