Starting a business online requires a lot of different things that you otherwise wouldn’t necessarily need when starting a physical brick-and-mortar business. Things such as a website, a social media profile, and so on can definitely help in improving your business but they aren’t a requirement. But without them, you can’t have an online business. One of those key features are fulfillment centers. They effectively serve as storage units, that you’d normally need to rent out for your physical business. When you’re just starting out you might not have the money to rent out large storage spaces, so having a fulfillment center through which you can store and ship products. One such option is Amazon’s FBA or Fulfillment-by-Amazon. With it, you can send your products to Amazon warehouses, where they’ll be packaged, stored, and shipped to your customers. As Amazon can be limited geographically in their coverage, here are the 5 best alternatives to Amazon FBA that might help you out.
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FedEx
As one of the largest worldwide shipping companies, FedEx also offers fulfillment services. This is a perfect alternative for already established businesses that have a planet-wide customer base. Even though FedEx has quite restrictive regulations through which they choose a more exclusive clientele, their reliability is beyond compare. Considering they have a minimum order volume they might be a better option for businesses that want to switch their fulfillment provider, instead of starting out with them. So if you already have a steadily growing business with a large order volume, this shipping giant might serve you best.
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Fullfillment.com
One of the main benefits of an online business is its reach. So it stands to reason that having a wide-reaching fulfillment center is key to success. Fulfillment.com has centers in over 150 countries, where they process millions of products every year. With a required plan of just 20,000 orders, this is a perfect fulfillment provider for startups and newcomers to e-commerce. And with a business-to-business option too, you’ll be able to grow your business immediately, even with that sizable order requirement. Not only is it a good provider for small businesses in general, but it also has integrations with most e-commerce platforms meaning you won’t need to rely on a major site such as Amazon.
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ShipBob
If your business is just starting out, and you can have a steady supply of tens of thousands of products, ShipBob might be a solution for you. With a minimum order volume of just over 1500, it’s a perfect shipping provider for people who want to turn their hobbies into a business. From health and beauty to technology and crafts, anything made on a small scale can be shipped to ShipBob to start out your journey in e-commerce. This means that you’ll even be able to start your business out of your home or a garage, which is one of the most cost-efficient ways to start an online business.
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ShipMonk
When it comes to cost efficiency no fulfillment provider is better than ShipMonk. It’s a newcomer to the industry with a unique approach to order volume. Instead of having a flat rate for the minimum order volume, it has a flexible price rate per order. This means that you’ll be able to pay different amounts for each product you ship through ShipMonk.if you’re unsure about fulfilling the order volume this may be the solution for you. That way you won’t need to worry about reaching the production target, and you’ll be able to work per your own schedule.
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Shipwire
If you’re looking for a fulfillment center service that focuses mostly on mobile-friendly shipping. Shipwire is the provider for you. Almost all of the products that are shipped through Shipwire come from businesses that operate mainly on smartphones and tablets. This means that with Shipwire you’ll even be able to start an e-commerce business with minimal equipment.
To conclude
All in all, Amazon’s FBA is a powerful shipping and fulfillment tool that garners a lot of attention. But these alternatives can serve you just as well if you’re trying to be an independent seller, or if you don’t have access to any nearby Amazon fulfillment center.
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