What Are the Best Apparel Fulfillment Companies?

If you work in clothing or sales, you know how quickly the fashion industry moves. Likewise, you’re probably aware of the fact that you need to have a fulfillment solution that gets your products to your customers quickly without sacrificing quality. 

These apparel fulfillment services can work with you to improve your customers’ experience, reduce shipping times, and offer key performance indicators (KPIs) to help you grow your business. Discover the best apparel fulfillment companies to optimize logistics and scale your brand. 

Quicklook: Best Apparel Fulfillment Companies

• Best For Overall Logistics Solution: ShipBob
• Best For High-End Brands: Whiplash
• Best For Customer Service: Barrett Distribution Centers
• Best For Apparel Startups: ShipCalm
• Best For Ecommerce Integration: Symbia Logistics
• Best For Value: ShipMonk

6 Best Apparel Fulfillment Companies Options

No matter which apparel brand you in particular own, there’s a fulfillment company out there that can help you streamline logistics and improve your customers’ experience. 

ShipBob

Stay flexible and be in-the-know regarding current trends by using ShipBob as your eCommerce clothing fulfillment partner. Experienced in the art of helping fast-growing fashion brands compete in an already very competitive market, ShipBob can make it easier to scale your business through its fast and reliable product fulfillment options.

The company also offers a vast array of apparel and shipping options to satisfy customers’ tastes and shipment expectations thanks to the dozens of warehouses. Plus, the company boasts excellent customer service.

Best For: Overall Logistics Solution

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses: 

• Headquarters:
  • Chicago, IL
• Other Locations:
  • Illinois
  • Kentucky
  • Wisconsin
  • New Jersey
  • Pennsylvania
  • Georgia
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Arizona
  • California
  • Nevada
  • Oregon
  • Australia
  • Canada
  • Poland
  • Ireland
  • The United Kingdom

Shipping Speeds: 

• Guaranteed two-day shipping within the U.S.

Apparel Variety: 

• Womenswear
• Menswear
• Children, toddler and infant wear
• Accessories
  • Hats
  • Gloves
  • Scarves
  • Jewelry
• Activewear
• Footwear
• Uniforms

Software Order Features: 

• Integrated with leading ecommerce marketplaces
  • Amazon
  • Walmart
  • eBay
  • Shopify
• Inventory forecasting
• Fulfillment reports and analytics

Packaging Options:  

• Standard boxes
• Bubble mailers
• Poly mailers
• Customizable packaging options 

Return Management: 

• Personalized return management  
• Restocking, disposal, and quarantining

Pricing: With ShipBob, your main charges are for receiving, inventory storage and shipping. Fulfillment costs vary based on the package weight and dimensions, destination, service and carrier. Storage costs are about $5 per month per storage bin and $40 per month per pallet. 

Whiplash

Whiplash is the apparel fulfillment service that huge names in fashion, such as H&M, Macy’s, and HappySocks, prefer to use. So, it’s no wonder why fast-growing ecommerce apparel companies are partnering with Whiplash to help grow their businesses as well. Since the company specializes in fashion-focused shipping, Whiplash offers specialized and customized packing, resulting in the ultimate customer experience. 

Best For: High-End Brands

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses: 

• Headquarters:
  • San Francisco, CA
• Other Locations:
  • California
  • Washington
  • Utah
  • Texas
  • Ohio
  • Georgia
  • Florida
  • Pennsylvania
  • New York
  • Canada
  • United Kingdom

Shipping Speeds: 

• Next-day premium shipping 
• 5-7 business days for standard shipping

Apparel Variety: 

• Women’s wear
• Men’s wear
• Children, toddler, and infant wear
• Accessories
• Activewear
• Footwear
• High-end garments

Software Order Features: 

• Real-time inventory 24/7
• Optimized shipping options for different SKUs
• Instant order status tracking
• SmartRate shipping strategy algorithm

Packaging Options:  

• Full-service specialized apparel packaging
• Custom packing slips
• Garment on hanger
• Cell wrapping

Return Management: 

• Exchanges are automatically filtered by SKU matching
• Self-service returned
• Reconditioning for returned apparel

Pricing: Whiplash offers two plan categories, each of which is based on the number of orders that scale alongside your business.

Barrett Distribution Centers

Barrett Distribution Centers is not only a fulfillment company, but the business also partners with apparel-related and other direct-to-consumer companies to strategically aid in the success of those brands. With Barrett on your side, you’ll have direct access to senior leadership decision makers who can guarantee superior execution and customer engagement. Since 1941, Barrett Distribution Centers has worked with customers in an effort to protect brand reputations and manage explosive growth.

Best For: Customer Service

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses: 

• Headquarters:
  • Franklin, MA
• Other Locations:
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New York
  • Maryland
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • California

Contact Info:

• Phone: (508) 553-8800
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.barrettdistribution.com/

Shipping Speeds: 

• Domestic small parcel shipping in three days or less
• Amazon Prime fulfillment
• Less-than-truckload and truckload service 

Apparel Variety: 

• Women’s wear
• Men’s wear
• Children, toddler, and infant wear
• Accessories
• Activewear
• Footwear

Software Order Features: 

• Warehouse management system for identifying slow-moving merchandise 
• Tangible metrics for increased picking value and decreased cost per pick
• Mobile warehouse carts reduce costs and streamline the supply chain
• Approved Amazon Vendor Central trading partner

Packaging Options:  

• Standard box or mailer packaging
• Retail sales packaging
• Promotional marketing and holiday options
• Garment on Hanger

Return Management: 

• Kitting, reboxing, and refurbishment are available
• Reverse logistics solutions

Pricing: Pricing varies depending on your company’s fulfillment needs. Contact Barrett Distribution Centers to learn more. 

ShipCalm

Utilizing processes designed for apparel and modeled after the medical device manufacturing industry, ShipCalm offers high-quality fulfillment that you can trust. Plus, the company provides guidance to new fashion brands, including specialized Kickstarter order fulfillment. ShipCalm doesn’t have a minimum order requirement either, making the company one of the best fulfillment services for startups.

Best For: Apparel startups

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses:

• Headquarters: Carlsbad, CA
• Additional warehouses across the U.S.

Shipping Speeds: 

• Standard carrier: 3-7 business days
• International: 7-30 business days

Apparel Variety: 

• T-shirts
• Hats
• Garments
• Dresses
• Baby clothing

Software Order Features: 

• Integrates all your sales channels into one inventory management system
• Easily add new online marketplaces to increase revenue streams
• Reporting insights identify slow-moving SKUs 

Packaging Options:  

•  Premium custom packaging options
•  Standard boxes and mailers
•  Kitting services

Return Management: 

• Branded return portals for customized return experience 
• Customer service via phone, email, or online chat for return inquiries

Pricing: Pricing varies depending on your company’s fulfillment needs. Using ShipCalm’s Pricing Calculator, you can get a better idea of what your fulfillment costs may look like. 

Symbia Logistics

If you’re looking to impress your customers before they even open their packages, partnering with Symbia Logistics for your apparel fulfillment needs is a great choice. With Instagram-worthy custom kitting options and close attention to detail, you can maximize your customers’ experience and, therefore, your profits. Integration with leading ecommerce sites will also help you with brand awareness and exposure. 

Best For: Ecommerce Integration

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses: 

• Headquarters:
  • Edwards, CO
• Other Locations:
  • Colorado
  • Nevada
  • Missouri
  • Illinois

Shipping Speeds: 

• Standard 
• Expedited 

Apparel Variety: 

• Women’s wear
• Men’s wear
• Athletic wear
• Accessories
• Footwear

Software Order Features: 

• Integration with the following:
  • Shopify
  • BigCommerce
  • WooCommerce
  • Amazon
  • Walmart
  • Square
• Just-in-time management systems 
• Mobile order tracking functions 
• Real-time shipping updates

Packaging Options: 

• Custom order preparation 
• Branded packaging
• Impressive unboxing experiences

Return Management: 

• Inbound Logistics Green Supply Chain Partner  
• Works to recoup the maximum value from returns and chargebacks
• Repurposes unused raw materials  

Pricing: Pricing will vary in relation to your company’s customized fulfillment needs. That said, you can request a personalized quote from Symbia Logistics on their website. 

ShipMonk

With one of the highest picking accuracy rates in the business, ShipMonk can offer your brand stress-free shipping options so that you can focus on growing your business. In addition, ShipMonk provides excellent custom packing options and simple returns at an affordable price. By combining years of experience, state-of-the-art technology, top tier warehousing, and excellent merchant support, ShipMonk is a one-stop clothing fulfillment solution.

Best For: Value

Location of Fulfillment Warehouses: 

• Headquarters:
  • Fort Lauderdale, FL
• Other Locations:
  • Florida
  • California
  • Nevada
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • New Jersey
  • Kentucky
  • Texas
  • Mexico
  • Canada
  • The United Kingdom 

Shipping Speeds: 

• 2-5 business days

Apparel Variety: 

• Women’s wear
• Men’s wear
• Children, toddler, and infant wear
• Accessories
• Activewear
• Footwear

Software Order Features:

• Proprietary inventory management software 
• Easily add SKUs and create bundles
• Inventory forecasting 
• Automated claims portal

Packaging Options:  

• Boxes
• Bubble Mailers
• Poly Mailers
• Pallets
• Custom and branded packaging available

Return Management: 

• Choose from five return handling options 
• Offers rework and return to vendor
• Unwanted returns can be donated, disposed of, or liquidated

Pricing: Picking fees will vary based on the number of orders you have per month. Storage costs range from $1 per month per small bin to $25 per month per pallet.

What Is an Apparel Fulfillment Company?

An eCommerce fulfillment company handles the packing, shipping, and logistical sides of businesses. An apparel fulfillment company offers these services to clothing and accessory eCommerce brands. 

How Does an Apparel Fulfillment Company Work?

When a company partners with a fulfillment company, they will first send their inventory to the company. From there, the fulfillment company will sort the goods and store them in their warehouse. Once a customer places an order, the fulfillment center will process and then ship the order. The fulfillment company will process returns when necessary, too. 

How To Choose an Apparel Fulfillment Partner

Selecting the right fulfillment company is essential for your brand’s success. 

Types of Apparel Offered

Not every fulfillment company can specialize in all types of apparel. So, choose a partner with experience shipping your products, especially if they’re more specialized. 

Ecommerce Integrations

In the age of Amazon, eCommerce integration is everything. The more channels you can offer your products through, the more chances you’ll have for success. 

Fulfillment Center

Shipping speeds matter to customers. By partnering with a fulfillment company with multiple warehouses in different locations, you can decrease the time it takes your products to reach your customer, no matter where in the world they live. 

Fast Shipping

Many of your customers will want their products as soon as possible. While slower though free shipping options are appealing to some, others are willing to pay for faster shipping, so it’s best to choose a fulfillment company that offers more than one shipping option, especially two-day shipping. 

Inventory and Return Management

Inventory and return metrics are key indicators in your business that your fulfillment partner should be able to help you streamline. Knowing which products are out of stock or which ones aren’t selling well is essential to providing the best customer experience for everyone who buys from you. Also, return processing can be a headache without a fulfillment partner that has experience with reverse logistics.

Bulk Discounts

Not everything in the apparel and fashion industry always sells as well as you’ll hope it will. Choose a fulfillment company that offers bulk discounts if you end up not selling large volumes of certain products. 

Branded and Custom Packaging

The customer experience begins with the packaging. If possible, you should opt for a fulfillment partner that offers branded and customized packaging in order to improve customer loyalty and the overall wow factor of your products. 

High-Quality Customer Service

Your brand’s fulfillment company is going to be an essential partner for your business. When issues arise, you’ll need high-quality and round-the-clock customer service to help you sort out shipping problems and customer issues when they arise. 

Grow Your Apparel Business With the Right Fulfillment Company

The best fulfillment center for your fashion brand is only a click away. Whether you’re just starting or you’re offering niche products, an apparel fulfillment company can optimize your shipping and help you scale your business.

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