Today’s consumers also like simplicity in their shopping experience. This demand is why the subscription box has become so popular. Not having to worry about running out of shaving supplies, food ingredients, coffee, and other commonly-consumed products take another decision off the proverbial full plate.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can leverage the power of subscription box fulfillment services for your business. We’ll also examine six excellent subscription box fulfillment companies so you can make an informed decision.
And when you’re finished reading, check out the other articles in our ‘Subscription box fulfillment’ series:
- Guide to subscription box fulfillment
- Insourcing vs outsourcing subscription box packaging services
- Best subscription box fulfillment company
- ShipBob vs ShipMonk
Quicklook: Best subscription box fulfillment company
- Best for overall fulfillment: ShipBob
- Best for customer service: ShipMonk
- Best for specific handling requirements: Red Stag Fulfillment
- Best for marketplace management: Whitebox
- Best for high accuracy rate: Ships-A-Lot
- Best for order and inventory management software: The Fulfillment Lab
- Best for books and printing: Print Bind Ship
7 best subscription box fulfillment company options
Finding the best subscription box fulfillment companies for your particular needs means doing more than just tossing a dart at a list on the wall. Let’s compare seven subscription box fulfillment services to see which one might be right for you!
ShipBob
This up-and-coming subscription box fulfillment company began after the founders got sick of visiting the post office to get their orders to customers. They figured others who were operating online shops probably felt the same way, so they launched ShipBob in Chicago and spread from there.
Best for: Overall fulfillment
Special features
- Order fulfillment centers in large cities allow for possible same-day deliveries
- Many partnerships with ecommerce sites for digital storefronts
- Free shipping/packaging material
Benefits
- Services are on-demand, meaning no contracts
- Free packaging/pick and pack
- Few upfront costs
- Fast shipping
- Access to temperature-regulated storage and shipping for sensitive items
Disadvantages
- They don’t create anything; you must supply the products to ship
- Design services are limited
- No Amazon Seller-Fulfilled Prime (SFP) eligibility
Pricing: You’ll pay $5 per month for one bin of storage, $10 per shelf, and/or $40 per month for every pallet that you need. They also have a $35 fee for inbound shipments received for the first two hours, followed by $45/hour after that.
ShipMonk
With a focus on reducing the stress on businesses, ShipMonk prides itself on customer service, efficiency, and streamlining the entire process of order fulfillment as much as possible.
Best for: Customer service
Special features
- Most streamlined ‘one-click’ process of any 3PL
- ‘Happiness Engineers,’ aka account managers, are extremely hands-on
- Will custom pack products, including modifying packaging or removing labels
Benefits
- The best customer service, hands down
- Incredible efficiency
- Sellers are eligible for Amazon SFP (Seller Fulfilled Prime)
Disadvantages
- Limited warehouses increase shipping time
- Not set up to handle goods requiring temperature control
- Not equipped to handle large, fragile shipments
- Some hidden costs
Pricing: Some costs aren’t stated explicitly, such as their $250 minimum monthly fees for picking and packing. But their onboarding is free and inbound shipping has some excellent discounts available.
Red Stag Fulfillment
The founders started Red Stag Fulfillment after they got fed up with other order fulfillment services having a tough time shipping large or fragile items.
Best for: Specific handling requirements
Special features
- An exclusive deal with FedEx means huge discounts on shipping heavy items
- Video tracking at warehouses prevents theft and mistakes.
- They pay $50 for any errors in service.
- 30-day trial without a contract
Benefits
- Can reach 99.9% of Americans within three days, 97% within one or two
- Can do some assembly of products before final delivery
- No hidden fees
- Can handle massive or fragile items
Disadvantages
- Can’t create items, like books, t-shirts, DVDs, etc., just ship them
- A lack of international fulfillment centers
- Shippers who need temperature control should look elsewhere
Pricing: $15 per month per pallet storage, and discounts are available for partial bins and pallets. Thanks to their FedEx deal, they can save customers up to 45% over other shipping options.
Whitebox
Whitebox makes it incredibly easy to get started selling because of just how much they do on their end to make your sales happen.
Best for: Marketplace management
Special features
- Complete handling and creation of sales listings
- All of the advantages of being linked with Amazon
- A large number of shipping partners
Benefits
- Ease of use
- Detailed analytics
- Listings are handled by Whitebox
- 99% of U.S. gets two-day shipping
Disadvantages
- The platform has a monthly fee
- High minimum order
- Lack of temperature-controlled storage and shipping
Pricing: There is just a flat fee (undisclosed) for using Whitebox’s services, though storage costs are extra, and their order management software comes with a monthly fee.
Ships-A-Lot
The name of the game with Ships-A-Lot is order accuracy. They claim it’s 99.98%, with a guaranteed lead shipping time of 24 hours or less.
Best for: High accuracy rate
Special features
- Unrivaled order accuracy
- Incredible 24-hour lead shipping time, 24/7
- They’ll pay customers $20 for any delivery delays
Benefits
- Simple integration with Shopify, Walmart, Amazon, and more
- 24/7 customer support
- Easy setup for first-timers
- Transparent pricing
- Unlimited warehouse space
Disadvantages
- No product creation service
- Uses a single warehouse which can slow things down
Pricing: Flat rate services cost $35 per month.
The Fulfillment Lab
The Fulfillment Lab’s Global Fulfillment Software (GFS™) caters to modern ecommerce businesses with lightning-fast operations. It’s an ideal choice for enterprises looking for comprehensive software solutions to streamline dropshipping order fulfillment, inventory management, and shipping logistics. With features like easy integration, customization options, and real-time tracking, it empowers online stores to efficiently manage their operations.
Best for: Order and inventory management software
Special features
- End-to-end subscription box fulfillment including warehousing, picking, packing and shipping
- Integration with popular e-commerce platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce
- Automated tracking and notifications for shipments
- Custom kitting and assembly services
- Real-time inventory tracking and reporting
Benefits
- Reduced workload and overhead for your business
- Flexibility to scale order volume up and down as needed
- Potential to reduce shipping costs by leveraging Fulfillment Lab’s negotiated rates
- Access to The Fulfillment Lab’s expertise and best practices for subscription fulfillment
Disadvantages
- Additional fees for custom services like kitting and assembly
- Must ship inventory to The Fulfillment Lab’s warehouses
Pricing: Storage fees start at $3.50 per pallet per month; pick/pack fees from $1.50 per order
Print Bind Ship
With Print Bind Ship, you’ll have some great options for stuff you can have them create, store, and send to customers, such as custom-created DVDs, apparel, and vitamins. They also do kitting for companies that really want to wow their subscribers.
Best for: Books and printing
Special features
- Design team will work closely with you and communicate well
- Packaging customization options
- Bookbinding services on demand
Benefits
- Minimizes how many different services you need
- Top-notch printing and binding
- High levels of communication
- Access to designers with great attention to detail
- Worldwide shipping
Disadvantages
- Some products, such as food, will be better fulfilled by other companies.
- The minimum order or project size might be too large for some.
Pricing: Minimum project size is $1,000.
What is subscription box fulfillment?
Subscription boxes offer customers a way to get recurring deliveries with recurring payments for goods they use regularly. With subscription box fulfillment, you, the seller, don’t have to pack the boxes and ship them off yourself.
Instead, a subscription box fulfillment service will take care of the storage, packing, and shipping for you. The fulfillment company may even do some kitting to improve the unboxing experience.
How does subscription box fulfillment work?
Depending on whether you use a service that makes the product for you, like book printing with Print Bind Ship, or a service that ships items you create, you may have an extra step of sending your products to the fulfillment company. The company may or may not handle your online storefront and order returns as well.
What to consider with subscription box fulfillment
Here are the top things to consider when choosing your subscription box fulfillment company:
Pricing
For large businesses shipping thousands of items every day, bulk and flat rates are essential. Small, independent sellers who can’t meet large order minimums might have to investigate which services have fees attached.
For example, you may need to find fulfillment companies with free or discounted picking and packing, packaging materials, and storage.
Timely deliveries
Subscription boxes must be delivered on time. These boxes are full of consumable items, and customers expect them to arrive before they’re needed. Find a fulfillment company with a great track record of accurate, fast deliveries.
Quality control
No one wants to open a package to find damaged or missing items. Some of the services mentioned will pay you or your customers if orders are wrong or late. Look for accountability.
Let someone else handle your subscription boxes for you
Instead of heading to the post office to wait in line and send out another shipment of subscription box orders, you could be spending your time creating new products, crafting new marketing strategies, or relaxing on a beach.
Subscription box fulfillment companies exist to make it easy for businesses to get orders to customers quickly and accurately. Which service is right for you? Depends on your product. From books to bowling balls, frozen pizzas to Ferrari parts, there’s a fulfillment service geared towards you.
FAQ
Subscription box fulfillment services are companies that specialize in storing, packing, and shipping orders of regularly consumed items.
It depends on the service, but it can be as cheap as $35 per month and up into the thousands for services that ship high volumes of expensive, large, or fragile items.
With one of these partners, you’ll increase order accuracy, reduce shipping times, and possibly even benefit from design services for products and packaging.
Sign up for a FreightWaves e-newsletter to stay informed of all news and trends impacting supply chain careers and operations.
