Ships A Lot

09/02/2026

Peak doesn't break brands in December. It breaks them in August, when nobody forecasts and nobody books inbound receiving. December is just when you find out. Ask your 3PL for your inbound cutoff date now, while the answer can still change something.

Full checklist →

BackBlogSep 01, 2026Q4 Fulfillment Checklist: What to Fix Before Peak Season HitsA month-by-month Q4 fulfillment checklist for ecommerce founders: what to lock down now, what to confirm with your 3PL, and the three things that break first in peak season.Key takeawaysThe work that saves your Q4 happe...

08/27/2026

The pick-and-pack rate your 3PL quoted is ~25% of what you'll actually pay. Shipping's ~half. The rest hides in storage penalties, peak surcharges and monthly minimums. Ask for a sample invoice before you sign. The whole number, not the headline.

08/25/2026

The cheapest 3PL is usually the most expensive one. Brands that pick on price alone tend to re-switch inside 12–18 months, after $20k–$50k+ in transition costs and churn. Choose on service, integration, fit and transparent pricing. Then make them prove it in writing.

08/20/2026

"What's a good 3PL accuracy rate?" 99.5%+ (best-in-class runs 99.5–99.9%). But the number is worthless without a written remedy for when it slips. Don't ask for the rate. Ask what happens when they miss, and get it in the SLA.

08/18/2026

A late one-off order is a support ticket. A late subscription box is a cancellation. Subscription churn runs ~10–15%/mo across published 2026 benchmarks. Fulfillment feeds it. Pick your 3PL on its on-time cycle record and kitting accuracy, not per-box price.

08/11/2026

3PL vs Amazon FBA isn't either/or. Keep fast Amazon bestsellers in FBA for the Prime badge; move DTC, other marketplaces and slow movers to a 3PL. FBA's 2026 fees (higher per-unit + fuel surcharge + earlier aged-inventory surcharge) reward keeping FBA lean. Compare cost per SKU per channel, not one flat fee.

08/04/2026

"When should I outsource fulfillment?" Honest answer: later than a 3PL will tell you. Under ~100 orders/month, do it yourself. The real tipping point is ~400–500/month, or sooner if bundles and subscriptions outgrew your spreadsheet. And if you're packing past 11pm? That's the sign.

07/21/2026

TikTok Shop expects your orders shipped in 2–3 days. Miss it and the algorithm quietly shows your next video to fewer people. On TikTok, fulfillment isn't just ops — it's reach.

07/02/2026

Brian sat down with the Dataforest team this week to talk about what's actually changing in fulfillment, the 'sea of sameness' problem in 3PL, and where AI and robotics are headed for the warehouse.

30 years of operator perspective, in conversation with one of the better data-and-supply-chain podcasts out there.

Worth a listen if you're a Shopify founder thinking about your fulfillment setup.

https://na2.hubs.ly/H06nFsr0

Back NewsJun 30, 2026Is AI Coming for Warehouses? Brian Baskin on the DATAFOREST PodcastShips A Lot CEO Brian Baskin joins the DATAFOREST podcast to talk AI in the warehouse, the sea of sameness in 3PL, and why standing behind your work still wins.▶ Watch the episode on YouTubeBrian Baskin, CEO of...

06/30/2026

A lot of 3PL marketing shows robots and conveyor belts. Most of ours doesn't.

The people picking, packing, and shipping your brand's orders are people. Not bots. Not "team members." Actual humans with names, who learn your brand's voice, who remember that you ship handwritten notes in Q4 and need extra packaging by mid-November.

The accuracy isn't from the technology. It's from the team.

Want to meet the team picking your orders? Come tour the facility. We mean that.