B2B & retail fulfilment in Europe wholesale orders done right
Selling into retailers and distributors is a different job from posting parcels: pallets and cases, EDI, delivery windows and chargebacks if the compliance is wrong. Get matched to a European 3PL that handles the trade side, not just direct-to-consumer.
The difference
Retail-compliant, not just pick and pack
A consumer 3PL ships single units in mailers. Selling into retail means pallets and cases built to a purchase order, SSCC labels and EDI documents the buyer expects, booking a delivery slot into a distribution centre, and getting the compliance exactly right or eating a chargeback. The matching filters to partners that run wholesale and retail fulfilment as a first-class service, so a missed label rule does not cost you the account.
Pallets and cases, built to the PO
Filter to partners that pick to case and pallet quantities, palletise to a retailer's spec, and apply the SSCC and carton labels the buyer's system reads. The order arrives the way the distribution centre expects, so it gets booked in instead of bounced.
EDI and delivery windows handled
See partners set up for EDI order and dispatch messages, ASNs, and booking-in to a retailer's delivery slot, the operational compliance that keeps you off the chargeback list and on the buyer's shelf.
How it works
- 01
Set your constraints
Tell us you ship B2B to retailers or distributors, the countries you supply, your volume, and the compliance you need, EDI, SSCC labelling, palletisation and booking-in.
- 02
Compare shortlists
Partners are filtered to those that run wholesale and retail fulfilment, not only D2C parcels, then scored on fit for your markets and requirements.
- 03
Request an intro
Send a request to the partners worth talking to. They see your channels and volume, so the first conversation starts from your real trade setup, not a parcel quote.
- 01
List your capabilities
Publish whether you handle pallet and case picking, EDI, SSCC labelling and retailer booking-in, the countries you serve and your carriers.
- 02
Get matched to demand
Your listing surfaces for the brands whose retail and wholesale requirements you can genuinely meet, not for anyone who typed a keyword.
- 03
Take qualified intros
Requests arrive with the brand's channels, compliance needs and volume attached, so you can decide quickly whether it is a fit.
Ship to retail without the chargebacks
Start from the directory, or publish a store profile and let the matching find a European partner set up for B2B and retail fulfilment.
What is B2B fulfilment?
B2B fulfilment, also called wholesale or retail fulfilment, is the handling of orders a brand ships to other businesses, retailers, wholesalers and distributors, rather than to individual consumers. Instead of single units in mailers, orders are picked to case and pallet quantities against a purchase order, palletised to the buyer's specification, and labelled with the SSCC and carton codes their warehouse systems read. It typically involves EDI messages for orders, dispatch advices and ASNs, plus booking a delivery into the retailer's distribution centre within an agreed window. Getting these details right matters commercially: retailers issue chargebacks for non-compliant deliveries, so a 3PL that runs B2B fulfilment as a first-class service protects both the margin and the account.
Also called: wholesale fulfilment, retail fulfilment, trade fulfilment
B2B fulfilment across Europe
Shipping to retailers and distributors is a different job from direct-to-consumer parcels, here is what actually changes.
Pallets, cases and retailer compliance
B2B orders do not look like DTC. Instead of thousands of single parcels, you ship fewer, larger consignments, cases and pallets going to a retailer's distribution centre or a wholesaler's warehouse. That changes the whole operation: goods are handled at case and pallet level, orders are picked to a purchase order rather than a shopping basket, and the receiving party enforces strict compliance. Carton labelling, SSCC pallet labels, packing lists, and rules about how many units go in a case and how a pallet is built are not suggestions, a retailer will reject or charge back a delivery that breaks them. A 3PL built for B2B knows each major retailer's routing guide and preps to it as a matter of course. One built only for ecommerce parcels will struggle the first time a big customer sends its compliance manual, and the penalties land on you.
Booking-in windows and EDI that hold up
The second thing that separates B2B fulfilment is coordination. Retailers deliver into booked timeslots at their DCs; miss the window and the load is turned away, incurring cost and a compliance strike. Many trading relationships also run on EDI, electronic purchase orders, dispatch advices and invoices exchanged in a set format, so your 3PL has to send and receive the right messages, not email spreadsheets. A partner that genuinely does B2B will manage the booking-in process, hit delivery windows, and speak your customers' EDI, while still being able to run any DTC channel you have alongside it. When you compare providers, probe exactly this: which retailers they already deliver to, whether they handle EDI in-house, and how they manage booking-in. It is unglamorous detail, and it is precisely where B2B fulfilment succeeds or quietly bleeds money in chargebacks.
Common questions
How is B2B fulfilment different from D2C fulfilment?
D2C fulfilment ships single units to consumers in parcels; B2B fulfilment ships cases and pallets to businesses against a purchase order, with retailer-specific labelling, EDI documents and booked delivery slots. The operations, packaging, labelling and paperwork are all different, which is why a 3PL built only for consumer parcels often struggles with a first retail order. Look for a partner that names retail and wholesale fulfilment explicitly.
What is EDI and do I need it?
EDI (electronic data interchange) is the standardised messaging most large retailers use to send purchase orders and receive dispatch confirmations and advance shipping notices. If you supply major retail chains, they will usually require it. A 3PL set up for EDI can receive orders and send the required messages on your behalf, so confirm this before committing if retail is your channel.
What are SSCC labels and retailer chargebacks?
An SSCC is the serial shipping container code on a pallet or carton label that a retailer's warehouse scans to book stock in. If the labelling, palletisation or documentation does not match the retailer's rulebook, they can reject the delivery or issue a chargeback, a financial penalty. A retail-capable 3PL applies the correct labels and follows the buyer's spec so those penalties do not happen.
Can one partner handle both my B2B and D2C orders?
Many can, and it is often the ideal setup: one stock pool serving both your consumer orders and your retail POs. What matters is that the partner runs true retail fulfilment, not just D2C with pallets bolted on. Tell us you need both and the matching filters to partners that genuinely operate on both sides.
Does this work for shipping to retailers across Europe?
Yes, the point of an EU-based B2B partner is to supply retailers and distributors across member states from within the single market, without a customs step on every trade shipment. Tell us the countries your buyers are in and the matching filters to partners positioned to serve them.