Guides
EU fulfilment guides
Practical writing on cross-border ecommerce logistics: choosing a 3PL, VAT and IOSS, cash on delivery, and shipping across Europe.
· 5 min read
Using Parcel Lockers in Europe to Cut Shipping Costs and Failed Deliveries
Learn how parcel lockers in Europe work, where out-of-home delivery is preferred, how to offer it at checkout, and how it reduces costs and failed deliveries.
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· 7 min
How to Calculate Landed Cost for Goods Imported into Europe
Learn how to calculate landed cost for European imports, including freight, customs valuation, broker fees, and warehouse intake, with a full worked example.
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· 6 min
How to Calculate Safety Stock: Basic Formulas and Real European Examples
Learn how to calculate safety stock and set accurate reorder points. This guide covers the basic formulas, total lead times, and European buffer strategies.
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· 6 min
Selling on Allegro: A Fulfilment and Operations Guide for Foreign Brands
Learn what selling on Allegro requires for foreign brands, from translation and parcel lockers to choosing the right Allegro fulfilment options.
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· 7 min
EORI Number Explained: Who Needs One, How to Apply, and EU Rules
Learn what an EORI number is, how to get one for importing into the EU, how it differs from a VAT number, and specific rules for UK and foreign brands.
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· 6 min
3PL for Small Business: Pricing, Minimums, and How to Pick One
Looking for a 3PL for small business? Learn how minimum order volumes, monthly fees, and warehouse models work, plus what to negotiate on small accounts.
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· 6 min
Volumetric Weight Explained: Formula, Examples, and Reducing Parcel Costs
Learn how volumetric weight is calculated, how carriers determine chargeable weight for parcels, and how box sizing lowers shipping costs.
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· 6 min
EAN Barcodes: How to Label Your Inventory for Marketplaces and 3PLs
Learn how EAN barcodes work, why marketplaces require GS1 codes, the difference between EAN and FNSKU, and how to prepare your inventory for European 3PLs.
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· 5 min
Finding a GPSR Responsible Person: What Non-EU Brands Must Know
Learn who can act as your GPSR responsible person for sales in Europe. Discover your obligations regarding the new EU product safety rules for online sellers.
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· 7 min
The Essential 3PL Contract Checklist: Protect Your Brand Before Signing
Use this practical 3PL contract checklist to evaluate liability, exit terms, and service levels before signing your next fulfilment agreement.
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· 6 min
How the New EU Customs Duty on Low-Value Parcels Affects Your Margins
Understand how the new EU customs duty on low-value parcels impacts ecommerce margins, the end of the 150 euro duty exemption, and how to protect your profits.
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· 5 min
How to Manage Amazon FBA Capacity Limits with a European 3PL Buffer
Learn how to bypass Amazon FBA capacity limits by using a European 3PL as a strategic stock buffer, ensuring your products remain available for sale.
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· 6 min
Amazon Pan-European FBA: Costs, VAT Duties, and 3PL Alternatives
Learn how Amazon Pan-European FBA works, how it compares to EFN, what VAT registrations it triggers, and when a European 3PL is a better choice.
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· 4 min
Where to Base Your Stock in Europe: Picking a Fulfilment Location
Netherlands, Germany, Poland or Belgium? The right warehouse location depends on where your customers are, not where the cheapest square metre is. Here is how to decide.
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· 4 min
One European Warehouse or Several? The Central vs Distributed Decision
A single warehouse is simpler and cheaper to run. Several are faster and cheaper to ship from. Here is how to work out which side of that trade-off your brand is actually on.
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· 4 min
Building a Returns Process That Works Across Europe
In Europe, up to a third of online orders come back, and in fashion it is higher. A returns process is not a cost centre to minimise; it is an operation to design. Here is how.
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· 4 min
The EU Packaging Rules Every Ecommerce Brand Now Has to Plan For
The PPWR is now in force, a cap on empty space in parcels is on its way, and Extended Producer Responsibility means you pay for the packaging you put on the market. Here is what actually changed and what to do.
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· 4 min
European Parcel Carriers Compared: DHL, DPD, GLS, InPost and the Rest
No single carrier covers Europe well, and the big ones are not interchangeable. Here is where each one is strong, where it is weak, and why you should never ship a whole continent on one label.
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· 4 min
The Fulfilment Metrics That Matter (and How to Hold a 3PL to Them)
A 3PL that cannot show you its numbers is asking you to trust a black box. Here are the handful of metrics that actually predict whether your customers get their orders on time and intact.
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· 4 min
In-House Fulfilment vs a 3PL: When It Is Time to Switch
Packing orders from your own unit works right up until it doesn't. Here are the signs you have outgrown in-house fulfilment, and the honest case for keeping it a little longer.
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· 4 min
Getting Your 3PL Ready for Black Friday and Christmas Peak
Peak season does not break fulfilment because volume is high. It breaks because nobody planned for the volume being high. Here is the pre-peak checklist that keeps parcels moving in November and December.
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· 4 min
UK to EU Fulfilment After Brexit: Why UK Sellers Are Moving Stock Into Europe
Shipping EU orders from a UK warehouse now means a customs border on every parcel, and from July 2026, duty on the small ones too. Here is the case for holding stock inside the EU, and what it takes.
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· 4 min
WooCommerce Fulfilment: Connecting Your Store to a European 3PL
WooCommerce gives you total control and no ready-made 3PL connection. That freedom is exactly why the integration to your 3PL needs more thought than a Shopify one. Here is what to check.
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· 5 min
How to Run a European 3PL Tender Process
A practical guide to structuring a tender for European ecommerce logistics, evaluating operational metrics, testing warehouse technology, and verifying carrier access.
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· 9 min
A Guide to European Ecommerce Fulfilment Basics
A foundational guide to third party logistics in Europe, covering goods receipt, storage, pick and pack workflows, carrier networks, cash on delivery, and fee structures.
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· 5 min
Routing European Orders Across Multiple 3PL Warehouses
Learn how ecommerce brands route orders across European 3PL warehouses to maintain stock buffer levels, cut transit times, and avoid platform stockouts.
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· 5 min
Marketplace Fulfilment Models Across European Platforms
A detailed guide to choosing between platform logistics programs and independent 3PL warehouses when selling on European marketplaces.
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· 7 min
EU Customs, VAT and IOSS Guide for Ecommerce
A practical guide to EU VAT, the One Stop Shop, IOSS, customs duties, and handling cross-border returns when selling to European consumers.
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· 5 min
How to Combine Amazon FBA Prep and 3PL Logistics in Europe
Managing Amazon FBA alongside direct-to-consumer sales in Europe requires a clear strategy for prep work, inventory buffers, and regional warehouse hubs.
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· 7 min
How to Overcome the Top 12 Common Ecommerce Challenges
Twelve common ecommerce challenges, from reaching the right buyers to cross-border fulfilment and returns, with practical ways to fix each one.
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· 7 min
Navigating OSS, IOSS, and Local VAT for EU Ecommerce Expansion
Expanding across European borders requires a clear tax strategy. Here is how OSS, IOSS, and local VAT registrations work together when shipping to EU consumers.
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· 6 min
Managing Multichannel Inventory Across Amazon and Shopify
A practical guide for ecommerce brands balancing stock across Amazon, Shopify, and European 3PL networks without overselling.
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· 5 min
EU Ecommerce Returns: How to Handle VAT and Customs Without Paying Twice
Returning cross-border orders in Europe often triggers unnecessary VAT and duty charges. Here is how IOSS adjustments, Returned Goods Relief, and local return routing keep your margins intact.
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· 4 min
EU VAT and IOSS, explained for ecommerce sellers
The 2021 VAT reforms changed how every parcel under 150 euros enters the EU. Here is what IOSS actually is, when you need it, and who files it.
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· 4 min
Understanding 3PL Pricing Structures for Ecommerce in Europe
A clear guide to standard European fulfilment costs, breaking down storage fees, pick and pack rates, shipping surcharges, and receiving expenses.
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· 5 min
How to choose a 3PL in Europe without guessing
Most 3PL shortlists are built on vibes and a pricing PDF. Here are the five things that actually decide whether a partner works for you.
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· 3 min
How to switch 3PL without blowing up peak season
Migrating fulfilment providers is a stock move, an integration rebuild, and a trust exercise all at once. Here is how to sequence it so nothing ships late.
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· 3 min
What a good Shopify fulfilment integration actually does
Every 3PL says they integrate with Shopify. The word covers everything from a real-time API to someone importing a CSV twice a day. Here is how to tell them apart.
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· 3 min
Amazon FBA vs a 3PL that preps for you: the European trade-offs
Fulfilled by Amazon is not the only way to sell on Amazon in Europe. Here is how FBA compares to using a third-party provider that preps and ships your stock.
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· 3 min
Cash on delivery in Europe: where it still wins you orders
In much of Western Europe, cash on delivery is a rounding error. In parts of Central, Southern and Eastern Europe it is a meaningful share of orders, and skipping it quietly caps your conversion.
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· 3 min
Fulfield review: an honest look, and why Europe needs something different
Fulfield is a genuinely good local-fulfilment marketplace for the United States. Here is a fair review, and why European sellers need a platform built for their carriers, taxes and markets.
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· 3 min
Fulfilment.com review: strong matching, but is it built for Europe?
Fulfilment.com is a capable, free 3PL matching service with real savings claims. Here is an honest review, and where a Europe-focused, instant self-serve platform serves EU sellers better.
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· 3 min
Extensiv Fulfillment Marketplace review: powerful software, US-tilted matching
Extensiv brings a huge 3PL network and a deep software ecosystem. Here is an honest review, and why European sellers may prefer a lighter, EU-focused matching platform.
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· 3 min
Fulfill.com review: big network, brokered matching, and the European trade-off
Fulfill.com has an enormous 3PL network and an impressive retention rate. Here is an honest review, and why EU sellers may prefer instant, self-serve matching focused on Europe.
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