To choose a UK e-commerce fulfilment partner, check five things before you sign: that it connects to the platforms you sell on, how fast and accurately it dispatches, how it copes with peaks and returns, how its pricing is built, and who you will speak to when something goes wrong. Then visit the warehouse.
Outsourcing your e-commerce order fulfilment hands the last part of your customer’s experience to someone else: the packing, the parcel and the moment it arrives. A good partner makes that invisible. A poor one shows up in your reviews. These are the questions worth asking any provider before you commit, including us.
Will it connect to the platforms I already sell on?
It should, and orders should flow in without anyone retyping them. Ask which platforms the partner connects to directly, how often stock levels sync, and whether you can add orders by hand when you need to. If you sell on several channels, check they all draw on one stock pool.
EC Group connects with Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and BigCommerce, as well as Linnworks, so orders reach our system as they are placed. Our platform integration page explains how.
How quickly and accurately will my orders leave the warehouse?
That comes down to two figures every provider should be able to give you: the share of orders dispatched the same day, and the share picked and packed without error. Ask for the daily cut-off behind the first, since same-day dispatch means little with a mid-morning cut-off, and how both are measured.
At EC Group, 95% of orders are dispatched the same day, and picking and shipping accuracy runs at 99.99%.
What happens at peak, and when orders come back?
A good partner plans peak with you weeks ahead and handles returns to a set turnaround. Ask how they staff for Black Friday and Christmas, whether peak volumes change dispatch times. For returns, ask how quickly items are checked, restocked and reported back to you, and how damaged stock is kept apart.
If you sell bundles or gift sets, check that kit collation happens in the same building, so components never travel twice. At EC Group, dispatch, kitting and returns are handled in-house at one site, and our returns service is shaped around how you sell.
How is fulfilment priced, and how do I compare quotes?
Most quotes combine the same parts: receiving stock, storage, a pick fee per order or item, packaging, postage and returns handling, sometimes with an account or set-up fee. Providers weight these differently, so a low pick fee can sit alongside expensive storage. Ask each provider to price the same sample month using your real order volumes, product sizes and returns rate, then compare the totals rather than the line items.
Who will I speak to when something goes wrong?
You should have a named account manager who knows your business. Ask how quickly they respond, and whether you can check stock and order status yourself rather than waiting for a reply. At EC Group, every client has a personal account manager and 24-hour access to an online dashboard.
What should I ask an e-commerce fulfilment partner before I sign?
Cover integration, dispatch, accuracy, peaks, returns, pricing, contract terms and support.
| Area | Ask | A good answer |
| Integration | Which platforms connect directly, and how often does stock sync? | Named platforms and automatic order import |
| Dispatch | What share ships the same day, and by what cut-off? | A percentage and a cut-off time |
| Accuracy | How do you measure picking accuracy? | A figure and how errors are logged |
| Peaks | How do you staff for Black Friday and Christmas? | A plan agreed with you before peak |
| Returns | How fast are returns processed and reported? | A set turnaround and a report you can see |
| Pricing | What would our last month have cost? | A full quote on your own volumes |
| Contract | How long is the term, and what is the notice period? | Terms you could leave if service slips |
| Support | Who is my day-to-day contact? | A named account manager and self-serve visibility |
EC Group has worked in warehousing since 1810 and runs fulfilment from a four-acre site in Essex. If you are comparing providers, we will answer every question on this list for your own products and volumes. Get in touch for a quote based on your orders.
Frequently asked questions
It depends mainly on how many products you hold and how your store connects. A single Shopify or WooCommerce store moves faster than a business with several channels or a custom system. Ask for a written onboarding plan with dates for integration testing, stock transfer and the first live orders.
Many can, but check how. Business-to-business (B2B) orders often need different packing, paperwork and delivery booking from parcels sent to consumers. EC Group handles both, with a secure B2B portal for online ordering, real-time stock and reporting.
Less for delivery speed than you might expect, because national carrier networks reach most of mainland Britain the next working day. Location matters more for incoming stock: if your goods arrive by sea, a warehouse near the port they land at shortens the journey.
