What is a fulfilment centre?
November 12, 2026
A fulfilment centre is a warehouse set up to process customer orders: receiving stock, storing it, then picking, packing and despatching orders, often within hours. It can be run by the retailer itself or by a third party, such as a 3PL or Amazon FBA.
Why it matters for online retailers
Where your orders are fulfilled decides how fast customers get them, what each order costs to send and how much control you have. It is one of the biggest operational decisions a growing seller makes.
Fulfilment centre vs warehouse
- Warehouse: mainly stores stock, often in bulk, for longer periods.
- Fulfilment centre: built around moving stock out quickly to individual customers, with picking, packing and courier collections every day.
Your own fulfilment centre vs a 3PL
- In-house: more control over packing, speed and customer experience, but you manage staff, space and systems.
- 3PL: no warehouse to run, but less control and a cost per order.
- Amazon FBA: Prime eligibility on Amazon, with fees and Amazon's rules on stock.
Many sellers mix them, for example fulfilling most channels in-house and sending some stock to FBA.
How StoreFeeder handles it
StoreFeeder powers in-house fulfilment, from booking stock in to scan-validated picking and despatch. It handles Amazon FBA and FBM side by side, and 3PLs use StoreFeeder with a client portal for the brands they fulfil for.
Read more about StoreFeeder order fulfilment.
Frequently asked questions
What does a fulfilment centre do?
It receives and stores stock, then picks, packs and ships customer orders, and often handles returns too.
Is a fulfilment centre the same as a 3PL?
Not always. A 3PL is a company that runs fulfilment for other businesses. A retailer can also run its own fulfilment centre.
When should I use a fulfilment centre?
When packing orders at home or in a small unit is limiting growth, you need to decide whether to build your own operation or outsource to a 3PL.
