Global reach with millions of customers

U.S.-based customer base

Varies based on product size, weight, and storage duration

It is based on product size, weight, and storage duration

Diverse range of categories

Focused on specific categories, emphasis on alignment with Walmart's offerings

Prime-eligible for fast shipping

Two Day shipping available

Amazon manages returns on your behalf

Walmart handles returns for WFS products

Offers international shipping

Primarily serves the U.S. market

$39.99/month for professional plan

None

Starts at $3.22

Starts at $3.45

Additional peak season fees apply from Oct 15, 2023, to Jan 14, 2024

Holiday Peak Fulfillment Fee applies from October to January

185+ globally and 110 in the U.S.

31

Provides shipping labels

Does not provide

Integrates with multiple e-commerce platforms

Primarily integrates with Walmart's platform

Access to Amazon advertising

Access to Walmart's advertising platform

The receiving stage involves receiving inventory from suppliers, inspecting goods, sorting, and storing them properly. For brick-and-mortar stores, this often involves preparing floor stocks. In contrast, e-commerce requires items to be ready for individual picking and packing, while omnichannel businesses must cater to both.

Physical stores might do periodic stock checks, whereas e-commerce and omnichannel businesses typically rely on real-time inventory tracking systems to maintain accurate inventory levels and prevent stockouts and overstocking.

In e-commerce and omnichannel retailing, this involves warehouse workers picking the product from storage, packing it for shipment, and then moving it to the shipping station.

E-commerce and omnichannel retailers must select the appropriate courier and service level, print shipping labels, and manage the order fulfillment logistics of getting the package to the end customer. Physical retailers, on the other hand, don't ship directly to customers, but they might transfer stock between store locations.

E-commerce often sees higher return rates than physical stores and involves receiving returned items, checking them, restocking, or disposing. Omnichannel retailing adds complexity, as returns might come in from any channel, making it more challenging to handle returns efficiently and accurately.

Throughout the fulfillment cycle, businesses need to provide customer support. While physical stores handle this in person, e-commerce support handles inquiries, complaints, and returns, often across multiple digital channels.

3PLs can offer economies of scale that might be hard to achieve in-house.

3PLs bring specialized knowledge and experience in logistics and supply chain management, which can greatly benefit companies without this expertise.

3PLs allow businesses to scale and adjust their fulfillment operations needs based on demand fluctuations — without significant investment.

A 3PL may provide a wider distribution network, enabling faster shipping times to a broader customer base.

These labels demarcate different areas or locations within the warehouse, such as aisles, rows, columns, shelves, and bins. Warehouse workers use these labels to navigate and find the right storage location quickly and accurately. Sometimes, you can also scan them to record the movement of goods in and out of these locations. Floor labels are usually durable to withstand traffic and wear.

Rack labels are attached to storage racks and are used to identify individual locations within the rack where items are stored. These can be freezer-grade labels, magnet-backed, ultra-durable labels, multilevel labels, or color-coded. They allow for precise control over inventory location and facilitate efficient picking. In large warehouses, rack labels often include barcode labels or other scannable codes that can be read by handheld devices or automated systems.

Totes and bins are used to group items for storage or transport within the warehouse. Labeling these containers allows for easy tracking of their contents, even if the individual items within are not directly visible. Accurate warehouse labels ensure the correct items are picked for orders, and that products are put away in the correct location after being received or returned.

In a busy warehouse, there are likely to be various stations where specific tasks are carried out, such as receiving, packing, sorting, or kitting. Similarly, there may be multiple loading docks for inbound and outbound shipments. Labeling these areas helps to direct workers and goods to the right place, improving efficiency and reducing errors. For example, when a truck arrives, it can be directed to the correct dock based on the labels.

Inventory labels are used at all stages of the inventory's lifecycle, from receiving to shipping. They usually contain information about the product, such as SKU, description, quantity, lot number, and expiration date. They can also include tracking codes like barcode labels or RFID tags. The format and content of inventory labels may vary based on the form factor of the inventory. For example, a warehouse pallet label might include a summary of all items on the pallet, while an item label would have information about that specific item.

These labels demarcate different areas or locations within the warehouse, such as aisles, rows, columns, shelves, and bins. Warehouse workers use these labels to navigate and find the right storage location quickly and accurately. Sometimes, you can also scan them to record the movement of goods in and out of these locations. Floor labels are usually durable to withstand traffic and wear.

Rack labels are attached to storage racks and are used to identify individual locations within the rack where items are stored. These can be freezer-grade labels, magnet-backed, ultra-durable labels, multilevel labels, or color-coded. They allow for precise control over inventory location and facilitate efficient picking. In large warehouses, rack labels often include barcode labels or other scannable codes that can be read by handheld devices or automated systems.

Totes and bins are used to group items for storage or transport within the warehouse. Labeling these containers allows for easy tracking of their contents, even if the individual items within are not directly visible. Accurate warehouse labels ensure the correct items are picked for orders, and that products are put away in the correct location after being received or returned.

In a busy warehouse, there are likely to be various stations where specific tasks are carried out, such as receiving, packing, sorting, or kitting. Similarly, there may be multiple loading docks for inbound and outbound shipments. Labeling these areas helps to direct workers and goods to the right place, improving efficiency and reducing errors. For example, when a truck arrives, it can be directed to the correct dock based on the labels.

Inventory labels are used at all stages of the inventory's lifecycle, from receiving to shipping. They usually contain information about the product, such as SKU, description, quantity, lot number, and expiration date. They can also include tracking codes like barcode labels or RFID tags. The format and content of inventory labels may vary based on the form factor of the inventory. For example, a warehouse pallet label might include a summary of all items on the pallet, while an item label would have information about that specific item.

Warehouse forklifts allow for the fast and safe movement of high-volume, heavy pallets. They allow warehouse pickers to access and reposition pallets stored at various heights and distances.

Pallet jacks allow warehouse pickers to pick pallets on a smaller scale. They can access tight spaces where forklifts can’t usually enter.  

Conveyor systems transport pallets along a fixed path in the warehouse

Robotic systems have been gradually decreasing the dependency on manual input for pallet picking. Robots can already use vision systems and advanced algorithms to identify, grasp and pick pallets with speed and precision. 

Smart glasses, wrist-mounted guidance systems, and other wearable technologies are providing warehouse pickers with hands-free access to real-time guided picking insights. Having constant access to this information, be it navigation guidance, inventory data, or pallet location, greatly increases pallet picking accuracy and efficiency.

AGVs can autonomously navigate the warehouse floor using cameras, sensors, or magnetic strips to assist with the pallet picking process.