Shein has amassed significant customer support in the fast fashion industry – all thanks to its trending yet affordable products. But beyond being a global fashion retailer, Shein also offers fulfillment services to select sellers. The main goal of this service is to help sellers streamline their logistics and reach a wider audience. By relying on it, businesses can stay worry-free regarding order fulfillment and focus on more important aspects, like introducing more products. Curious to know more? You are on the right page!
In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the different aspects of Shein fulfillment, its perks, a how-to guide for getting started with it, and the best 3PL services you can choose from. So, without any further ado, let’s begin exploring!
What is Shein Fulfillment?
Shein Fulfillment is a comprehensive logistics service that enables third-party sellers on the Shein platform to store, process, and ship products through Shein’s fulfillment centers. This means that instead of dealing with the hassle of inventory management, packaging, and shipping goods on their own, sellers can rely on Shein to handle everything for them. Shein won’t only ensure fast deliveries but also improve customer satisfaction with cheaper delivery rates. Additionally, the platform will be responsible for returns and exchanges to guarantee a reliable shopping experience for customers. What else does one need?
Primarily, Shein operated fulfillment centers in China. But now, it has fulfillment centers in key international markets, including the United States, Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East & South America. This guarantees that sellers can ship faster, cut costs, and keep customers happy—leading to more sales and a stronger brand presence worldwide.
Benefits of Using Shein Fulfillment
Let’s now discuss the different perks of using Shein Fulfillment. These will help you decide if it works best for you.
Bulk Shipping to SFS for Efficient Storage: Instead of handling individual shipments, sellers can ship bulk goods to Shein Fulfillment Service (SFS) at once. This will minimize the overall logistics cost and ensure that the products are already available in stock for faster order fulfillment.
Inventory Management & Tracking: When products arrive at the SFS warehouse, they are cautiously inspected and stored. Sellers can also track their inventory levels via Shein’s systems, which offer real-time updates. These updates help prevent inventory-related issues, like overselling.
Automated Order Fulfillment: Whenever an order is placed in the seller’s store, Shein gets a record of it, picks packs, and ships the goods to the customer without needing any involvement from the seller’s side. This approach reduces the chances of errors and ensures professional packaging that meets Shein’s quality standards.
Priority Product Placement: Shein often prioritizes products stored in Shein fulfillment centers, automatically improving the ranking of the business and its visibility in the search results. This leads to higher conversions for businesses.
Lower Operational Costs: With Shein handling the entire fulfillment process, businesses won’t need to worry about owning or renting a dedicated warehouse or the cost of packaging their products according to Shein’s requirements. Labor costs and supply chain management are also eliminated.
Customer Trust & Brand Credibility: As mentioned earlier, Shein is a renowned brand with a vast customer base. So, by acquiring Shein fulfillment, you may attract more customers, leading to repeat purchases and higher conversion rates.
Hassle-Free Returns & Exchanges: Wait, are you tired of handling returns and exchanges? SFS will handle that for you, too. From receiving the returned product to restocking or issuing a refund, everything is well-managed to ensure customer satisfaction and minimize the seller’s load.
How to Get Started with Shein Fulfillment?
If you want to get started with Shein fulfillment, you must meet certain eligibility criteria. It includes the following requirements:
- Professional seller
- Can ship to US customers directly
- Manages domestic US-based operations
- Has a minimum of $5 million annual revenue
Once you checkmark all these requirements, you can follow these steps:
Step 1: Apply to Become a Seller
Begin with filling out the quick seller application to inform Shein about your business. Their team will get back to you within one business day. Meanwhile, you can get your onboard documents ready. These include:
- Latest W-9 form / W-8BEN-E form
- Articles of Incorporation / Certificate of Incorporation
- Store Logo (High-resolution PNG format)
- Trademark Registration Document
- Company Representative’s Identification (Front and Back) – Passport, Driver’s License, or ID Card
Once your documents are verified, your Shein store can be opened within a few days.
Step 2: Enlist Your Products
You can upload your products in three different ways: API connection, Solution providers, or SHEIN Seller Hub. Seller Hub is a free-to-use platform that assists in managing inventory, customer insights, sales orders, product performance, and more such nitty-gritty details.
Step 3: Ship your Goods
Once your products are uploaded, you are all set to receive orders from customers. Now, you have three choices: either rely on the in-house US warehouse, partner with a 3rd party warehouse or go with multi-channel fulfillment. If you want to acquire Shein fulfillment, you must select the in-house US warehouse option. This will give you the privilege to store and ship goods directly from Shein fulfillment centers.
Step 4: Get Paid for Each Order!
Shein follows a one-week payment cycle, authorizing payments every Monday. This means sellers don’t have to wait weeks to receive their earnings. Once authorized, payments are processed within one to three days, ensuring a faster payout system.
3 Best 3PL Services for Shein Fulfillment
Though Shein takes care of the in-house fulfillment, you can collaborate with a 3PL service provider to enjoy more flexibility by handling orders for multiple platforms, not just Shein. Moreover, these services can offer faster shipping, better inventory management, and cost savings. If you feel like benefitting from 3PL providers, we recommend checking these out:
NextSmartShip
NSS is one of the best 3PL services out there, owing to the innovative technologies they implement to streamline the entire order fulfillment process. With them, you can ensure all your goods are packed with sustainability in mind and that you are obtaining the lowest possible shipping rates while benefitting from the links of NSS. But that’s not all! NextSmartShip also offers real-time inventory updates for business owners and tracking information for their customers to make the process transparent and achieve customer satisfaction.
Currently, NextSmartShip has strategically located warehouses in the US, Europe, China, and Australia. It has partnered with over 400 shipping lines to offer its clients a diverse variety of rates and access to global markets in different regions. Additionally, it has over 15 fulfillment centers and is trusted by over 2000 DTC brands. So, partner now with NSS and enjoy up to 40% reduction on shipping, packaging, and inventory management costs.
Flexport
Next, we have Flexport, an end-to-end supply chain that coordinates global logistics from warehouses to customer doors. They empower businesses to ship wherever they want and grow their businesses faster, reaching global markets and global clients. Currently, over 10,000 clients have put their trust in Flexport and are offering 9% on-time shipping and 97%+ on-time delivery.
All thanks to their world-class operations and integration of innovative technologies, Flexport is considered a logistics partner for renowned retailers like Shein, Shopify, and Walmart. Key warehouse locations of this platform are North America, Europe, and Asia.
ShipStation
ShipStation is another 3PL service that covers everything in one place. From consolidating your orders and automating your workflows to finding the best carriers according to your product requirements, it can handle everything. Their rates are also exceptional as per the details on the website; you can enjoy up to 88% off on United States Postal Service, 83% off on UPS, 90% off on FedEx, and 81% off on DHL Express. The best part? ShipStation can import orders from 100+ selling channels, CRMS, marketplaces, ERPS, and IMSs.
ShipStation is ideal for small businesses, as its plans begin from as low as $9 per month. Note that ShipStation itself doesn’t provide warehousing but integrates with various fulfillment centers worldwide.
Conclusion
Shein is a renowned marketplace and a reliable fulfillment platform that ensures hassle-free order handling with cheaper shipping rates. By letting Shein manage order fulfillment, you can rest assured regarding your logistics, inventory, and customer satisfaction. Their streamlined process makes it easier for businesses to offer swift deliveries, effortless returns, and automated tracking.
For an enhanced fulfillment strategy, you can partner with 3PL services like NextSmartShip. These platforms are exceptionally helpful, especially when you are selling your products via multiple channels. They help you lower your overall order fulfillment cost and streamline everything when not breaking the bank. Hope you find this information worth reading. Stay tuned for more helpful guides.
