D2C 3PL

Direct to consumer brands usually begin with a strong sense of personality. Founders pack boxes themselves, slip in handwritten notes, and answer support emails late into the night. That personal involvement feels like the secret ingredient. Then a launch hits harder than expected, or an influencer posts at the right time, and the brand suddenly behaves like a much bigger company. At that point, many teams realize they are living in D2C territory but running logistics on DIY settings. That is when a D2C 3PL steps into the picture.

Why D2C grows faster than handmade systems can handle

D2C brands add fuel to their own fire. They tell stories, build communities, and launch products that spread quickly. Demand can double in a week, and the warehouse still has the same number of shelves, the same small crew, and the same informal rules. Everyone leans on memory to keep track of which SKU sits where, and which packaging goes with which bundle, and which promotions are still in effect.

That approach works until it absolutely does not. A few wrong items go out. Inventory counts drift away from reality. Boxes that were meant to look special end up rushed and inconsistent. The brand keeps talking like a D2C leader, but the back end starts acting like a garage sale.

What a D2C 3PL actually needs to be good at

A strong D2C 3PL understands that the box on the doorstep is part of the marketing. It must pick accurately and pack thoughtfully, not just quickly. It has to support bundles, subscriptions, and seasonal kits without turning the warehouse into a puzzle every time a special order appears. It needs to offer same day fulfillment for orders before cutoff because D2C customers expect speed as part of the experience.

Technology does a lot of the heavy lifting here. Scan based inventory control, clear pick paths, and live reporting all help keep the D2C pace without losing track of what matters.

How G10 keeps D2C brands from losing their identity

G10 supports D2C brands with a mix of structure and flexibility. ChannelPoint WMS gives a clear picture of where every item sits and how fast it moves. Distributed warehousing shortens delivery times so the brand can meet modern expectations. Connor Perkins, Director of Fulfillment, points out that many D2C customers run on similar patterns at the start. That shared structure means a large portion of onboarding can follow proven steps, while the rest gets tailored to each brand.

The result is an operation that behaves like a grown up logistics engine without flattening the character that made the brand interesting in the first place.

Keeping the direct connection while volume grows

With the right D2C 3PL, founders can stay focused on product, community, and storytelling instead of spending all their energy wrestling with tape guns and carton sizes. The direct relationship with customers stays intact, but the stress behind the scenes drops. Growth stops feeling like an emergency and starts feeling like the natural next step.