Third-Party Logistics for Online Stores

Running an online store can feel like juggling while riding a bike. At the beginning, the pace is slow enough that you can keep your balance, answer customer emails, and still pack orders at the end of the day. Then the bike speeds up. Orders from new channels appear, marketing begins to work better than expected, and the juggling act turns into a blur. That is usually the moment when brands start searching for third-party logistics for online stores.

Why online stores hit a logistics wall

Online stores are very good at creating demand. A feature on a major site, a sharp promotion, or a good review can cause order volume to spike with very little warning. The website absorbs those spikes with no visible strain. The warehouse does not. Pick paths get crowded, receiving falls behind, and inventory accuracy starts slipping. A few late orders here and there quietly become a pattern that customers feel even if they never see the internal scramble.

At the same time, customer expectations keep climbing. Fast shipping, accurate tracking, and clean packaging now feel like table stakes rather than bonuses. The disconnect between what the front end promises and what the back end can reliably deliver becomes more obvious.

What third-party logistics should actually handle

A strong third-party logistics provider for online stores does more than rent pallet positions. It takes responsibility for receiving inventory cleanly, slotting it where it can be picked efficiently, and moving orders through a consistent flow each day. It integrates with your ecommerce platform so orders arrive in the system without manual work. It keeps inventory counts aligned with reality so you are not selling products that quietly ran out last week.

Good logistics also produces visibility. You should know how quickly inbound shipments are processed, how many orders shipped the same day, and which SKUs are at risk of going out of stock. Without that view, planning feels like guesswork instead of informed decision making.

How G10 supports online stores behind the scenes

G10 uses a distributed warehouse network and the ChannelPoint WMS to help online stores move more confidently. Inventory is placed in multiple locations so orders can ship from the closest site instead of traveling across the entire country. ChannelPoint tracks each movement with scans so there is a clear digital trail for every item.

Holly Woods, Director of Operations, explains it plainly. Having strategically placed warehouses is important not just for outbound shipping but for inbound costs. Faster inbounds mean faster distribution. That combination matters when an online store suddenly sees demand across new regions and cannot afford to keep customers waiting.

Letting logistics stop being the weak link

When third-party logistics for online stores is working well, the operational worries begin to fade from daily conversations. Founders spend less time wondering if the warehouse can keep up and more time designing the next campaign or product line. The bike keeps moving, but the juggling no longer feels like it might send everything crashing to the ground.