Changing fulfilment partner feels like a big step. Your stock has to move, your systems have to be reconnected and you don't want a single day without shipments. With good planning it goes more smoothly than you'd think.
1. Read your current contract
First look at the notice period, any costs for leaving and the terms for taking your stock and data with you. How quickly must your current partner release your stock, and in what condition? That timeline determines your planning.
2. Choose the right moment
Plan the switch in a quiet period. Avoid the weeks before the holidays, big campaigns or a first delivery to a new retailer. For most brands, January, February or the summer work best.
3. Set up the integrations
Have your new partner connect your webshop, marketplaces, ERP and any EDI with retailers before the stock moves. Test with a few real orders or test orders, so you're sure everything comes through correctly.
4. Export your data
- your item list with dimensions, weights and barcodes;
- current stock per item, including batch numbers;
- open orders and returns;
- your shipping history, in case questions come up later.
5. Move the stock in phases
Don't move everything at once. First send part of the stock to your new partner, have it booked in and then switch your orders over. Whatever is still with your old partner can keep shipping in the meantime. That way you never have a day without shipments.
6. Keep your customers informed
Your consumers usually won't notice anything, apart from a different sender address. Do inform retailers and business customers in advance: their deliveries will come from a different address, and sometimes the new partner has to be set up in their systems. Also update your returns address on your website and in your terms of sale.
7. Follow up closely in the first weeks
Agree on short check-ins with your new partner during the first weeks: does the stock add up, do orders ship on time, are the integrations working well? That way you fix teething problems before they affect customers.
Considering Sendwit? With us, your contract can be cancelled monthly with 1 month notice, with no minimum term. If you leave, you get your data straight away as an export and your stock is ready for collection within 10 working days. Read our commitments or get a price quote.