Pick the warehouse model from the order profile

Warehouse choices are usually made from a rate card. They should be made from the shape of your orders: how many lines per shipment, how often, and how close the buyer is to the stock.

Transfer versus fulfilment

A transfer warehouse breaks down containers and forwards pallets to distributors. It suits predictable, high-volume replenishment. A fulfilment warehouse picks individual orders, handles returns and needs SKU-level data accuracy from day one.

If your buyers order full pallets, paying for pick-and-pack capability you never use is a recurring cost with no service benefit.

Replenishment is a shipping decision

Set a reorder point from the ocean or air lead time plus a buffer for receiving. Then book against that point. Importers who wait until stock is low end up paying for emergency air freight to protect a warehouse strategy designed to save money.

• Lead time from Shenzhen factory to available stock, not just port to port
• Receiving appointment capacity at peak periods
• Minimum order quantity that keeps the container utilisation sensible

Where bonded storage helps

When the import decision, the VAT treatment or the end customer is not yet fixed, holding goods under customs control buys time. It adds a controlled step, but avoids an irreversible import entry made under pressure.