Shopify Launches the Shopify Fulfillment Network

Shopify (NYSE:SHOP) is making simple even more simple for online sellers. In June, the eCommerce platform announced its brand new fulfillment network, which is now ready for qualifying merchants to utilize. The Shopify Fulfillment Network allows merchants to ship their products directly from Shopify’s fulfillment centers. Shopify hopes the AI-powered network will make fulfillment service available for merchants of all sizes. As a result, brands can focus on building their business rather than worrying about fulfilling packages all day long.

What Makes a Qualifying Merchant?

For those of you Shopify retailers wondering what makes a qualifying merchant, chief product officer Craig Miller has the inside scoop.

“We assess merchants on a case by case basis depending on their product types and fulfillment needs,” Miller said. “The goal is to offer Shopify Fulfillment Network to Shopify merchants of all sizes. At launch, we’ll be offering our services primarily to small and medium sized businesses who are currently using a third-party logistics provider that are unable to fully meet their needs, in addition to merchants who have outgrown their existing fulfillment processes.”

The Shopify Fulfillment Network Will Be a Game Changer

The Shopify Fulfillment Network will be an eCommerce game changer by bringing fulfillment services to merchants of all sizes. Traditionally, fulfillment partnerships work best for large companies that are simply too large to handle their own fulfillment. However, with the new Shopify Fulfillment Network, even small merchants can take advantage of Shopify’s nationwide fulfillment services.

Currently, Shopify has fulfillment center locations in California, Georgia, New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. As of now, the fulfillment network supports merchants that ship between 10 to 10,000 packages per day. Eventually, however, Shopify hopes to support merchants shipping as little as 3 to as many as 30,000 packages per day.

How It All Works

If you’re someone who appreciates the nitty gritty details, Shopify’s website lays out how their fulfillment network operates here:

“Our smart inventory-allocation technology, powered by machine learning, predicts the closest fulfillment centers and optimal inventory quantities per location to ensure fast, low-cost delivery. After your customer completes checkout, Shopify Fulfillment Network takes care of everything else, while putting your brand and customer experience front and center. Because Shopify handles all the heavy lifting, you can focus on building your business.”

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, visit Shopify’s website and apply for early access to the fulfillment network!