Wholesale and Large Retail Orders

At Ship Essential, we prioritize your wholesale and large retail orders to ensure they’re processed efficiently and shipped on time. These orders are often larger and more complex than standard DTC shipments, requiring extra care and coordination. Below, we outline our process, best practices, and key details to help you plan and execute successful wholesale fulfillment.

• Recommended Notice: Submit orders and notify us as soon as you know. We recommend providing 10 days’ notice for wholesale orders to ensure smooth processing.

  • Smaller, less complicated orders may be completed more quickly, while larger or more complex orders may require additional time.

• Contact Us: Reach out to your WAM or support@shipessential.com for help or questions.

  • Your WAM will schedule the work based on order details and warehouse capacity.

• Inventory Separation: Label wholesale inventory as “Wholesale” and keep it separate from DTC stock (use separate POs for mixed shipments).

• Rush Options: May be available upon request (rush processing is charged at 2x standard rates).

Wholesale orders require advanced planning due to their size and complexity. Follow these steps for a seamless process:

• Submit Early: Provide at least 10 days’ notice by creating orders and ensuring inventory is at our warehouse ahead of the ship date. Smaller, simpler orders may be processed faster; larger, complex orders may take longer.

• Notify Us: Email support@shipessential.com once orders are created so your Warehouse Account Manager (WAM) can coordinate fulfillment.

• Include Details: Provide the following when submitting orders:

  • Order numbers

  • Special requirements (e.g., packing guides, VAS services)

  • Retailer compliance needs

  • Shipping windows or strict ship-by dates

• Your WAM will schedule the work based on order details and warehouse capacity.

• Processing speed depends on:

  • Number of units and SKUs

  • Retailer compliance requirements

  • Value-Added Services (VAS) like re-barcoding or custom packaging

• We cannot start processing until all inventory and supplies are received and logged.

• Once scheduled, your WAM will confirm the ship date.

• Rush Processing: Available based on workload, charged at 2x standard rates.

• Extra WAM Support: Billed at $100/hour (15-minute increments). Separate from general account management, this covers order-specific tasks (ie routing, custom, VAS workflows & retailer coordination).

• VAS Pricing: See our for costs like custom packaging or labeling.

• Apply Barcode: $0.40 per barcode

• Apply Poly Bag: $0.45 per bag

• Wholesale Order Processing: $8.95 per order

• Rush Processing: 2x standard rate

• Full VAS menu available HERE.

To process your wholesale orders accurately, it’s critical to keep wholesale inventory separate from DTC stock. Here’s how to set this up effectively:

• Label Cartons: Have your manufacturer or vendor label cartons as “Wholesale” before shipping to our warehouse.

• Separate POs: For mixed shipments (wholesale + DTC), use separate purchase orders (POs) for each inventory type to ensure proper receiving and storage.

• Clear Markings: Visibly label cartons and pallets to distinguish wholesale from DTC stock. Unmarked inventory may lead to mix-ups, such as wholesale stock being used for DTC orders.

• Physical Separation: For brands with regular wholesale orders, we designate a separate warehouse area for your wholesale inventory.

• Virtual Warehouse: We create a “virtual warehouse” in ShipHero to track wholesale stock systematically, ensuring it’s allocated correctly.

• Access both your primary (DTC) and virtual (wholesale) warehouses in ShipHero.

• Upload wholesale POs and create orders in the virtual warehouse to prevent fulfillment errors.

Your wholesale and large retail orders are vital to your business, and we’re committed to making the process seamless. By following these best practices and planning ahead, we’ll ensure your orders ship on time and meet retailer standards. Questions? Contact your WAM or email support@shipessential.com. We’re excited to support your growth!