Wholesale and Large Retail Orders

We understand that wholesale orders are a crucial part of your business. Whether you’re shipping to small independent retailers or major national chains, we know how important it is to get these orders right. Wholesale orders are larger and more complex than standard DTC shipments, which means they require special handling. Our team is here to support you and ensure your wholesale orders are processed smoothly, efficiently, and in full compliance with retailer requirements.

Below, we’ll walk you through how wholesale orders are managed at Ship Essential, including best practices for inventory organization, order creation, and scheduling.

To ensure that your wholesale inventory is processed correctly, it is essential to keep it separate from your DTC inventory from the moment it arrives at our warehouse.

• Label cartons as “Wholesale” before they arrive – The easiest way to keep wholesale inventory separate is to have your manufacturer or vendor label each carton before shipping to our warehouse.

• If sending a mixed shipment (wholesale + DTC), separate the inventory at the PO level – Each type of inventory should have its own separate PO so that we can properly receive and store it.

• Clearly mark cartons and pallets – If wholesale and DTC inventory are arriving together in the same shipment, the cartons and pallets must be visibly labeled to indicate which is which. If the inventory is not clearly marked, we will not be able to distinguish between wholesale and DTC stock, which may result in wholesale inventory being used to fulfill DTC orders.

If your brand regularly ships wholesale orders, we will:

• Designate a separate physical location in the warehouse for your wholesale inventory to prevent it from being mixed with DTC inventory.

• Create a separate “virtual warehouse” in ShipHero to systematically track wholesale inventory. This is a requirement for brands that ship wholesale regularly, as it ensures that wholesale stock remains allocated correctly.

• You will have access to both your primary warehouse (for DTC inventory) and your virtual warehouse (for wholesale inventory) in ShipHero.

• When uploading POs for wholesale inventory, be sure to upload them to the virtual warehouse—this keeps inventory organized and prevents fulfillment mix-ups.

• Wholesale orders should also be created in the virtual warehouse so that they are fulfilled from the correct stock.

Because wholesale orders are larger and more complex than standard DTC shipments, they require advanced planning to ensure timely fulfillment.

• Submit orders well in advance of the ship date – We recommend that you create wholesale orders and have all inventory in our warehouse at least two weeks before the required ship date.

• Email support@shipessential.com when orders are created – This ensures that your Warehouse Account Manager (WAM) is aware of the order and can begin coordinating fulfillment.

• Provide key details when submitting orders:

  • Order numbers

  • Special requirements (packing guides, VAS services, etc.)

  • Retailer compliance requirements

  • Shipping windows or strict ship-by dates

Once your WAM has all the details, they will coordinate with our warehouse management team to schedule the work.

Important Notes About Processing Speed

• Our processing time will depend on a variety of factors, including:

  • Number of units and SKUs in the order

  • Retailer compliance requirements

  • Any required VAS (Value-Added Services) such as re-barcoding, kitting, or custom packaging

• We cannot begin processing a wholesale order until all inventory and supplies have arrived and have been systematically received.

• Once scheduled, the WAM will confirm the ship date with you.

If you need a wholesale order to be processed faster than our standard timeline, we may be able to offer rush services, depending on our team’s workload.

• Rush processing is charged at 2x our normal rates.

• If you require additional support from the WAM team, our rate is $100 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments.

For a full list of potential charges based on the scope of work, please refer to our VAS menu.

Wholesale and large retail orders are a critical part of your business, and we’re committed to making the process as seamless as possible. By following these best practices and planning ahead, we can ensure that your wholesale orders ship on time and in full compliance with your retailer’s requirements.

If you have any questions, reach out to your WAM or email us at support@shipessential.com. We appreciate the opportunity to support your brand and help you scale your wholesale business!