Scaling with a 3PL | When & Why to Outsource Fulfillment
💡 Why Outsourcing Fulfillment Deserves Your Attention
Amazon, Walmart, and Shein have reshaped online shopper expectations. Today, speed isn’t a perk — it’s becoming the norm.
But here’s the good news: small-to-midsize eCommerce brands can compete — and win — by using a fast, and reliable 3PL partner. Outsourcing to a 3PL might be the most underutilized growth levers in your business.
The right 3PL partner can affect your business in three key areas:
- 📈 Higher Conversion Rates
- 🧠 Happier Customers
- 🔁 Repeat Sales
🛒 1: Higher Conversion Rates
📉 Cut Down Cart Abandonment
According to the Baymard Institute, shopping cart abandonment costs $260 billion annually with slow delivery times being a significant contributor. While a 2024 survey by Digital Commerce 360 indicates that 23% of cart abandonment is due to slow delivery times.¹
Even if you are only able to re-capture a third of all carts abandoned due to shipping speed, you will still increase your sales by over 6%!
The benefits of using a 3PL don’t stop at higher sales. From the Metapack 2025 eCommerce Benchmark Report:
- 🕒 62% of consumers under 35 may switch their brand if delivery takes too long.
- 🛍 34% of eCommerce businesses worry about rising costs of fulfillment.
A reliable 3PL partner can help you cut down on fulfillment costs, while making sure your customers do not switch to your competitors.
🧠 2: Happier Customers
Fast and accurate delivery triggers customer satisfaction. When people receive what they’ve ordered fast, they:
- Feel more rewarded by their purchase
- Leave higher reviews
- Build trust in your brand
According to DHL, nearly 73.6% of shoppers consider shipping to be a critical part of their overall shopping experience, and 83.5% are unlikely to shop again with a brand after a poor shipping experience.²
Keep Your Stars from Falling:
- ⭐ According to a 2022 study by Prashanth Ravula, late deliveries result in substantially lower customer reviews (3.5 stars compared to 4.4 stars for products that were delivered earlier than expected).³
Having a fast and reliable 3PL partner isn’t a luxury, but an absolute necessity for the longevity of your brand.
♻ 3: Speed Drives Loyalty and Repeat Sales
SupplyChainBrain 2024 Study:
- 📦 Orders delivered in 2 days or less → 10.5% higher conversion rate and 9% bump in repeat customers.⁴
Repeat customers means higher profit margins because you’ve already paid the marketing and advertising costs to acquire them. Repeat customers also spend 67% more than new customers on their orders!⁵
🤝 4: How 3PLs Make Fast Fulfillment Possible
If you're self-fulfilling, you’re limited by pickup times, warehouse capacity, and ever rising labor costs.
A modern 3PL unlocks:
- 🚚 Same-day or next-day order processing
- 🗺 Warehouses near your customers (reduced zones = faster delivery)
- 📦 Bulk carrier discounts (UPS, USPS, FedEx, DHL)
- 🔄 Branded tracking and real-time updates
Bonus: 3PLs also offer returns processing, subscription shipping, and custom packaging options.
🧠 Final Takeaways
- 📦 Fast fulfillment increases conversion, LTV, and customer satisfaction.
- 💡 Happier customers leave higher reviews which leads to more new customers.
- 🏆 The right 3PL partner will pay for themselves with more sales, and returning business.
Want to offer speedy delivery without managing it yourself?
Let us handle your fulfillment so you can focus on growth. Contact us here.
📚 Sources
- Digital Commerce 360 Staff. "The Cost of Slow Shipping: 23% Cart Abandonment Rate." Digital Commerce 360, 17 June 2024. Accessed 20 May 2025.
- "The Impact of Fast Shipping on Customer Satisfaction." DHL. Accessed 13 May 2025.
- Ravula, Prashanth. "Impact of Delivery Performance on Online Review Ratings: The Role of Temporal Distance of Ratings." Journal of Marketing Analytics, vol. 11, no. 2, 2022, pp. 149–159. Accessed 20 May 2025.
- "Survey: Brands Balancing Cost of Fast Delivery With High Demand." SupplyChainBrain, 14 Feb. 2024. Accessed 13 May 2025.
- Dublino, Jennifer. "Returning Customers Spend 67 Percent More Than New Customers — Keep Your Customers Coming Back With a Recurring Revenue Sales Model." Business.com, 18 Mar. 2025. Accessed 20 May 2025.