What is a 3PL?
A third-party logistics provider stores your inventory and fulfills your orders on your behalf. The typical scope is receiving inbound stock, storing it, picking and packing orders, and handing them to carriers, usually charged as a per-unit or per-order fee plus storage by volume and a receiving fee.
A 3PL performs the work; it does not take over the decisions. Inventory accuracy, allocation across channels, and trading-partner compliance stay with the brand, which is why a 3PL relationship does not remove the need for a system of record.
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