Ecommerce Fulfillment: 7 Pitfalls to Avoid

Originally posted by June Allan Corrigan in Inbound Logistics, January 2026.

Seven costly mistakes can slow your shipping and sink customer trust. Here’s how to avoid those errors and build an agile, resilient ecommerce fulfillment operation.

In an era of unpredictable demand and complex global supply chain dynamics, ecommerce fulfillment has become an increasingly tricky proposition. Volume variability affects labor, space, and delivery performance—all of which directly influence customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

Building resilience through agile planning, adaptable operations, and strong fulfillment partnerships is critical to avoiding the following costly pitfalls.

SOURCING WITHOUT STRATEGY

As geopolitical tensions and tariff uncertainty continue to reshape global trade, ecommerce brands that fail to adapt face serious challenges. Rising logistics costs, duties, and shifting trade policies are prompting forward-thinking companies to diversify sourcing across multiple suppliers and regions.

Many are exploring nearshoring opportunities and in-country sourcing to mitigate risk. “We see a trend where brands are diversifying their sourcing strategy rather than relying on a single one,” says Johannes Panzer, head of industry solutions, ecommerce at Descartes Systems Group.

The combination of fluctuating tariffs and the rapid rollback of de minimis—the customs threshold below which imported goods are exempt from duties and taxes—has thrown many ecommerce brands for a loop.

“Not only are brands expected to pay a higher percentage, but they’re also likely to be expected to pay it on day zero,” says Divey Gulati, chief operating officer and co-founder of ShipBob, a logistics service provider in Moreno Valley, California.

Changing manufacturing locations or fulfillment countries can significantly impact costs in a post-de minimis world, especially as brands adjust to new cross-border restrictions. ShipBob has helped several nine-figure brands, especially in the apparel and beauty space, navigate this space by leveraging its foreign trade zone (FTZ) facilities.

“Companies can pay duties after their orders enter U.S. commerce, which means they already made the sale and are able to pay for the duties with revenue they already generated,” explains Gulati.

Moreover, tariff and de minimis policies vary widely across markets such as the UK, Australia, and Canada. ShipBob reports increasing demand from both new and existing customers looking to expand into its non-U.S. network. Ecommerce brands cannot afford to overlook these global nuances when developing a resilient sourcing strategy.

INVENTORY WITHOUT INSIGHT

Third-party logistics providers such as Ryder System offer automated conveyor systems and robotics to streamline ecommerce fulfillment, moving orders from pick to pack in minutes instead of hours. Real-time inventory tracking and intelligent workflows help warehouses process higher volumes with speed, accuracy, and consistency.

In the face of rising costs, accurate data and demand forecasting are now non-negotiables. Landed cost calculations are more important than ever in today’s economic climate, according to Panzer. Brands must balance the risk of overstocking, which ties up cash and can lead to deep discounting to clear excess, against the risk of stockouts that can damage customer trust and delay fulfillment.

To strike that balance, successful brands aren’t shying away from investing in integrated data systems that align real-time sales data with inventory management tools. This enables them to order more of what sells and scale back on what doesn’t, improving both margins and customer satisfaction.

It’s a misstep if brands don’t have access to real-time data from all partners, enabling them to see what’s going on in their fulfillment center(s). Brands must require access to every order, scan, and shipment, and have it be tracked in real time with transparent service level agreements (SLAs), dashboards, and analytics showing accuracy, speed, and cost breakdowns per order.

The flip side of the coin is collecting data but not making the best use of it. “Brands have access to so much data, and they need to properly leverage it to best distribute all products—or even just their best sellers—to reduce shipping costs and transit times,” says Gulati.

SHIPPING WITHOUT SENSE

It’s a common mistake for ecommerce brands, especially newer or quickly growing ones, to overpromise on delivery times. “The pressure to go fast within a one- to three-day period is real,” says Albert Silva, senior vice president of operations at Veho, a tech-powered logistics company focused on last-mile delivery.

Not everyone is Amazon, however, with fulfillment centers scattered across the country and multiple ways to get packages to the door. For most brands, promising one- to three-day delivery everywhere is unrealistic without major cost or infrastructure trade-offs.

A more effective approach is to prioritize consistency over speed. It’s wiser to define realistic delivery windows for each market and concentrate on building systems to meet them reliably. That could mean one to three days in some markets and three to five elsewhere, but maintaining that promise is key.

“As a company scales, it can choose to speed things up,” says Silva, “but trying to keep up with the Joneses isn’t the right move for every brand.” Reliable last-mile delivery partners can help ecommerce companies strengthen the post-purchase experience and build customer trust.

Shipping is an extension of your brand. “It’s the last handshake between your brand and the consumer and it needs to be meaningful and impactful,” says Jeff Wolpov, senior vice president of ecommerce and Ryder Last Mile for Ryder System. Finding the right balance between delivery speed, cost, and reliability can be the difference between a one-time shopper and a loyal customer.

RETURNS WITHOUT REWARD

Returns are a reality of ecommerce, and how brands handle them can solidify or sink budding customer relationships. The first line of defense is prevention. Product pages should accurately reflect what shoppers will receive in terms of sizing, fit, and other brand-specific details. When expectations match reality, return rates drop.

Once those measures are in place, the key is to see returns in a different light. Instead of viewing them as a loss, treat them as an opportunity. “Returns are a chance to build loyalty,” says Wolpov. “Customers remember when a brand stands by its promise and makes the returns process easy.”

In an omnichannel world, returns can even drive new revenue. A customer who buys online and returns in-store might make another purchase. Getting returned items back into inventory quickly also creates the chance for another sale.

“That’s the essence of the return process,” says Wolpov. “How do you get as much value out of that return as you possibly can?”

When returns are delayed, the value drains away. This is especially true if the transaction doesn’t result in an exchange or resale and a product ends up being sold at the end of the season for a fraction of its price. But when customers have a positive experience and products are efficiently exchanged and/or resold, everyone wins. A seamless return experience can turn a one-time buyer into a regular customer.

TECHNOLOGY WITHOUT INTEGRATION

Rising demand and a flood of orders can feel like a win, but it can quickly turn into a problem when a brand can’t keep up. For many growing retailers, the issue isn’t disorganization; it’s outdated manual processes.

That was the case for Crystal Art Gallery, a home décor company that designs, sources, warehouses, and distributes more than 500,000 SKUs across Amazon, Walmart, Wayfair, Target, Overstock, and its own Shopify stores.

As volume surged and inventory complexity increased, spreadsheets and basic order management software no longer cut it. The California-based omnichannel supplier turned to Descartes Systems Group, integrating its Sellercloud with a warehouse management system to unify its operations.

With fulfillment now centralized on a single platform, Crystal Art Gallery has increased order throughput fivefold, boosted efficiency, and reduced shipping costs.

“When you start out of your garage, the toolset you need is very different than when you run a 500,000-SKU warehouse or expand into new marketplaces,” says Mikel Richardson, general manager of ecommerce for North America at Descartes. Growth adds layers of complexity and companies must think carefully about how to manage them.

Many ecommerce brands follow a familiar arc. Early on, spreadsheets and basic order-management tools might be enough to handle tens of orders a day.

“But once you start processing thousands, or perhaps tens of thousands of orders daily, you hold yourself back if your technology can’t scale with you,” Richardson says. At this point, brands can’t afford to miss the boat on technology integration.

LABOR WITHOUT LEVERAGE

Intuitive warehouse tools such as barcode scanners turn complex tasks into simple, guided steps that anyone can follow. With clear on-screen instructions, even seasonal labor can get up to speed quickly and work more efficiently.

Meeting demand spikes is nearly impossible without a flexible labor pool. Brands that rely on fixed staffing often struggle to scale during peak periods, especially in Q4, when holiday shopping typically drives the biggest surge of the year. When a brand lacks the ability to quickly ramp up labor, fulfillment slows, errors increase, and the overall customer experience suffers.

One of the smartest ways to ease labor pressure is to invest in technology well before peak season arrives. Robust systems reduce the reliance on manual processes.

“You can’t just add people to a complex, costly, manual process and expect them to be productive without extensive training,” says Richardson.

Equip a warehouse with intuitive tools, however, and suddenly it becomes far easier to bring in temporary workers. “You can hand somebody a barcode scanner and say, ‘Do what it tells you to do on the screen,’” Richardson notes. This allows seasonal labor to become efficient and useful far more quickly.

Technology also helps existing staff work at a higher level. Rather than spending hours reconciling spreadsheets or jumping between disconnected systems, team members can focus on work that actually drives growth, such as expanding into new marketplaces or improving product listings.

At a time when ecommerce companies are monitoring expenses closely, operational efficiency can delay or even eliminate the need to hire additional full-time employees. As Richardson puts it, “You can do more with fewer people. You don’t have to solve all your problems by upping your headcount.”

Labor flexibility matters outside the warehouse as well, particularly on the last mile. Brands that rely solely on national legacy carriers may find themselves constrained during high-volume periods. Alternative carriers with adaptable labor models can help bridge that gap.

“Because we rely on independent drivers, we can flex up or down as needed,” says Sheila Berry, chief revenue officer at UniUni, a last-mile delivery carrier serving ecommerce businesses across the United States and Canada. That elasticity not only helps retailers meet peak demand but also creates instant cost savings when volume tapers off.

Navigating labor fluctuations in the warehouse or on the doorstep requires intentional planning and the right partners. Flexible staffing models supported by integrated technology give brands the resilience they need to keep orders moving no matter the season.

PLANNING WITHOUT PRECISION

Inadequate planning for Q4 or any busy season a brand might experience is a pitfall best avoided. Surges in demand can quickly overwhelm operations if brands haven’t mapped out capacity, partners, and contingencies well in advance.

“For peak holiday periods, it’s advisable for brands to share their forecasts with carriers early and often,” says Berry at UniUni. Forecasting isn’t about predicting the exact breakout product. It’s about treating carriers as partners in the process. Early collaboration can secure critical space on trucks and planes, ensuring brands are prioritized and rewarded for their loyalty.

Timing and reflection are key. Brands shouldn’t just plan once and assume it will hold. “Start early,” advises Albert Silva at Veho. “Look at what you learned coming out of the last peak season. How did your campaigns translate into sales? How did your delivery network perform, and which partners delivered?”

By starting in Q1, adjusting through Q2 and Q3, and thinking carefully about optionality, brands can avoid over-investing in temporary infrastructure while ensuring they have the flexibility to handle volume swings.

Divey Gulati at ShipBob takes it one step further and says forecasts should be dialed in daily—sometimes even hourly—to ensure adequate capacity for the heaviest periods. Brands need contingency plans for every scenario, from weather disruptions to unexpected demand spikes, and a supply chain designed to pivot quickly when conditions change.

Successful peak season planning can’t be left to chance. It requires early, collaborative forecasting with partners, careful reflection on past performance, and flexible operational strategies that account for both surges and lulls.

What’s Reshaping Global Ecommerce?

A 2025 DHL Ecommerce business report shares the perspective of ecommerce businesses across Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. The key takeaways:

• AI is on the rise: Nearly half of companies now use AI; adoption reaches 61% among B2B e-tailers.
• Social commerce is surging: 87% maintain a social media presence, with TikTok and Instagram leading engagement.
• Sustainability is essential: 85% say sustainability is now a core business priority.

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