When products originate in China, choosing a logistics provider starts with deciding where stock will sit and who will fulfil the customer order. Shipping each order from a supplier and importing inventory into a fulfilment network are different operating models.
Compare providers against your chosen route and responsibilities. A warehouse near the supplier is not automatically the fastest or cheapest way to serve customers in another market.
Define the model first
Map the movement from supplier to customer. Identify who buys or owns the inventory, where it is inspected, where orders are packed and who handles returns.
For direct supplier fulfilment, confirm how the supplier receives orders and provides tracking. For stocked fulfilment, include the inbound movement, receiving time and inventory commitment before evaluating last-mile delivery.
Put that model alongside your ecommerce launch checklist. The delivery promise shown to customers should reflect the complete process.
What the providers describe
ShipBob
ShipBob's fulfilment overview describes connecting the store, sending inventory into its network and using its picking, packing and shipping operations. It also describes inventory distribution and integrations.
Evaluate it against a stocked-inventory scenario. Confirm receiving requirements, eligible products, available locations and the services quoted for your actual destinations. Do not treat a last-mile delivery offer as the entire transit time from a Chinese factory.
Flexport
Flexport presents freight forwarding and supply-chain services. Clarify which parts of your proposed route it would handle and which require another provider.
Ask for named responsibilities at each handoff, including movement into the final fulfilment location. A freight quote alone does not establish the customer-order fulfilment workflow.
ChinaDivision
ChinaDivision describes China-based fulfilment, warehousing, sourcing and related preparation services. Check the specific facility, product handling and shipping options applicable to your orders.
Use representative products and destinations to request a quote. Do not infer a universal cost or speed advantage merely from the provider's location.
ZhenHub
ZhenHub describes China warehousing, fulfilment, shipping software and connections to sales channels. Ask how order and inventory updates reach your store and what happens when an update fails.
Confirm which services are performed by which party and who owns the investigation when stock or shipment records disagree.
Compare the complete delivered cost
Give each provider the same product dimensions, weights, order mix and destination sample. Ask for separate line items for receiving, storage, picking, packing, transport, returns and additional handling.
Have the provider identify any excluded charges and the party responsible for cross-border documentation and charges. Obtain route-specific advice from the relevant logistics specialists rather than applying an old tariff percentage from a general blog post.
Record quote validity and seasonal assumptions. A comparison using different package sizes or service levels will not tell you which option fits the business.
Run a pilot with exception cases
Follow a small shipment and a set of customer orders through the proposed route. Check timestamps at each handoff, inventory accuracy, packaging and tracking availability.
Include a damaged item, a missing scan and a return in the operating review. Agree who investigates each problem, how the store gets an update and what the customer is told. Use these findings to improve first-contact support.
Connect fulfilment to customer communication
Your support team needs the relevant shipment and an understandable next step when delivery does not go as planned. Our shipment guidance explains how to handle split orders and tracking mismatches.
When evaluating Chad, check which shipment information is available through the intended connections and how exceptions reach your team. Choose the logistics arrangement using demonstrated route performance and clear responsibilities; no provider in this guide is ranked as universally best.
