Fulfillment Services FAQs
Our fulfillment team has put together a shortlist of the most common fulfillment questions and answers.
If we haven’t answered your question, please speak to one of our fulfillment experts on +44 344 264 8000.
Frequently Asked Fulfillment Questions
Where are ILG’s operations in the UK and EU?
We run 10 fulfillment centers in the UK, eight to the south of London and two in the Midlands. This keeps our operations close to London and within easy reach of the UK’s other major population centers. Our UK headquarters is only five miles from London’s Gatwick Airport with air links to the USA. We also operate two more fulfillment centers in western Poland, near the German border and with fast road transport links to the rest of Europe.
More about our network >>
How do I set up fulfillment operations in the EU?
Although there are local VAT and compliance regulations to comply with, setting up your fulfillment in Poland or another EU country as a US business is usually relatively straightforward. We partner closely with tax and regulatory experts to ease our US customers through the process of meeting the right requirements and setting up operations.
Find out more about how we simplify set-up in the EU >>
Speak to one of our EU Fulfillment experts >>
How do I reach customers in the European Union (EU)?
Although the UK left the European Union during Brexit, the EU is still only 20 miles from the UK! At ILG we offer our customers the choice of fulfilling from the UK and shipping the short distance to customers in mainland Europe or fulfilling at our state-of-the-art fulfilment centers in Poland with fast connections to all European countries. Learn about our EU Fulfillment Services >>
Do I save money by fulfilling from the UK?
Yes, by splitting your stock between the US and UK, you make it faster and cheaper to fulfil every order, both to D2C consumers and European retail stores. ILG’s activity-based pricing ILG helps you control your order processing costs, while ground shipping within the UK is a fraction of the cost of moving orders across the Atlantic.
Can I deliver to customers quickly from the UK?
Yes, the UK is much smaller than the USA (only a third of the area of Texas) and with its good ground shipping network and excellent carrier coverage, it’s easy to reach your online customers. ILG gives you access to all 60 million UK online shoppers within a single delivery day, and many within the same delivery day.
Is the UK a good place to do business?
Yes, the UK economy is growing again and set to outstrip growth in France and Germany for 2025 and 2026* (OECD 2024). Worth $196bn (SellersCommerce 2024) the UK e-commerce market is the world’s third biggest (behind only China and the US). It’s home to nearly 60 million e-commerce users (Statista 2023) and it leads Europe with the highest e-commerce share of its GDP at 10.26%.
Is it easy to open a UK fulfillment operation?
Yes, the UK welcomes US businesses, with minimal barriers to trade. There’s no need to set up a UK business entity. All you need is a UK VAT number (we can put you in touch with specialist partners to support with this step) and ILG can do the rest. And of course, there are no language barriers for English-speakers in the UK! More about our UK Fulfillment Services >>
Why set up fulfillment in the UK?
Opening a fulfillment operation in the UK brings your products thousands of miles closer to all your European customers. Your online orders will arrive in a fraction of the time it takes to ship across the Atlantic. Your products will be easily accessible to UK and EU retailers. And you’ll cut delivery costs on every order.
Is ILG able to offer organic fulfillment?
Yes! ILG has three facilities organic certified by the Soil Association. This means we are compliant with European organic regulations (EC) No 834/2007 and (EC) No 889/2008 and we can fulfill e-commerce and retail orders for all kinds of organic brands.
Do your fulfillment services have any minimum charges or order volumes?
Whilst we don’t have set minimum order volumes or spend requirements, we would expect you to maintain regular fulfillment activity each month.
How long does it take for my orders to start shipping through ILG?
Usually, we suggest around 16-20 weeks for your implementation. Depending on the complexity of the work involved it may take longer, but this is normally ample time for us to create and test IT solutions, receive your stock, set you up with our account management function and agree all your requirements.
Where are your warehouses?
Our fulfillment facilities are based in the South and Midlands regions of the UK, all within easy reach of London. We also have a facility in Wroclaw, Poland. In total we operate 12 sites and manage over 545,000 square feet of flexible warehouse space. As part of Yusen Logistics, we also have access to a global network of bases, including 104 warehousing and distribution sites in mainland Europe.
How do your warehousing and fulfillment charges work?
We give you a schedule of charges that includes all our fees for providing your warehousing and fulfillment. Our pricing is activity-based and tailored to match your profile. Read more about our Fulfillment Pricing here. We also provide a set of global delivery tariffs which details prices to each destination.
What about insurance?
When your goods are in our warehouses or in transit, they are covered on a limited liability basis in line with our terms and conditions. For full coverage, a separate insurance policy is required which can usually be added to your existing policy. You can either source the additional policy yourself, or we can introduce you to the right specialist.
Can you help with importing my goods from overseas?
Yes, we offer competitively priced international import services from all over the world to bring back your goods safely to the UK. Our highly knowledgeable and experienced ILG Customer Service Team can assist with your customs clearance too.
Do you offer bonded warehouse facilities?
No, currently we don’t provide bonded warehouse facilities.
Do you provide fulfillment for international customers?
Yes, we regularly service customers from all over the world. We may require some additional information as part of the implementation process and a deposit to secure credit terms.
How do ILG’s fulfillment services work?
We integrate our IT systems with yours so that order and inventory information can be exchanged accurately and easily. We learn your packing requirements, align ourselves with your brand and ensure your orders are efficiently picked, personalized, packaged and sent to destinations worldwide. Our systems then exchange data with yours to update records with relevant information and costs.
Why should I outsource my order fulfillment?
Outsourcing takes away the effort and stress of managing the fulfillment process yourself, so you can focus on what’s most important, growing your business. Our outsourced fulfillment services provide accurate, efficient fulfillment backed by flexible costs and a wide variety of fast international shipping options. The streamlined process of outsourced fulfillment also ensures that as your business grows, your logistics keep up with increased demand.
What is order fulfillment?
Order fulfillment is the process of receiving an order (usually from a website) through to picking, packing and delivering the purchased items to your customer.
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