Scaling Your Amazon Business with 3PL: A Guide for Medium to Large Wholesale Sellers

For medium to large-scale wholesale sellers generating over $500K in annual sales on Amazon, Walmart, and other eCommerce marketplaces, growth comes with a unique set of logistical challenges. Managing inventory, optimizing fulfillment, and ensuring compliance with various marketplace requirements can quickly become overwhelming.

This is where third-party logistics (3PL) providers play a crucial role in helping businesses scale efficiently. By leveraging a trusted 3PL partner, you can streamline your operations, reduce overhead costs, and focus on expanding product lines, increasing sales, and entering new markets.

Why Wholesale Sellers Need a 3PL to Scale

Wholesale sellers operating on Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify must manage:

• Inventory storage and restocking efficiency

• Fast and reliable fulfillment to meet strict delivery expectations

• Multi-channel order synchronization and stock management

• Compliance with Amazon FBA prep requirements

• Returns processing and reverse logistics

If these operational aspects are limiting your growth, partnering with a 3PL fulfillment center such as West Coast Prep & 3PL can provide the infrastructure and expertise needed to scale successfully.

Key Benefits of Using a 3PL for Amazon Wholesale Sellers

1. Faster and More Efficient Order Fulfillment

Speed and efficiency are critical in Amazon’s competitive marketplace. Whether you are fulfilling through Amazon FBA, FBM, or Walmart Marketplace, order processing delays can lead to lost sales and negative seller ratings.

A 3PL fulfillment center helps by:

• Providing same-day or next-day order processing

• Offering seamless integrations with Amazon, Walmart, and Shopify

At West Coast Prep & 3PL, we ensure that sellers can meet fast shipping expectations and stay competitive with options like Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP) and Walmart’s 2-day shipping program.

2. Lower Overhead and Reduced Operational Costs

Running your own warehouse involves significant expenses, including:

• Warehouse lease and utilities

• Labor costs for packing and shipping

• Storage and handling inefficiencies

A 3PL fulfillment service eliminates these high costs while offering more flexibility in storage and shipping. Instead of investing in warehouse infrastructure, sellers can allocate resources toward inventory growth, advertising, and product development.

By partnering with a 3PL like West Coast Prep & 3PL, wholesale sellers can reduce their operational costs while maintaining fast and reliable fulfillment.

3. Optimized Inventory Management & Amazon FBA Compliance

Amazon’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) comes with increasing storage fees and strict restock limits. Many wholesale sellers struggle to:

• Keep enough stock available at Amazon warehouses

• Comply with Amazon’s packaging, labeling, and prep requirements

• Manage long-term storage fees and avoid overstock penalties

A 3PL fulfillment center like West Coast Prep & 3PL acts as an FBA prep partner, allowing sellers to:

• Store inventory offsite at lower costs

• Ensure all shipments meet Amazon’s strict FBA requirements

• Restock Amazon fulfillment centers efficiently

This FBA + FBM hybrid model helps sellers reduce FBA storage fees while maintaining the ability to fulfill orders directly when needed.

4. Multi-Channel Expansion Beyond Amazon

While Amazon remains a dominant platform, diversifying across multiple eCommerce marketplaces is crucial for long-term scalability. A 3PL partner enables seamless expansion to:

• Walmart Marketplace (WFS & FBM fulfillment options)

• Shopify, eBay, and other direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels

• International fulfillment (Amazon UK, EU, and Canada)

With a 3PL like West Coast Prep & 3PL, wholesale sellers can synchronize inventory across all channels, ensuring real-time stock updates and reducing overselling risks.

5. Improved Returns Processing & Customer Experience

Handling eCommerce returns is one of the biggest operational challenges for wholesale sellers. A structured returns management system ensures:

• Fast processing of customer returns to improve satisfaction

• Inspection, repackaging, and restocking of returned products

• Lower chargebacks and better seller ratings on Amazon and Walmart

A 3PL service like West Coast Prep & 3PL helps sellers manage reverse logistics efficiently, ensuring that returned inventory is quickly reintegrated into sellable stock.

Choosing the Right 3PL for Your Wholesale Business

Not all third-party logistics providers are created equal. When evaluating a 3PL fulfillment partner, consider:

1. Amazon & Walmart Marketplace Expertise

Ensure the 3PL understands Amazon FBA, FBM, and Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) to help you stay compliant with marketplace requirements.

2. Multiple Warehouse Locations

A 3PL with strategically placed fulfillment centers reduces shipping costs and speeds up delivery times.

3. Seamless Technology Integration

Choose a 3PL provider that integrates with Amazon Seller Central, Walmart, Shopify, and other eCommerce platforms for real-time inventory tracking and automated order fulfillment.

4. Transparent Pricing & Scalable Services

Look for a 3PL partner that offers clear pricing without hidden fees, including:

• Storage and inventory holding costs

• Pick, pack, and fulfillment charges

• Shipping and returns processing

5. Scalability & Customization Options

Your 3PL should be able to scale with your business and provide:

• Custom packaging and branding

• Flexible storage and inventory solutions

• International shipping capabilities

Maximizing Growth by Partnering with a 3PL

For wholesale sellers generating $500K+ in annual sales, outsourcing fulfillment to a 3PL like West Coast Prep & 3PL is a strategic move that can:

✅ Reduce costs by eliminating warehouse overhead

✅ Improve delivery speeds with nationwide distribution

✅ Optimize inventory management to prevent stockouts and overstock fees

✅ Ensure compliance with Amazon and Walmart fulfillment policies

✅ Enable expansion to multi-channel and international markets

Instead of struggling with logistics, sellers can focus on business growth, product expansion, and profitability.

Is a 3PL Right for Your Business?

If managing logistics is slowing down your business growth, partnering with a 3PL fulfillment provider can help you scale efficiently. West Coast Prep & 3PL specializes in supporting Amazon wholesale sellers with:

✅ Amazon FBA prep & FBM fulfillment

✅ Multi-channel integration (Walmart, Shopify, eBay, and more)

✅ Returns management and reverse logistics

✅ Scalable warehousing and nationwide fulfillment

By outsourcing logistics to a trusted 3PL, you can streamline operations, lower costs, and focus on revenue growth.

🚀 Ready to scale your Amazon business? Consider how a 3PL like West Coast Prep & 3PL can help you reach the next level of success!