• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Supplier Directory
  • SCB YouTube
  • About Us
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Logout
  • My Profile
  • LOGISTICS
    • Air Cargo
    • All Logistics
    • Facility Location Planning
    • Freight Forwarding/Customs Brokerage
    • Global Gateways
    • Global Logistics
    • Last Mile Delivery
    • Logistics Outsourcing
    • LTL/Truckload Services
    • Ocean Transportation
    • Parcel & Express
    • Rail & Intermodal
    • Reverse Logistics
    • Service Parts Management
    • Transportation & Distribution
  • TECHNOLOGY
    • All Technology
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Cloud & On-Demand Systems
    • Data Management (Big Data/IoT/Blockchain)
    • ERP & Enterprise Systems
    • Forecasting & Demand Planning
    • Global Trade Management
    • Inventory Planning/ Optimization
    • Product Lifecycle Management
    • Robotics
    • Sales & Operations Planning
    • SC Finance & Revenue Management
    • SC Planning & Optimization
    • Supply Chain Visibility
    • Transportation Management
  • GENERAL SCM
    • Business Strategy Alignment
    • Customer Relationship Management
    • Education & Professional Development
    • Global Supply Chain Management
    • Global Trade & Economics
    • Green Energy
    • HR & Labor Management
    • Quality & Metrics
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Sourcing/Procurement/SRM
    • SC Security & Risk Mgmt
    • Supply Chains in Crisis
    • Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility
  • WAREHOUSING
    • All Warehouse Services
    • Conveyors & Sortation
    • Lift Trucks & AGVs
    • Order Management & Fulfillment
    • Packaging
    • RFID, Barcode, Mobility & Voice
    • Warehouse Automation
    • Warehouse Management Systems
  • INDUSTRIES
    • Aerospace & Defense
    • Apparel
    • Automotive
    • Chemicals & Energy
    • Consumer Packaged Goods
    • E-Commerce/Omni-Channel
    • Food & Beverage
    • Healthcare
    • High-Tech/Electronics
    • Industrial Manufacturing
    • Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    • Retail
  • THINK TANK
  • WEBINARS
    • On-Demand Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinar Library
  • PODCASTS
  • WHITEPAPERS
  • VIDEOS
Home » Drop Shipping vs. Order Fulfillment: Take Your Pick

Drop Shipping vs. Order Fulfillment: Take Your Pick

March 26, 2012
MultiChannel Merchant

These two options are similar yet different. Drop shipping is the process whereby a merchant's e-commerce or mail orders are handled and shipped directly by the manufacturer or distributor to the end customer. Order fulfillment is the process whereby e-commerce or mail orders are handled and shipped by the merchant or a third-party fulfillment provider.

In the case of drop shipping, manufacturers or distributors ship products directly to consumers. For merchants, this means little to no inventory costs. It also means less risk, as merchants aren't sitting on a pile of inventory. A downside, however, is that it comes with less control. By not managing your inventory, you have less knowledge of what's available, and you will ultimately be held responsible for any errors made by your suppliers that may lead to back orders.

Read Full Article


Keywords: Global Fulfillment and Distribution, Third-Party Logistics, Logistics, Order Fulfillment & P.O. Mgmt., Technology, Business Strategy Alignment, Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting, Global Supply Chain Management, E-Commerce, Direct To Consumer Shipping

    RELATED CONTENT

    RELATED VIDEOS

    Logistics Logistics Outsourcing Technology Business Strategy Alignment Global Supply Chain Management Order Management & Fulfillment Pharmaceutical/Biotech
    KEYWORDS Business Strategy Alignment Direct To Consumer Shipping e-commerce Global Fulfillment and Distribution Global Supply Chain Management Logistics Logistics Outsourcing order fulfillment Order Fulfillment & P.O. Mgmt. Pharmaceutical/Biotech Supply Chain Analysis & Consulting Technology Third-Party Logistics
    • Related Articles

      Is Your Order Fulfillment Cycle Fast Enough?

      Utilizing Drop Shipping Industry for U.K. Retail Sector

      Swisslog Debuts Order-Fulfillment System for U.S. E-Commerce

    • Related Directories

      Tecsys, Inc.

      ProcureAbility

    MultiChannel Merchant

    UPS Adds Beacons to Handle Package Misloads

    More from this author

    Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter!

    Timely, incisive articles delivered directly to your inbox.

    Featured Product

    Popular Stories

    • An employee in a warm suit crouches down to get boxes of food ready for shipping at a warehouse

      Packaging Optimization Is Boosting Cold Chain Growth

      Air Cargo
    • 025_the_rapid_evolution_of_warehouse_modernization_v1-(540p).png

      Watch: The Rapid Evolution of Warehouse Modernization

      Business Strategy Alignment
    • A PILE OF COFFEE BEANS SITS IN A COMPLETELY WHITE SPACE.

      U.S. to Levy 25% Tariff on Brazil, After 301 Investigation

      Global Trade & Economics
    • GIST-webinar-DecisionPoint.png

      From Fragmented Tools to Unified Workflows: How to Transform Field Operations

    • 023_automation's_scalability_in_the_warehouse_v1 (540p).png

      Watch: Automation's Scalability in the Warehouse

      All Warehouse Services

    Digital Edition

    2026 esg cover main scb q2 2026 cover

    SupplyChainBrain 2026 ESG Guide: ESG — The Supply Chain’s Biggest Secret

    VIEW THE LATEST ISSUE

    Case Studies

    • Recycled Tagging Fasteners: Small Changes Make a Big Impact

    • A GRAPHIC SHOWING MULTIPLE FORMS OF SHIPPING, WITH A HUMAN STANDING AT THE CENTER, TOUCHING A SYMBOLIC MAP OF THE WORLD

      Enhancing High-Value Electronics Shipment Security with Tive's Real-Time Tracking

    • A GRAPHIC OF INTERLACING HONEYCOMBED ELEMENTS REPRESENTING GLOBAL BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS

      Moving Robots Site-to-Site

    • JLL Finds Perfect Warehouse Location, Leading to $15M Grant for Startup

    • Robots Speed Fulfillment to Help Apparel Company Scale for Growth

    Visit Our Sponsors

    4flow Arkieva Blue Yonder
    Carton Cloud CoEnterprise Dassault
    Duravant E2Open General Logistics Systems
    Hy-Tek iGPS Korber
    Lyngsoe Procurability Quinyx
    SAP Sikick Systech
    S&P Global Mobility TADA TransImpact
    US Bank Werner Enterprises WSI
    • More From SCB
      • Featured Content
      • Video Library
      • Think Tank Blog
      • SupplyChainBrain Podcast
      • Whitepapers
      • On-Demand Webinars
      • Upcoming Webinars
    • Digital Offerings
      • Digital Issue
      • Subscribe
      • Manage Email Preferences
      • Newsletters
    • Resources
      • Events Calendar
      • 2026 Event Coverage
      • SCB's Great Supply Chain Partners
      • Supplier Directory
      • Case Study Showcase
      • Supply Chain Innovation Awards
      • 100 Great Partners Form
    • SCB Corporate
      • Advertise on SCB.COM
      • About Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Contact Us
      • Data Sharing Opt-Out

    All content copyright ©2026 Keller International Publishing Corp All rights reserved. No reproduction, transmission or display is permitted without the written permissions of Keller International Publishing Corp

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing