Evaluate fulfillment partners like an operator.

We Ship Express is a family-owned, Napa-based 3PL built specifically for direct-to-consumer alcohol — wine, beer, and spirits — with temperature-controlled fulfillment, adult-signature compliance, and 40+ carriers. It’s a strong fit for wineries and beverage brands that need cold-chain DTC shipping, and a weak fit for non-alcohol merchants or anyone who wants published, self-serve pricing.

Cahoot is a peer-to-peer fulfillment network (100+ US warehouses) that routes each order to the lowest-cost location that still hits the delivery promise. Its standout use case is Amazon Seller Fulfilled Prime: it reaches Prime on-time speeds without FBA fees and claims ~30% lower shipping cost on average. It fits Amazon sellers who want the Prime badge cheaply, especially those with existing warehouse capacity, more than brands wanting fully hands-off, guaranteed-accuracy outsourcing.

A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) is a company you pay to store your inventory and ship your customers' orders for you. The "P" stands for "party": you are the first party, your customer is the second, and the 3PL is the third party sitting between you. Most ecommerce brands start using one between 500 and 1,500 orders a month.

The best way to choose a 3PL is to start with fit: product handling, order volume, shipping geography, service expectations, and how much operational complexity the brand actually needs to outsource.