FLEX. Fulfillment
We provide logistics services to online retailers in Europe: Amazon FBA prep, processing FBA removal orders, forwarding to Fulfillment Centers - both FBA and Vendor shipments.
This guide covers ecommerce warehousing in Europe — what types of storage are available, how 3PL warehousing is priced, how to choose a location, what technology and integrations are available, peak season planning, special handling requirements, and how quickly you can get started. Written for ecommerce brands and Amazon sellers evaluating EU warehousing options.
3PL vs Own Warehouse
A 3PL (third-party logistics provider) handles storage, pick and pack, and shipping on behalf of brands — you pay for the space and services you use rather than leasing and operating a warehouse yourself. The case for 3PL over own warehouse: variable cost model (cost scales with volume rather than fixed overhead), no warehouse lease or capital commitment, access to an established carrier network and operational expertise, and the ability to enter a new market — Germany, Poland, France — without a physical presence. The case for own warehouse: very high volumes (typically above 5,000 to 8,000 orders per month) where the per-unit cost of 3PL services exceeds the amortised cost of running your own operation. For most brands in the growth phase of EU expansion, 3PL is the right structure.
There is no single threshold — it depends on your product mix, storage footprint, and operational complexity. A common benchmark: 3PL is cost-effective below approximately 5,000 to 8,000 orders per month; above that level, the per-unit cost of 3PL services may exceed the amortised cost of leasing and operating your own warehouse. However, an own warehouse requires: a long-term lease (typically 5 to 10 years in Germany and France), staffing, WMS investment, carrier contract negotiation, and compliance management. Many brands that could afford their own warehouse choose to stay with a 3PL for the operational flexibility and management focus it provides — particularly for brands that are still growing or expanding across multiple EU markets.
Storage Types
FLEX. offers pallet racking storage (standard for high-volume, uniform SKU operations), shelf and bin storage (for smaller SKUs where individual unit picking is required), bulk floor storage (for large or irregular items), pre-Amazon FBA buffer storage (inventory held before forwarding to Amazon FCs), and B2C fulfilment storage (live inventory integrated with Shopify, WooCommerce or other platforms for direct order dispatch). Most clients use a combination — for example, pallet storage for bulk buffer stock and shelf storage for the active B2C pick zone. Warehouse services in Germany and Poland at FLEX. covers the full storage configuration options.
Pallet storage means products are stored on pallets in racking — efficient for high-volume, uniform SKUs where you pick by full pallet or carton. It is the most cost-effective storage type per unit for large quantities of the same SKU. Shelf or bin storage means individual units are stored in shelving — efficient for B2C picking where individual units need to be located and picked per order across a wide SKU range. Shelf storage costs more per cubic metre than pallet storage but enables the unit-level picking accuracy that B2C order fulfilment requires. For sellers operating both FBA (pallet-level inbound) and B2C (unit-level picking), FLEX. allocates inventory across both storage types from the same inbound shipment.
Costs
Storage is charged per pallet location per month for palletised goods — from approximately EUR 10 per pallet per month in Poland, EUR 12 to 16 in Germany and France. Inbound receiving is charged per consignment or per pallet. Outbound is charged per order (pick, pack, ship) for B2C, or per pallet for B2B bulk despatch. Packaging materials (box, void fill, tape) are charged at cost or bundled into the per-order fee. Returns handling is priced per unit received and processed. There is no long-term contract requirement and no minimum volume commitment — you can scale up or down as your business requires. Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory at FLEX. covers extended storage pricing.
FLEX. offers 14 days free storage from inbound receipt — 21 days for wholesale and private label clients. This free period covers the time between your inventory arriving and the first outbound movement, giving you time to review inbound reports and set up forwarding or order processing without immediately incurring storage charges. After the free period, monthly storage fees apply on occupied pallet or shelf space. Fees are calculated on the effective space occupied each month, not on space reserved — if you forward half your inventory to FBA in week two, you are charged only on the remaining stock from that point forward.
Location Choice
Four decision factors: (1) where are your EU customers? Germany accounts for approximately 25% of EU ecommerce spend — if you are selling primarily to German consumers, a German warehouse minimises delivery distance and cost; (2) which Amazon FCs do you need proximity to for FBA forwarding? Germany's FC network is the largest and most connected; (3) what is your preferred import port? Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven serve Asia-origin container traffic well — a German warehouse minimises drayage from these ports; (4) what is your storage cost sensitivity? Poland offers 25 to 40% lower warehouse costs than Germany at the expense of slightly longer transit to Western EU consumers. The Germany vs Poland vs France comparison covers the location decision in detail.
Yes, directly. Transit times from warehouse to end consumer depend on carrier network and geographic distance. From a German warehouse: next-day to most German postcodes, 2 to 3 days to France and Benelux, 3 to 5 days to Italy and Spain, 3 to 4 days to Nordics. From a Polish warehouse: next-day to Poland, 2 to 3 days to Germany and Czech Republic, 3 to 5 days to Western EU. From a French warehouse: 1 to 2 days to France, 2 to 3 days to Germany and Benelux, 2 to 3 days to Spain and Italy. For brands where delivery speed is a conversion factor — and it is for most EU consumers in 2026 — warehouse location is a commercial decision, not just a logistics one.
Onboarding
Standard onboarding steps: (1) share your SKU list, volume estimates, and inbound schedule; (2) commercial agreement confirmed — pricing, SLAs, and special handling requirements; (3) myFLEX WMS account created and any platform integrations configured (typically 1 business day); (4) pilot inbound batch received and processed to validate the workflow; (5) regular operations begin. Total time from first contact to first inbound received: typically 3 to 7 business days. For brands with shipments already in transit, FLEX. can be ready to receive within 2 to 3 business days of agreement. Warehouse services in Germany and Poland at FLEX. covers the full onboarding process.
To set up warehousing, provide: your SKU list with EAN or barcode per product, product dimensions (L × W × H) and weight per unit, product images for visual picking accuracy, hazmat classification if applicable, special handling notes (fragile, this side up, temperature sensitivity), and any GPSR labelling requirements including responsible person details and batch number format. The more complete this information at onboarding, the more accurately FLEX. can configure storage slots, pick paths, and inbound quality checks for your specific product range.
Peak Season
FLEX. warehouses are designed with overflow capacity for Q4 and promotional peaks. The standard requirement: notify FLEX. of expected volume surges a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks in advance. FLEX. pre-allocates storage space and schedules additional staffing for inbound receiving and outbound picking during peak periods. For clients with large Q4 pre-builds — holding 3 to 6 months of inventory ahead of the selling season — FLEX. coordinates the storage allocation and FBA forwarding schedule to move stock from buffer to Amazon FCs in batches as inbound quotas open. Pre-Amazon storage in Germany at FLEX. is specifically designed for pre-season buffer programmes.
The recommended Q4 inbound timeline: first buffer inventory batch at FLEX. by 1 September; FBA forwarding to complete by mid-October (Amazon limits inbound capacity through November and December as its own receiving backlogs build). For sea freight from Asia, this means a September 1 FLEX. arrival requires a late July departure from origin — 40 to 45 days door-to-warehouse at current Cape routing. Work backwards from your FBA availability target date and add buffer for customs clearance delays. Pre-Amazon storage at FLEX. is the mechanism that decouples your import arrival date from your FBA inbound schedule — you can arrive early at FLEX. and forward to FBA at the optimal timing. Pre-Amazon storage in Germany covers the Q4 pre-build workflow.
Technology and Integrations
FLEX. operates the myFLEX WMS, which gives you real-time visibility through a web portal: current inventory levels by SKU, inbound receipts and delivery confirmation reports, outbound order status and tracking numbers, returns received and graded, and historical movement reports. The portal is accessible from any device without software installation. Inventory reports can be exported in CSV format for reconciliation with your own systems. You can see what arrived, what was shipped, what is in storage, and what was returned — without needing to contact FLEX. for routine inventory queries. Omnichannel fulfillment service at FLEX. covers the full WMS and integration capability.
FLEX.'s WMS supports integrations via API. Native integrations are available for Shopify, WooCommerce, Amazon Seller Central, and eBay. For ERP integration (SAP, NetSuite, Microsoft Dynamics, and others), integration is possible via API connection — the complexity and timeline depend on the ERP system and the data flows required. Custom integrations are scoped and quoted individually. If you use a middleware platform (for example, Linnworks, Inventory Planner, or similar), check whether it has a pre-built FLEX. or myFLEX connection before commissioning a custom build.
Special Handling and Compliance
Standard FLEX. warehouses are ambient temperature — typically 10 to 25°C. For products requiring a controlled cool chain (certain pharmaceuticals, some cosmetics, chilled food products), temperature-controlled storage availability should be confirmed with FLEX. directly for the specific location and temperature range required. For products that need to avoid extreme heat or cold but do not require active temperature control — standard ambient warehousing in Germany and Poland is appropriate for most FMCG, health and beauty, and supplement categories without special temperature requirements.
Yes. FLEX. warehouses handle oversized items including furniture, sports equipment, large electronics, and garden products. These require pre-confirmation of dimensions and weight at onboarding so that appropriate storage slots, handling equipment, and per-unit handling fees can be allocated. Products above approximately 30 kilograms per unit require mechanical handling (forklift or pallet truck) — FLEX. has this equipment at all locations. For very large or unusually shaped items, send dimensions and photos during onboarding so FLEX. can confirm the correct storage configuration. B2C and B2B fulfillment in Europe covers oversized product fulfilment alongside standard ecommerce.
FLEX.'s EU warehouses operate to: Amazon SPN (Service Provider Network) standards for FBA prep and inbound, standard B2C carrier SLA compliance for parcel dispatch, GDPR-compliant data handling for customer order data, EU fire safety and warehouse safety regulations, and standard commercial insurance covering goods in storage. For clients requiring specific certifications (ISO, BRC, GDP for pharmaceutical products), confirm requirements at onboarding — not all certifications apply across all FLEX. locations.
Getting Started
Fastest path: contact FLEX. → commercial agreement confirmed (1 to 2 business days) → WMS account set up (1 business day) → schedule inbound. For shipments already in transit from Asia or elsewhere, FLEX. can be operationally ready to receive within 2 to 3 business days of agreement — well within most ocean freight arrival windows. For brands starting from scratch with no inventory yet in the supply chain, the limiting factor is shipping lead time, not FLEX. onboarding. Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory at FLEX. can be set up and ready for your first inbound within a week of first contact.
Related Services
Ecommerce warehousing and connected services at FLEX.:
- Warehouse services in Germany and Poland — full warehousing service overview and locations
- Pre-Amazon storage in Europe — buffer warehousing before FBA forwarding
- Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory — extended storage without minimum commitment
- Omnichannel fulfillment service — warehousing combined with B2C, B2B and FBA fulfilment
Located in the center of Europe, FLEX. Fulfillment provides ecommerce warehousing in Germany, Poland and France — pallet and shelf storage, FBA buffer, B2C pick and pack, and full WMS visibility with no minimum commitment.
Get in touch for a free warehousing quote and storage assessment tailored to your EU inventory requirements.