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 helps non-EU brands choose between Germany, Poland and France as their EU fulfilment hub — or decide how to combine multiple locations. It covers the Amazon FC networks each location serves, costs, port access, transit times to major FCs, and how your origin country and target marketplace should influence the decision. Written for sellers in the UK, US, Hong Kong and Australia who are setting up EU operations for the first time or expanding to additional locations.
Overview
Germany is the default choice for most non-EU sellers: the largest Amazon marketplace in the EU, the densest FC network, and Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven give direct container port access from Asia and the US. Germany has the highest prep and storage cost of the three locations. Poland is the cost-efficient option — storage and prep rates are 25 to 40 percent lower than Germany, Wrocław gives direct access to Amazon's largest Polish FCs, and Poland's central EU position makes cross-border FC forwarding viable at reasonable cost. France is the right choice when Amazon.fr is a significant revenue target — FLEX.'s French location gives direct access to CDG3 and LYS8, the main Amazon.fr FCs, and covers Southern EU markets better than Germany or Poland.
Yes. A single commercial agreement with FLEX. covers all locations — Germany, Poland and France — with unified inventory visibility through the myFLEX WMS. Sellers commonly split inventory across locations: bulk buffer stock in Poland (lower storage cost), pre-FBA stock in Germany (closest to the largest FC network), and a separate allocation in France for Amazon.fr. You manage all three locations from a single WMS login and receive consolidated reporting. The pre-Amazon storage guide covers how buffer stock management works across multiple locations.
Germany
Amazon.de is the largest Amazon marketplace in the EU by gross merchandise value, with the highest per-capita consumer spending and the most developed Prime membership base. The German FC network has more than 20 fulfilment centres across the country, giving Amazon the distribution density to offer next-day delivery across Germany — which makes German FBA inventory the most commercially effective in the EU. Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven are the primary EU container entry ports for Asia and US trade lanes, making Germany the natural logistics starting point. Amazon FBA prep in Germany at FLEX. covers the full inbound workflow.
FLEX. Germany primarily ships to FRA3 (Bad Hersfeld), LEJ1 and LEJ2 (Leipzig), DUS2 (Rheinberg), and ERF1 (Erfurt). Amazon's placement algorithm determines the specific FC assignment per shipment — FLEX. books the appointment at whichever FC Amazon assigns, not a fixed location. FLEX. Germany also ships to FCs in Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands as part of cross-border Pan-EU inbound routing. All EU FCs are reachable within 1 to 3 days by road from FLEX.'s German location. Forwarding to Amazon in France from FLEX.'s French location covers CDG and Lyon FCs.
Germany prep rates reflect local labour costs and are typically 10 to 20 percent higher per unit than Poland for basic prep services (FNSKU labelling, poly-bagging, palletising). France is broadly comparable to Germany. For sellers where unit prep cost is a significant margin factor — high-volume, low-margin products — Poland offers the largest saving. For sellers prioritising FC proximity and port access over unit prep cost, Germany's logistics advantages typically outweigh the prep cost premium. The right answer depends on your product margin, target marketplace, and inbound volume.
Poland
Poland's primary advantages are cost and FC access. Storage rates are 25 to 40 percent lower than Germany; prep labour costs are lower, making per-unit prep costs more competitive for high-volume programmes. Wrocław (FLEX.'s Polish location) is 20 to 30 minutes from WRO1 and WRO5 — two of Amazon's largest fulfilment centres in Europe. Poland also gives fast road access to Czech Republic FCs (PRG1, PRG2 — 2 to 3 hours), and German FCs are reachable within 1 to 2 days. Pre-Amazon storage in Germany and Poland can be combined under a single FLEX. account for sellers wanting cost efficiency and German FC proximity simultaneously.
Yes. Road distance from FLEX.'s Polish location to FRA3 (Bad Hersfeld, Germany) is approximately 600 kilometres — typically 1 to 2 day transit by LTL carrier. For Amazon.de sales, forwarding from Poland to German FCs is standard practice and works well operationally. The cross-border element adds modest cost compared to Germany-to-Germany forwarding, but for sellers whose primary cost concern is storage (not forwarding), the Poland-to-Germany model — cheap bulk storage in Poland, forwarding to German FCs as needed — is commercially attractive. Forwarding to Amazon in France from Poland is also viable at 2 to 3 days transit.
Transit times by road from FLEX.'s Wrocław location: WRO1/WRO5 (Wrocław, Poland) same day; PRG1/PRG2 (Czech Republic) 2 to 3 hours; LEJ1 (Leipzig, Germany) approximately 1 day; FRA3 (Bad Hersfeld, Germany) 1 to 2 days; CDG3 (France) 2 to 3 days; MXP5 (Italy) 2 to 3 days. Poland's central European position makes it one of the most versatile Pan-EU forwarding locations in the network — shipments to any major EU FC can be delivered within 3 days, covering the full Pan-EU FC map from a single inventory location.
France
France gives direct access to Amazon.fr's main FC network — CDG3 (near Paris) and LYS8 (near Lyon) are the primary French FCs for Amazon.fr fulfilment. Amazon.fr is the second largest Amazon marketplace in the EU and is meaningfully separate from Amazon.de in consumer base and product demand. Sellers who want Prime badge delivery to French consumers at competitive delivery speeds need inventory in French FCs — forwarding from Germany adds cost and typically results in 2 to 3 day delivery instead of next-day. France also gives better reach into Spain and Italy than Germany. Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe from FLEX. covers all three countries.
Yes — FLEX. France works with local customs agents for import clearance from the US, UK, China, Hong Kong and Australia. Both DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) and DAP (Delivered at Place) incoterms are supported. French customs clearance for standard commercial shipments typically takes 3 to 5 business days. Le Havre is the primary French container import port; Roissy CDG handles air freight. For sellers entering France as their first EU market, FLEX. can coordinate the customs clearance alongside FBA prep from the same location. See the guide to customs clearance for ecommerce sellers in France for more detail.
FC Proximity and Placement Fees
Germany has the densest FC network with more than 20 sites spread across the country — this gives Amazon the ability to offer next-day delivery across Germany more consistently than in France or Poland. Poland has the largest individual FCs (WRO1 is one of Amazon's largest globally by throughput), making it efficient for high-volume inbound. France has strong coverage for Western EU with CDG and Lyon as the main nodes. For Pan-EU FBA, Amazon distributes inventory across all three countries — having inventory or a prep partner in each allows direct inbound without costly cross-border placement by Amazon.
Amazon's Inbound Placement Service charges lower fees when you send inventory directly to the FC that Amazon considers the optimal placement location for your product — typically the FC closest to anticipated demand. Prepping near a major FC cluster and sending there directly minimises placement fees. Germany's FC density means that most Pan-EU placement assignments include at least one German FC, making Germany-based prep the most consistently cost-efficient for placement fee reduction. FBA prep centre in Germany at FLEX. is positioned close to the FRA3 and LEJ1 FC clusters. The Amazon FBA inbound fees guide covers placement fee structures in detail.
Cost Comparison
As a general benchmark: Poland is the lowest at approximately EUR 10 to 12 per pallet location per month; Germany runs EUR 12 to 16 per pallet per month; France is comparable to Germany. For sellers holding large buffer stocks — 10 pallets or more — the Poland cost advantage generates a meaningful monthly saving. For shorter-term pre-FBA staging where goods turn over within 4 to 6 weeks, the Germany premium is often justified by FC proximity and forwarding cost savings. Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory at FLEX. is available across all locations for extended programmes.
Germany (Hamburg or Wilhelmshaven) typically has stronger carrier competition on Asia-Europe lanes and lower port handling costs than France (Le Havre). Drayage from Wilhelmshaven to FLEX.'s German warehouse is approximately EUR 300 to 600. Drayage from Le Havre to FLEX.'s French warehouse runs approximately EUR 400 to 700. For UK-origin shipments, France can be competitive — Dover to Calais crossing plus road to FLEX. France is roughly comparable to Dover-to-Hamburg routing. For Asia-origin shipments, Germany is typically the lower total-landed cost entry point by EUR 150 to 400 per container.
Decision Guide by Origin Market
Default recommendation: start with Germany. It is the largest EU market, has the best port connections from the US East Coast (Hamburg is a primary transatlantic container destination), and has the strongest Amazon FC network for initial FBA setup. Add France once Amazon.fr becomes a meaningful revenue line — typically after 6 to 12 months of EU operations. Add Poland when volume justifies a cost-efficient buffer storage location or when Amazon.pl and Eastern EU markets are a priority. Amazon FBA prep in France at FLEX. is the natural second location for US brands expanding within the EU.
UK brands commonly start with Germany — the Dover-Calais-Germany road route is efficient, Hamburg is close, and Amazon.de is the largest EU revenue opportunity. France is the next logical addition: the Channel crossing makes France easy to reach and Amazon.fr is the second largest EU marketplace. One UK-specific consideration: post-Brexit customs clearance applies on every UK-to-EU shipment regardless of destination, so the customs clearance step adds time and cost compared to pre-Brexit. FLEX. handles UK customs clearance at both German and French entry points. FBA prep centre in France covers the French inbound workflow for UK sellers.
Germany is the strongest default for Asia-origin sellers. Wilhelmshaven and Hamburg are the primary European call points for Asia-Europe container services from major carriers. Wilhelmshaven's deep-water capability means the largest Ultra Large Container Vessels can call directly, without transshipment. FLEX.'s German location is close to Wilhelmshaven, giving a short drayage leg from port to prep centre. For Chinese and Hong Kong sellers targeting all of EU: start Germany, then evaluate Poland for cost-efficient buffer storage once volumes justify a second location. Forwarding to Amazon in Germany covers the full inbound workflow from Asian ports.
For B2C direct-to-consumer fulfillment targeting EU consumers broadly, Germany is the most versatile starting point: central European position, strong parcel carrier access (DHL, DPD, UPS) covering all of EU, and good transit times to France, Benelux, Nordics, and Central Europe from a single German location. Poland is the most cost-efficient for Eastern EU B2C — lower warehousing and handling costs, strong Polish and Czech carrier connections. France suits brands whose primary B2C market is France and Southern Europe. Order fulfillment service for ecommerce brands at FLEX. covers B2C fulfillment from all three locations.
Getting Started
Yes — FLEX. has no minimum volume requirements and no long-term contracts. Most sellers start with Germany (the most common first location), validate their replenishment cycle and prep workflow over the first 2 to 3 months, then expand to France or Poland once operational confidence is established. Starting with one location also simplifies VAT registration — you only need German VAT registration to begin, rather than registrations in multiple countries simultaneously. FBA prep centre in Europe at FLEX. covers all locations under a single onboarding process.
A single commercial agreement covers all FLEX. locations. The myFLEX WMS provides unified inventory visibility across Germany, Poland and France from one login. Onboarding per location requires: sharing your SKU list and expected inbound volume, agreeing the inbound schedule and advance packing list format, and confirming prep requirements per SKU. Each location can be activated independently — you do not need to onboard all three simultaneously. Amazon FBA prep services in Europe covers the full service scope available across all FLEX. locations.
Related Services
FBA prep and storage services across FLEX.'s EU network:
- Amazon FBA prep in Germany — FLEX.'s German location near Hamburg and major German FCs
- Amazon FBA prep in France — FLEX.'s French location near CDG and Lyon Amazon FCs
- Amazon FBA forwarding in Europe — FC appointment booking and last-mile delivery across all EU locations
- Long-term storage for ecommerce inventory — extended buffer storage across Germany, Poland and France
- Order fulfillment service for ecommerce brands — B2C and B2B fulfillment alongside FBA pre-Amazon storage
Located in the center of Europe, FLEX. Fulfillment provides FBA prep, pre-Amazon storage and FC forwarding from Germany, Poland and France — under a single commercial agreement with unified inventory visibility.
Get in touch for a free quote and location recommendation tailored to your origin market, target Amazon marketplaces and inventory volume.