Receiving and ASNs
Inbound is checked against your ASN and every SKU is photographed.
Apparel Fulfillment Glossary
Forty warehouse and shipping terms you will hear when you outsource apparel, in plain English.
Why the Words Matter
Warehouses, carriers and retailers each have their own shorthand. Knowing it makes quotes easier to compare and problems easier to describe.
Inventory terms
SKU, variant, size curve, sell-through.Warehouse terms
Receiving, slotting, pick and pack, kitting.Shipping terms
Zones, dimensional weight, cutoff, rate shopping.Retail terms
EDI, routing guide, chargeback, ASN.
How this glossary is organized:
The 40 Terms
Alphabetical, with links to the guides that go deeper.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| 3PL | Third-party logistics: an outside company that stores, packs and ships your products. See what is an apparel 3PL. |
| Advance shipping notice (ASN) | A document listing what is in an inbound shipment, sent before it arrives. See what is an ASN. |
| Allocation | Deciding how much stock goes to each channel, such as your website versus wholesale. |
| Barcode | A scannable code on an item or label that identifies the exact variant. |
| Bin | A small storage location, often used for apparel and accessories. |
| Bundle | Several items sold together as one product, such as an outfit or gift set. |
| Carrier | The company that delivers the package, such as UPS, FedEx, USPS or DHL. |
| Chargeback | A deduction a retailer makes when a shipment breaks its rules. |
| Colorway | One color version of a style. |
| Cutoff time | The time by which an order must arrive to ship the same day. |
| Cycle count | Counting part of the inventory regularly instead of all of it at once. |
| Dimensional weight | A price weight based on package size rather than actual weight. See what is dimensional weight. |
| Disposition | What happens to a returned item: restock, discard, donate or send back. |
| Drop | A limited release that goes on sale at a set time. |
| EDI | Electronic data interchange: the system retailers use to send orders and receive shipping data. See what is EDI. |
| Exchange | Replacing a returned item with another, usually a different size or color. |
| FNSKU | Amazon’s own product label code for items sent to its warehouses. |
| Gift with purchase | A free item added to qualifying orders. |
| GS1 | The organization that issues company prefixes used to create UPC barcodes. |
| Inbound | Inventory arriving at the warehouse. |
| Integration | The connection between your store and the warehouse system. |
| Kitting | Assembling several items into one ready-to-ship package. See what is kitting. |
| Lead time | How long it takes from placing a production order to having stock ready to sell. |
| Mis-pick | Picking the wrong item, size or color for an order. |
| Outbound | Orders leaving the warehouse. |
| Pick and pack | Collecting the items for an order and packing them. See what is pick and pack. |
| Poly bag | A clear plastic bag that protects a single garment. |
| Poly mailer | A plastic shipping envelope used for soft goods. |
| Preorder | An order taken before the stock is available to ship. |
| Rate shopping | Comparing carrier prices for each package to choose the best option. |
| Receiving | Checking, counting and logging an inbound shipment. |
| Restock | Returning an item to sellable inventory, or replenishing a style that sold out. |
| RMA | Return merchandise authorization: the approval and record for a return. |
| Routing guide | A retailer’s rules for how shipments must be labeled and delivered. See what is a routing guide. |
| Sell-through | The share of inventory you sold over a period. See sell-through and other terms. |
| Size curve | The proportion of each size you order. See size curve planning. |
| SKU | Stock keeping unit: your internal code for one variant. |
| Slotting | Assigning every item its storage location. See what is slotting. |
| UPC | Universal product code: the standard retail barcode number. See apparel barcodes. |
| WISMO | Short for “where is my order”: customer questions about delivery status. See what is WISMO. |
The Five Terms to Learn First
If you are new to outsourcing, five of these words come up in almost every conversation with a warehouse. Learn these and most quotes and reports will make sense.
- SKU: every size and color is its own SKU, and the warehouse counts each one.
- ASN: the list you send before a shipment arrives, so receiving can check it.
- Slotting: where each SKU lives, which decides how accurate and fast picking is.
- Pick and pack: the work done on every order, and usually the biggest fulfillment line.
- Cutoff time: the time an order must arrive to ship the same day.
Once those are clear, how apparel fulfillment works puts them in order from receiving to returns.
Terms That Show Up on Invoices
When you compare 3PL quotes, look for these words as separate lines: receiving, storage, pick and pack, packaging materials, kitting, returns and shipping. If a line you expect is missing, ask whether it is included or billed elsewhere. If a term you do not recognize appears, ask what work it covers.
The apparel fulfillment pricing guide explains each line for apparel brands, and pick and pack fees explained covers the biggest one in depth.
Terms You Will Hear in Reports
Weekly and monthly reports from a 3PL tend to use the same handful of measures. Order accuracy is how often orders ship exactly as ordered. Receiving turnaround is how long inbound takes to become sellable. Shipping on time is how often orders leave by the cutoff. Inventory accuracy is how closely the system count matches the shelf. Ask your warehouse how each one is measured. The KPIs an apparel brand should get from its 3PL explains what good looks like.
Where These Terms Come Up at OC3PL
The same words, in practice.
Slotting
Every style is slotted by size and color, so a picker reaching for a medium in black is not digging through a bin of mixed sizes. A new collection is slotted and ready to ship within one business day of receipt.
Cutoff
Orders imported by 12 PM PST ship the same day.
Disposition
Returns are processed and logged within 48 hours of receipt, and many are handled the same day. Each item is inspected and restocked, discarded or donated by the rules you set.
Common Questions
A SKU is your internal code for one variant. A UPC is a standardized barcode number that retailers and scanners recognize. Most brands link each SKU to its own UPC.
Advance shipping notice: a document listing what is in a shipment, sent to the receiver before it arrives so the contents can be checked on delivery.
Assigning every item a storage location. For apparel, good slotting gives each size and color its own location.
Where is my order. It describes customer questions about shipping and delivery status.
A retailer’s rulebook for how suppliers must label, pack and deliver shipments. Breaking it can lead to chargebacks.
Assembling several items into one ready-to-ship package, such as a bundle, gift set or PR box.
Related Reading
More detail, in OC3PL’s own guides.
High-Volume Apparel Fulfillment at OC3PL
The overview: what we handle, how a garment moves through the building, and every apparel guide.
What Is a 3PL? A Complete Guide for First-Time DTC Brands
Learn what a 3PL is, how it works, and why growing DTC brands use third-party logistics to scale efficiently.
SKU Setup for Beginners: A Guide to Organization
Learn how to create a logical SKU system for your startup. This guide explains why SKU organization matters for inventory accuracy.
Pick and Pack Fees: Pricing Models & Hidden Costs
Pick and pack is the core fulfillment charge. How 3PLs structure it, where it gets complicated, and why a higher per-order fee is sometimes the cheaper option.
Understanding 3PL Pricing: What You’re Actually Paying For
How 3PL pricing models work, the four core fulfillment fees, the value-added charges on top, and the costs brands most often miss. The reference guide for the rest.
Apparel Fulfillment Services
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