High-Volume Apparel Fulfillment at OC3PL
The overview: what we handle, how a garment moves through the building, and every apparel guide.
Made-to-Order vs Stocked Apparel
Make it after the order, or stock it before. Each model changes cash, speed, returns and how fulfillment works.
Two Ways to Sell a Garment
A stocked brand produces inventory first and ships it from a warehouse when orders come in. A made-to-order brand takes the order first, then produces the item. Many brands mix the two, or use preorders as a bridge.
Stocked
Inventory is produced ahead and stored. Orders ship quickly from stock.Made to order
Each item is produced after the order, then shipped. No finished inventory sits waiting.Preorder
Orders are taken before a production run arrives, then shipped together when stock lands.
The three models:
Side by Side
| Stocked | Made to order | Preorder | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | Paid out before sales | Paid as orders come in | Collected before stock arrives |
| Inventory risk | Unsold stock possible | Little finished stock | Run sized to demand |
| Ship time | Fast, from stock | Longer, includes production | Waits for the run |
| Size availability | Limited by what you bought | Any size offered | Any size taken in the window |
| Returns | Restock and resell | Harder to resell custom items | Restock and resell |
| Fulfillment | Warehouse picks from stock | Often ships from the producer | Warehouse ships in a wave |
When Stocking Wins
Most apparel brands past a thousand orders a month stock their core styles. Customers expect fast shipping, and a drop only works if product ships the moment it sells. Stocked inventory also makes exchanges easy: the replacement size is already on the shelf.
The cost is risk. You pay for inventory before you sell it, and you may guess the size curve wrong. Good planning reduces that risk. See size curve planning and inventory forecasting.
What stocking asks of fulfillment
- Fast, accurate receiving so new stock is sellable quickly.
- Slotting by size and color so picks are right.
- Storage that flexes with seasons.
- Returns restocked quickly so sizes come back into stock.
When Made-to-Order Fits
Made to order suits personalized items, very small runs, testing a design before committing, and creator merch where demand is unknown. The trade-off is ship time and returns. A customer waits longer, and a personalized item is hard to resell if it comes back.
Brands often start made to order and move their best sellers to stocked inventory once demand is proven. That moment is usually when a 3PL comes in.
Preorders: The Middle Path
Preorders let a brand gauge demand and collect cash before a production run lands. Then everything ships in one wave when the stock arrives. That wave behaves like a drop: lots of orders at once, so the warehouse needs notice.
- Tell customers a realistic ship window, and update them if it moves.
- Send the warehouse the expected arrival date and order count.
- Send the inbound shipment with an advance shipping notice so it is received and counted quickly.
- Release the held orders once stock is received, then watch the wave ship.
More in apparel preorder fulfillment and what is an ASN.
Moving From Made to Order to Stocked
Most brands make this move one style at a time.
- Pick the styles with steady demand. Those are the safest to stock first.
- Use your made-to-order sales history to set the size curve for the first stocked run.
- Give every size and color its own SKU and barcode before production. See apparel barcodes.
- Choose a warehouse and connect your store before the stock lands.
- Send the first inbound with an advance shipping notice so it is received and counted quickly.
- Switch the product pages from "made to order" ship times to in-stock ship times once the stock is live.
Keep made to order for the pieces where it still makes sense, such as personalized items or limited experiments. Make sure your store sends each order to the right place.
Questions to answer first
- How much cash can you put into inventory before it sells?
- How fast do customers expect delivery for this product?
- How often do customers exchange this style for another size?
- What happens to leftover stock at the end of the season?
Where OC3PL Fits
OC3PL stores and ships stocked apparel, including inventory that arrives for a preorder wave. 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. Orders imported by 12 PM PST ship the same day.
If you are moving from made to order to stocked inventory, start with how apparel fulfillment works and how to prep apparel inventory for a 3PL.
Common Questions
Clothing produced after the customer orders it, rather than produced ahead and stored.
It ties up less cash in inventory, but ship times are longer and returns of custom items are harder to resell. Compare the full cost, including lost sales from slower shipping.
When a style has proven demand and customers expect fast shipping. Many brands move their best sellers to stock first.
Orders are held until the production run arrives. The warehouse receives the stock, then ships the held orders in one wave, so it needs notice of the arrival date and order count.
Yes. Many brands stock core styles and make limited or personalized items to order. Make sure your store routes each order to the right place.
OC3PL stores and ships stocked inventory. Production is done by your manufacturer.
The ones with steady, proven demand. Use your made-to-order sales history to choose them and to set the first size curve.
Customers wait for the production run to arrive, so tell them a realistic ship window and update them if it moves.
Related Reading
More detail, in OC3PL’s own guides.
Apparel Preorder Fulfillment With a 3PL
How apparel brands run preorders with a 3PL: holding orders until stock lands, receiving fast, shipping the backlog in order, and keeping customers informed.
Apparel Drop & Launch Fulfillment
Fulfillment for limited apparel drops and restocks: forecast-based labor, pre-built bundles, size-sorted picking and same-day shipping from Anaheim.
How Much Inventory to Order for a First Apparel Run
How to decide quantities for a first apparel production run: factory minimums, size curves, colors, cash, and what to hold back for reorders.
How Apparel Fulfillment Works, Step by Step
How apparel fulfillment works: receiving, slotting by size and color, picking, packing, shipping and returns, explained for brands new to outsourcing.
Accurate Forecasting: How to Save on Fulfillment Costs
Learn how precise demand forecasting reduces overstock, prevents stockouts, and cuts fulfillment costs for your brand.
Creator Brand Unboxing: A Guide to Going Viral
Learn how to create a memorable unboxing experience for your creator brand that drives social engagement and delights your followers. Tips & strategies.
Tell Us About Your Catalog
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