What is micro-fulfillment?
Micro-fulfillment (MFC — micro-fulfillment center) means shipping orders from small locations close to your customers. In practice the real question is whether the stores, warehouses, and 3PL spaces that already hold your stock can serve as shipping locations.
The goal is being able to ship from wherever the stock already is.
Many small locations, close to demand
Traditional e-commerce logistics consolidates stock in a large distribution center and ships nationwide from there. Micro-fulfillment does the opposite: inventory is distributed near demand, and each order ships from the location closest to the customer. Delivery time drops, and so does the distance and cost of every parcel.
Many small locations
Small shipping locations are spread across the areas where demand is.
Ship from close by
A shorter distance cuts both delivery time and the shipping cost of each order.
Use what you already have
Existing store backrooms, warehouses, and 3PL spaces become shipping locations as they are.
The obstacle is controlling stock and origin
The difficult part is knowing where every item sits, and deciding for each order which location it should ship from. Handled by hand or by separate systems, every location you add makes stockouts, overstock, and inconsistent work worse.
Inventory splits by location
The more locations you add, the harder it is to see where each item sits — stockouts and overstock happen at the same time.
Choosing the origin every time
Each order needs a decision based on stock, destination, lead time, and workload — that does not scale by hand.
Each site works differently
Stores and warehouses do not work the same way. When procedures differ by site, neither quality nor speed stays consistent.
Connect the inventory, automate the origin
Last Mile treats stock spread across locations as a single network, routes every order to the right origin, and turns it into a shipping instruction. The One Commerce platform and a nationwide network of around 100 3PL locations are delivered as one foundation.
One view of inventory
Stock in stores, warehouses, 3PLs, and overseas locations is connected as one network and treated as sellable inventory.
Automatic origin routing
Based on stock, destination, and location priority, each order is routed to an origin and turned into a shipping instruction.
One procedure everywhere
Picking, shelving, and label printing follow the same procedure, so a store ships the same way a warehouse does.
Start from the locations you already have
Start by reviewing where orders are delivered and how stock is distributed, then widen the scope step by step.
Assess
Look at where orders are delivered and how stock is distributed today, to see where inventory should sit.
Connect
Connect the stock and orders of your stores, warehouses, and 3PLs. Existing sales channels stay as they are.
Route
Set location priority and allocation rules, then start routing orders. You can begin with a subset of locations.
Expand
Add locations as you go, and keep tuning inventory placement and routing rules.
How is micro-fulfillment different from outsourced fulfillment?
Outsourced fulfillment is about who ships — you store goods in a warehouse and delegate the work. Micro-fulfillment is about where you ship from: multiple small locations close to your customers. The two work together. Last Mile provides both the logistics service that ships for you and the software that decides the origin.
Can a retail store become a micro-fulfillment center?
Yes. Last Mile connects stock in stores, warehouses, 3PLs, and overseas locations as one network and routes each order to the best origin. Shipping from store stock, and transfers between stores or between a store and a warehouse, are both supported.
Do I need automation robots?
No. Micro-fulfillment is about shipping from close to the customer; in-warehouse automation is only one way to get there. You can start by using the stores and warehouses you already have, with software handling inventory and origin decisions.
Can I adopt only the software, or only the logistics service?
Both are possible. You can connect the One Commerce platform to your existing operation, or hand over the logistics service as well.
Where are the locations you can ship from?
Through a partnership with a major logistics group, around 100 3PL spaces nationwide are available as logistics locations. We design the footprint around your products, destinations, lead times, and volume, and your own stores and warehouses can be added as origins.
Adoption and
partnership inquiries
We welcome inquiries about our services, adoption, and partnership. Start with where your inventory stands today.