FULFILLMENT

How does EFC fulfill orders inside the EU?

EFC picks, packs, and dispatches each order to the brand's own specification, from stock already inside the EU. The stock is released for free circulation before the order ships, usually on arrival. Each order then moves within the EU, not as an inbound international parcel. Packaging, inserts, and labeling follow each brand's rules, not a single shared line. Fulfillment draws from the same stock pool that serves both consumer and business orders.

THE MECHANISM

Every order ships from inside the market

Orders flow to the base, get picked from stock already inside the EU, usually released for free circulation on arrival, and dispatched from there. The brand identity stays on the box; EFC runs the operation behind it. The customer never sees a border, because for that order there is not one.

CLEARED STOCK

How cleared stock changes each order

Customs is settled before the order arrives, usually on arrival of the stock, so every pick draws on goods that are already cleared.
Each product is packed to the brand's own specification, with its own packaging, inserts and labels.
Consumer parcels and business pallets draw on one stock position, so the brand holds a single inventory rather than two.

Going deeper

What happens between an order and its dispatch?

Every order runs the same six steps, from the moment it reaches the warehouse to the moment the stock record closes. Orders are processed the same day when they arrive before a morning cut-off. The exact cut-off for each brand is set against its order profile and channels.

The order arrives. It comes in from the brand's store or marketplace through the integration layer between the storefronts and the warehouse.
Stock is allocated. The order is matched to live stock, with lot tracking and FIFO rotation deciding which unit goes first.
The unit is picked. Picking runs on barcode scans, so the unit that leaves is the unit the order names.
The order is packed. Packaging, inserts and labels follow the brand's own specification for that product and channel.
The order is dispatched. It leaves on the national network or the international road lines. Inside the EU it moves with no customs step; a UK or Swiss order also clears export and import customs.
The record closes. The movement is logged, and the brand sees it on the warehouse platform, line by line.

How do B2C and B2B orders run from one stock?

A consumer parcel and a wholesale pallet draw on the same stock pool, so a brand keeps one stock position rather than two. What differs is the build, the paperwork and the line the order leaves on. The table shows where the two paths split.

	Consumer order (B2C)	Business order (B2B)
What leaves the warehouse	A single parcel	Cartons or an outbound pallet, built as the buyer ordered
How it travels	Last mile or express	Full truckload or groupage, and the international road lines
VAT on a sale to another member state	VAT of the customer's country, reported through OSS	Zero rated when the three intra-Community supply conditions are met, including the buyer's VAT number
Documents that travel with it	The brand's invoice and return details	Invoice with both VAT numbers, and proof that the goods left for another member state

Packaging, kitting and inserts: what can each order carry?

The box the customer opens is built to the brand's rules, not to a shared house standard. The same bench that packs the order can also build kits, add language-specific inserts and prepare units for a marketplace. Each of these steps is agreed per product before the first order ships.

Custom packaging and repacking. The brand's own boxes, void fill and presentation.
Kitting and bundle building. Several products made up into one unit per order.
Local-language inserts. A leaflet or card in the customer's language, set per destination.
Labeling and relabeling. Product and barcode labels applied or replaced to the brand's file.
Sealing, shrink wrapping and tagging.
Marketplace preparation. Units prepared to a marketplace's intake rules.

What does EFC need from you before the first order ships?

Fulfilment runs on product data. The cleaner the data arrives, the sooner the first order ships correctly. This is the set EFC asks for at onboarding.

A product list. SKU, description, barcode, and unit weight and dimensions for each item.
A packaging specification. Which box, which inserts, which labels, per product and per channel.
Kit definitions. Which SKUs make up each bundle, and how the kit is labelled.
Channel connections. Which store and marketplaces send orders, so the integration can be set up.
Handling needs. Safety data sheets for dangerous goods, and temperature requirements where a product needs controlled storage.
Your returns policy. So returned units can be graded against your rules.

STOCK AND VISIBILITY

See and run your stock from one place.

The same cleared pool is managed on a real method and stays visible to the brand, line by line, in and out, in real time.

IT-based stock management Each line is held to an order point, an economic order quantity, and a safety stock. The right quantity is then on the shelf, and reorders are not guesswork.
Pick and pack Orders are picked, packed, and made ready to dispatch from the same stock, for single parcels and full pallets alike.
The warehouse platform On the platform run with Warelog, the brand can consult incoming and outgoing movements and live stock. The customs documents for each release are issued from the same platform.

Related operations

What buyers ask

What brands ask about dispatching orders from stock inside the EU.

One cleared stock pool serves both consumer and business orders. A brand runs B2C and B2B from a single inventory position inside the EU, rather than two.

What is a fulfilment service provider under EU law?

Regulation (EU) 2019/1020 on market surveillance defines one in Article 3(11). It is a business offering at least two of four services, warehousing, packaging, addressing and dispatching, without owning the products involved. Postal, parcel delivery and freight transport services are excluded from that definition.

Does stock have to be released from bond before an order ships?

On the usual route the question does not arise. Stock is released for free circulation when it arrives and is then picked as Union goods. Stock held under bond is released as it is needed, and each release is its own declaration and its own tax point. Which route suits a range depends on its value and how fast it sells.

Can dangerous goods be fulfilled?

Yes. The warehouse is licensed by ANPC to store and handle ADR and IMO dangerous goods. The fleet carries hazard-class shipments on the same lines as other freight. A safety data sheet for each product is needed at onboarding so the goods can be stored and packed to their class.

ONBOARDING

Prepare the catalogue for the first order

Tell us about the products, the channels that send orders and the packaging each product needs. The operations team will come back with the set-up for your catalogue.

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