How many orders does the average 3PL client ship per month?

The average 3PL client ships roughly 3,000–5,000 direct-to-consumer orders per month, although benchmarks vary significantly by industry, seasonality, and sales channels. Small brands may run 500 orders monthly, while mature DTC labels exceed 20,000. Always validate against your own 12-month history when evaluating 3PL partnerships.

Numbers at a glance

• 3,000–5,000 orders/month: Typical mid-market 3PL client volume
• 500 orders/month: Common minimum threshold for 3PL partnerships
• $3.20 per order: Average B2C pick-and-pack cost (2025)
• $517: Average minimum monthly spend requirement (2025)
• 96.49%: Average 3PL customer retention rate (2025)
• 102 picks/hour: Average warehouse productivity (2025)

Why order volume matters when choosing a 3PL

Understanding where your monthly order count falls within industry benchmarks directly impacts your 3PL selection, pricing, and service level agreements. Most providers structure their operations around volume tiers that determine everything from minimum fees to automation investments.

Volume tiers providers use

Starter tier (50–500 orders/month)

• Often subject to minimum monthly fees ($500–$1,000)
• Limited automation; more manual processes
• Higher per-order costs ($3–$8 per shipment)

Growth tier (500–5,000 orders/month)

• Sweet spot for most 3PL economics
• Access to volume discounts and better SLAs
• Per-order costs drop to $2–$5 range

Enterprise tier (5,000+ orders/month)

• Dedicated account management
• Custom automation and integration options
• Lowest per-order costs ($1.50–$3.50)

Impact on pricing, SLAs, and minimums

The 2025 Warehousing and Fulfillment Survey shows that minimum monthly spend requirements have jumped from $437.50 in 2024 to $517 in 2025. This means businesses with lower order volumes may need to reassess whether their current warehouse partner remains cost-effective.

Higher monthly volumes unlock better pricing structures and service commitments. Providers typically offer 99%+ accuracy guarantees and 1-2 day processing times for clients shipping 3,000+ orders monthly, while smaller accounts may see 2-3 day processing windows.

Seasonal spikes vs. steady state

Most 3PLs calculate “average” based on your trailing 12-month volume, smoothing seasonal peaks. However, December volumes can spike 200-400% above baseline for retail clients, requiring capacity planning discussions during contract negotiations.

Monthly order volume by industry vertical

Different industries show distinct order volume patterns based on purchase frequency, average order values, and seasonal demand cycles.

Industry	Typical Monthly Orders	Peak Season	Notes
Apparel & Fashion	2,000–8,000	Nov–Jan	High return rates (20-30%)
Beauty & Cosmetics	1,500–6,000	Nov–Dec, May	Subscription models common
Home & Garden	800–3,500	Mar–Jun	Seasonal outdoor products
Food & Beverage	3,000–12,000	Year-round	Subscription boxes drive volume
Electronics	500–2,500	Nov–Dec	Higher AOV, lower frequency
Health & Wellness	2,500–9,000	Jan, Sep	New Year/back-to-school spikes

How to read the table

These ranges represent the middle 50% of clients within each vertical. Outliers exist—particularly subscription-based businesses that can process 50,000+ monthly orders, and luxury brands that may ship fewer than 200 high-value orders monthly.

Outliers and why they exist

High-volume outliers typically include:

• Subscription box services (monthly recurring shipments)
• Fast-fashion brands with frequent product drops
• Consumable goods with high repurchase rates

Low-volume outliers often represent:

• Luxury/high-ticket items ($500+ AOV)
• B2B-focused brands with wholesale components
• Seasonal businesses operating 3-6 months annually

Factors that inflate or deflate order counts

Several operational and strategic factors can significantly impact your monthly order volume, affecting how you compare to industry benchmarks.

SKU breadth and bundle strategies

Wide SKU catalogs (500+ products) tend to generate more orders as customers make multiple smaller purchases rather than single large orders. Conversely, bundle strategies can reduce order count while maintaining revenue by encouraging larger basket sizes.

Marketing calendars and promotions

Brands running frequent promotions (weekly sales, flash deals) typically see 40-60% higher order volumes than those with consistent pricing. Email marketing campaigns can spike daily orders by 200-500% on send days.

Platform and channel mix

Multi-channel brands shipping through Amazon FBA, Shopify, and wholesale channels often see higher total volumes but may split fulfillment across multiple providers. Direct-to-consumer focused brands typically consolidate volume with a single 3PL partner.

Calculating your real-world “equivalent volume”

Not all orders are created equal when evaluating 3PL partnerships. Understanding how to calculate your “equivalent volume” helps you benchmark against industry standards more accurately.

Returns, reships, and backorders — count or exclude?

Include in volume calculations:

• Original outbound shipments
• Replacement shipments for damaged items
• Backorder fulfillment when inventory arrives

Exclude from volume calculations:

• Return processing (inbound only)
• Cancelled orders before shipment
• Orders fulfilled by other channels (Amazon FBA, dropship)

Multi-unit orders vs. single-unit orders

A single order containing 5 items typically costs 60-80% more to fulfill than 5 separate single-item orders due to picking efficiency. When benchmarking, consider your average units per order:

• 1.0–1.5 units/order: Standard single-item shipments
• 1.5–2.5 units/order: Typical multi-item orders
• 2.5+ units/order: Bundle-heavy or B2B-style shipments

Worksheet walk-through

Step 1: Calculate trailing 12-month order count
Step 2: Exclude returns and cancellations
Step 3: Add replacement shipments and backorders
Step 4: Divide by 12 for monthly average
Step 5: Adjust for seasonality (multiply by 0.8-1.2 depending on your peak months)

What order volumes 3PLs prefer

Different 3PL providers optimize their operations around specific volume ranges, affecting both their willingness to take on new clients and their pricing structures.

No-minimum 3PL models

Startup-friendly providers accept clients shipping as few as 50-100 orders monthly, but typically charge minimum monthly fees. The average minimum monthly spend requirement is now $517, up from $437.50 in 2024.

Mid-market specialists (1,000–10,000 orders)

The “sweet spot” for most 3PL operations lies in the 1,000-10,000 monthly order range. These volumes provide:

• Predictable revenue streams for capacity planning
• Sufficient scale for automation investments
• Manageable complexity for account management

Enterprise bulk shippers (50,000+ orders)

High-volume specialists focus on brands shipping 50,000+ orders monthly, offering:

• Dedicated warehouse space and staff
• Custom automation and integration development
• Volume-based pricing as low as $1.50 per shipment

Current 3PL pricing and performance benchmarks

Based on 2025 survey data from 600+ warehouses:

Cost benchmarks (2025)

Service	Average Cost	Range
Pick & Pack (B2C)	$3.20 per order	$0.20–$8.00+
Pick & Pack (B2B)	$4.80 per order	$2.00–$12.00+
Storage (per pallet)	$30.17 per month	$15–$40
Storage (per cubic foot)	$0.46 per month	$0.30–$0.65
Receiving	$10.52 per pallet	$5–$25
Returns Processing	$4.06 per return	$2.00–$8.00
Minimum Monthly Spend	$517	$250–$2,000+

Performance benchmarks (2025)

Metric	Average Performance	Industry Standard
Customer Retention Rate	96.49%	95%+
Inventory Shrinkage Rate	2.68%	<2% preferred
Picks per Hour per Staff	102.33	80-120
Order Accuracy	99%+	99%+ expected

How to talk volumes in an Request for Proposal (RFP)

When requesting 3PL proposals, how you present your order volume data significantly impacts the quality and accuracy of responses you receive.

Data points providers expect

Essential volume metrics:

• Trailing 12-month monthly averages
• Peak month volumes (typically December)
• Projected growth rates for next 24 months
• Average units per order
• Return/exchange rates

Helpful additional context:

• Seasonal patterns by month
• Promotional calendar impact
• New product launch schedules
• Geographic distribution of orders

Questions to ask about scaling up and down

• “What happens if we exceed projected volumes by 50%?”
• “How do you handle seasonal scaling from 2,000 to 8,000 monthly orders?”
• “What’s your policy if volumes drop below minimums temporarily?”
• “Can you accommodate 200% growth within 6 months?”

Phrases that trigger better pricing

Volume commitment language:

• “We’re projecting 5,000 monthly orders with 30% annual growth”
• “Our baseline is 3,000/month with December spikes to 12,000”
• “We’re consolidating from multiple providers to achieve 15,000+ monthly volume”

Avoid vague statements:

• “We’re growing fast” (quantify the growth)
• “Seasonal business” (specify the seasons and volumes)
• “Looking to scale” (provide specific scaling timeline and targets)

Defining “average” — methodology

Industry-wide order volume data comes from multiple sources, each with different counting methodologies that affect the final “average” figure.

Survey scope and limitations

The 3,000–5,000 monthly average derives from analysis of mid-market 3PL providers serving primarily B2C e-commerce clients, based on the 2025 Warehousing and Fulfillment Costs & Pricing Survey covering 600+ warehouses, along with individual 3PL provider case studies and pricing guides.

This excludes B2B wholesale shipments, which typically involve larger unit quantities but fewer individual orders.

B2C vs. B2B segmentation

B2C e-commerce clients (70% of 3PL business):

• Higher order frequency, smaller quantities
• Average 2,500–7,500 orders/month
• Peak during Q4 holiday season

B2B wholesale clients (30% of 3PL business):

• Lower order frequency, larger quantities
• Average 200–800 orders/month
• More consistent year-round volume

Annualized vs. monthly views

When 3PLs quote “average monthly volume,” they typically use a 12-month rolling average to account for seasonality. This smooths the December spike that can represent 25-40% of annual volume for retail brands.

Next steps if you’re above, at, or below the average

Your current monthly order volume determines your optimal 3PL strategy and negotiation approach.

Negotiation levers for high-volume brands (10,000+ orders)

If you’re shipping 10,000+ orders monthly:

• Request dedicated account management
• Negotiate volume-based pricing tiers
• Ask for custom integration development
• Demand 99.5%+ accuracy guarantees
• Secure capacity commitments for peak seasons

Hybrid models for mid-volume brands (1,000–10,000 orders)

If you’re in the 1,000-10,000 range:

• Consider regional 3PL networks for faster delivery
• Evaluate hybrid models (3PL + Amazon FBA)
• Negotiate growth-based pricing that scales with volume
• Focus on integration capabilities and reporting

Alternative solutions for low-volume brands (<1,000 orders)

If you’re shipping fewer than 1,000 orders monthly:

• Evaluate fulfillment-as-a-service platforms
• Consider regional micro-fulfillment centers
• Explore 4PL solutions that aggregate smaller brands
• Investigate Amazon FBA for Prime eligibility
• Maintain in-house fulfillment until reaching 1,500+ monthly orders

Key takeaways

Understanding average 3PL order volumes helps you benchmark your business, select appropriate providers, and negotiate better terms.

• Industry average: 3,000-5,000 orders/month for mid-market 3PL clients
• Minimum viable volume: 500 orders/month for most 3PL partnerships
• Sweet spot: 1,000-10,000 orders/month for optimal pricing and service
• Enterprise threshold: 20,000+ orders/month for dedicated resources
• Growth planning: Always project 24-month volumes when evaluating providers

Before reaching out to providers, calculate your trailing 12-month average, identify seasonal patterns, and project realistic growth scenarios. This preparation ensures you receive accurate proposals and can negotiate from a position of knowledge.

Sources & references

• 2025 Warehousing and Fulfillment Costs & Pricing Survey — Annual survey of 600+ warehouses covering costs, pricing, and performance metrics
• eFulfillment Service 3PL Cost Guide — Comprehensive breakdown of 3PL fee structures and volume requirements
• Cart.com 3PL Pricing Models — Analysis of pricing models by order volume with specific cost examples
• Red Stag Fulfillment 3PL Pricing Guide — Detailed cost breakdown and industry benchmarks
• Red Stag Fulfillment 3PL Performance Metrics — KPI benchmarks and performance standards