Pick and Pack vs Pick and Stick, What is the Difference?
Faced with the two common value-added services of "Pick and Pack" and "Pick and Stick", sellers are often confused. What is the difference between these two models? Choosing the right fulfillment strategy is crucial to improving efficiency, reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction. How to choose to optimize costs and improve efficiency?
Table of Contents
From the perspective of international fulfillment service providers, this article will deeply analyze the differences, applicable scenarios and optimization strategies between the two, and guide sellers to cooperate with Stone3PL warehousing fulfillment and packaging service providers to achieve efficient fulfillment.
The difference between "Pick and Pack" and "Pick and Stick"
Pick and Pack: The core of full-process order fulfillment
Pick and Pack refers to the full-process service of picking goods from the warehouse, packaging, filling, and reinforcement according to order requirements, and attaching invoices, promotional sheets and other materials to finally complete the delivery. Pick and Pack is a common order fulfillment strategy widely used in e-commerce and B2B businesses. It involves picking individual items from inventory and packing them in a package for transportation.
Typical process:
Order receiving → 2. Item picking → 3. Packaging material selection → 4. Item packing → 5. Adding fillers → 6. Sealing and labeling → 7. Logistics handover
Essence
"Single-piece operation, deep processing", suitable for highly customized, multi-SKU mixed orders.
Applicable scenarios
Multi-SKU orders: such as clothing, household goods, etc., each order contains multiple items, and different sizes of packaging boxes are required to adapt to the items.
High-value goods: customized packaging (such as gift boxes, shockproof foam) or additional gifts are required.
Markets with strict compliance requirements: such as EU CE certified products require specific labels, or environmentally friendly packaging must comply with FSC standards.
Advantages:
High customization: can meet customer needs for different product combinations.
High flexibility: suitable for business scenarios with frequent changes in orders.
Reduce errors: Reduce the error rate through precise picking and packaging processes.
Pick and Stick: The key to lightweight fulfillment
Pick and Stick refers to the operation of only completing labeling (such as logistics bills, SKU labels) after picking the goods, without involving packaging or only providing basic packaging (such as plastic bags). Pick and Stick is a simplified order fulfillment method suitable for pre-packaged goods. Warehouse staff only need to pick the packaged goods from the inventory and affix the shipping label to ship.
Typical process:
Order reception → 2. Product picking → 3. Labeling (logistics bills/SKU labels) → 4. Basic packaging (optional) → 5. Logistics handover
Essence
"Whole box processing, extremely fast flow", suitable for standardized, large-volume single product orders.
Applicable scenarios
Light and small items: such as jewelry, accessories, 3C accessories, etc., can be shipped directly in plastic bags or envelopes.
Direct mail mode: Orders need to be processed quickly, and packaging time is reduced to improve timeliness.
Platform compliance requirements: For example, Amazon FBA requires FNSKU labels, but no additional packaging is required.
Advantages:
Fast speed: No need to repack, saving time and labor.
Low cost: Reduced packaging links, lower fulfillment costs.
High consistency: Pre-packaging ensures the consistency of each package.
Answers to user frequently asked questions: How do sellers choose?
Is my product suitable for Pick and Pack or Pick and Stick?
Is the product fragile/high value? → Yes → Pick and Pack
Is the product light and small (such as weight <500g, size <30cm)? → Yes → Pick and Stick
Does the target market have environmentally friendly packaging requirements? → Yes → Pick and Pack (select compliant materials)
Choose Pick and Pack or Pick and Stick? The real answer is - dynamically match the optimal solution according to your products, orders, and customer groups, and even run dual engines in parallel.
How to balance cost and customer experience?
Tiered service: Pick and Pack for high-value orders and Pick and Stick for low-price orders.
Branded packaging: Add customized labels or thank you cards to Pick and Stick to enhance the unboxing experience.
How to avoid returns or fines due to labeling errors?
Label pre-screening: Check the compliance of labels before shipment (such as FNSKU, CE labels).
Exception handling: Provide 24-hour re-send service for labeling errors to avoid customer complaints.
How to reduce fulfillment costs?
For Pick and Pack, optimize warehouse layout and processes to reduce picking time. For Pick and Stick, ensure the consistency of pre-packaging to reduce errors and rework.
How to improve order accuracy?
Use advanced warehouse management systems (WMS) to ensure inventory accuracy. In Pick and Stick, use technologies such as barcode scanning to reduce human errors.
Choose to cooperate with Stone3PL: a one-stop warehousing and fulfillment solution
Choosing the right international fulfillment service provider is crucial to the success of order fulfillment. Stone3PL warehousing fulfillment packaging service provider provides comprehensive international warehousing and fulfillment services, supporting both Pick and Pack and Pick and Stick fulfillment modes.
Service Advantages
Flexible service mode: supports free switching between Pick and Pack and Pick and Stick to meet different order requirements.
Global warehousing network: covers the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia and other regions, providing localized fulfillment services.
Intelligent technology empowerment:
WMS system automatically matches the optimal packaging solution.
AI visual recognition technology reduces label error rate.
Value-added services:
Environmentally friendly packaging materials and compliant labels.
Multi-platform order synchronization and logistics tracking.
Stone3PL's advantages:
Customized services: Provide highly customized Pick and Pack services according to your business needs.
Efficient fulfillment: For Pick and Stick, provide fast and accurate label processing and delivery services.
Technical support: Equipped with advanced warehouse management system to ensure accurate inventory and fast order processing.
Through the flexible combination of Pick and Pack and Pick and Stick, sellers can achieve:
Cost optimization: Select services according to product types to reduce packaging and logistics costs.
Efficiency improvement: Standardized operating procedures shorten delivery time.
Compliance guarantee: Avoid fines and returns due to packaging or labeling errors.
If you still have questions about these two fulfillment methods, or need to further optimize your logistics process, please feel free to contact Stone3PL warehousing fulfillment packaging service provider. Our professional team will provide you with tailor-made solutions to help you easily meet the challenges of international order fulfillment.
