What is Subscription Box Fulfilment and Best UK Services?

Huboo is the best subscription box fulfilment provider, followed by FedEx.

So, your online store’s growing (congrats!) and you need help with your subscription box orders. That’s where outsourcing your e-commerce fulfilment makes sense, helping you cut costs, scale faster, and boost delivery efficiency. This all leads to happy customers and happy profit margins.

One quick mention – if you’ve been trading for less than six months, or you’re selling low-cost items, you may be better off fulfilling orders yourself or using dropshipping instead of full-fat fulfilment services. On the other hand, if you’re ready to invest and scale, then keep reading to see how subscription box fulfilment can help.

What is subscription box fulfilment?

Subscription box fulfilment is the delivery of goods from an online seller to a customer on a regular, predetermined basis. The subscription box may contain the same items every time, such as shaver replacements, or a variation each time, such as new snack boxes or different varieties of coffee beans.

Common examples of subscription boxes include:

• Home and decor items
• Beauty and fashion products
• Snacks and pantry boxes
• Fitness and wellness supplements
• Pet food and treats
• Sports and outdoors equipment

Subscription box fulfilment is ideal for businesses selling high volumes of small, relatively expensive products. If your business sells low-cost goods, or you’re starting out and selling relatively low volumes, we’d recommend trying dropshipping instead, which is less expensive and more suitable for smaller operations. Like most services, the cost of fulfilment typically depends on your specific needs.

How does subscription box fulfilment work?

Ecommerce fulfilment can be done in-house or by outsourcing to a third-party, known as a 3PL (third-party logistics) company. When outsourcing, you’ll send your products to a fulfilment centre, and the 3PL company takes care of the storage, managing, and shipping of items. Here’s a step-by-step of how that works…

1. Inventory is received by 3PL

First, your items need to reach the 3PL provider’s warehouse before they can get shipped to the end customer. If the inventory is received on schedule, they can ship to the customer on time.

2. Share order details with 3PL

You’ll need to automate your order information system and share order details with the 3PL provider. That way, the 3PL has real-time access to your orders, standardising your subscription box fulfilment and speeding up the process.

3. Products and kits are picked and packed

Once your order details are shared with the 3PL provider, the warehouse staff can pick and package the ordered items into a plain or branded box. You can also ask for additional services, such as thank you notes, to boost the customer experience.

Many fulfilment providers offer branded boxes – but at an additional cost. To save cash, you can always do the branded packaging prep in-house first.

4. Deliver to the customer

Once your box is ready for delivery, the 3PL provider will usually get delivery labels from couriers on your, the seller’s, behalf. The chosen delivery company will depend on the requirements of your business and its customers, plus the 3PL provider’s network.

The 3PL company will compare delivery fees to ensure you get the best price, then the subscription box gets delivered. You’ll then receive order tracking details that enable you to monitor every order at each step.

Who should use a subscription box fulfilment service?

Subscription box fulfilment is for businesses selling high volumes (about 300+ products per month) of expensive items to established customers. Whether you’re selling jewellery, vegan snacks, or protein powder, this service is designed to help you scale operations while maintaining a seamless customer experience. 

With subscription box fulfilment, your customers can rest easy knowing their favourite – or most necessary – products will get delivered at the same time each month. If you’re willing to invest, this approach can help your ecommerce business grow more quickly.

The best subscription box fulfilment services UK

1. Huboo: Best overall subscription box fulfilment service

Pricing from £25 per month

2. FedEx: Best for online stock and order management

Pricing on request

3. Amazon FBA: Best for selling very high volumes

Pricing from £25 per month

4. Green Fulfilment: Best for cutting carbon emissions

Pricing on request

5. Bezos.ai: Best for speedy setup

Pricing on request

Next steps

The UK’s best subscription box fulfilment provider is Huboo, offering a 99.9% accuracy rate on all orders – at cheap prices. We should also mention FedEx with its impressive stock management tools, and Amazon FBA’s ability to handle extremely high volumes.

Whichever provider you choose, remember that subscription box fulfilment is only necessary for businesses already selling high volumes of expensive products, such as cosmetics, supplements, or pet supplies. Unlike dropshipping, which is suitable for new businesses handling low volumes, subscription box fulfilment helps you meet growing demands and scale more quickly.

The best part? We can help you find the best subscription box fulfilment provider in the UK for your exact needs. Simply use our free comparison tool and tell us about your business, and we’ll match you with leading fulfilment providers who’ll offer bespoke, no-obligation quotes for you to compare. It couldn’t be easier.