Fulfillment Business Financial Models
Compare 4 operating formats. Choose the type that matches how you will sell, serve customers and use capacity.
Choose your business type (4)
Stores client-owned inventory, picks orders, packs shipments and hands them to carriers for physical storage, picking and dispatch. The operator earns logistics fees, not the merchant value of the client inventory.
- Earns from
- Storage position-period, order and additional pick
- Sales limited by
- Storage positions, labor throughput and dispatch cutoffs
Supplies a dedicated physical team providing physical storage, picking and dispatch at a client-owned facility. The operator is paid for contracted coverage or delivered work; it does not automatically own the host business or its customer revenue.
- Earns from
- Client contract-month, billed hour or service unit
- Sales limited by
- Required shift coverage and agreed service levels
Receives, inspects and routes returned goods for physical storage, picking and dispatch on behalf of merchants. The operator performs reverse-logistics work without automatically becoming owner of every returned item.
- Earns from
- Processed return unit and approved added service
- Sales limited by
- Inspection benches, repair capacity and disposition queues
Provides physical storage related to physical storage, picking and dispatch. Customer-owned goods occupy defined capacity; the operator earns storage and handling fees, not the value of goods held.
- Earns from
- Occupied storage-unit-period
- Sales limited by
- Usable storage positions and handling throughput
Compare the operating logic
Open comparison| Business type | What earns revenue | What limits sales |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Multi-Seller Fulfillment Warehouse | Storage position-period, order and additional pick | Storage positions, labor throughput and dispatch cutoffs |
| Client-Warehouse Operating Team | Client contract-month, billed hour or service unit | Required shift coverage and agreed service levels |
| Physical Returns Processing Center | Processed return unit and approved added service | Inspection benches, repair capacity and disposition queues |
| Storage-Only Warehouse Service | Occupied storage-unit-period | Usable storage positions and handling throughput |
Build a plan around your own assumptions
Read the planning guideCompare the format, then check the workbook inputs and outputs on its model page.
Questions
Which model should I choose?
Match the paying customer, billing unit, location and capacity constraints to your intended operation. Review the full model page to check its scope and workbook status.
Can I combine business types?
Some formats can share premises or staff. Shared resources and revenue need to be counted once. Check the combination notes on each model page.