Skip to content
Kolineo

B2B fulfillment and cross docking for retail

Selling to Walmart, Costco or Sobeys means playing by their rules. Our B2B fulfillment service prepares your retail orders to each retailer’s requirements, in cartons or on pallets, and ships them LTL or FTL from Sherbrooke, Québec and from near Chicago.

Estimate my costs Request a quote
Retail order pallets stretch-wrapped near the loading doors

Retail fulfillment, by the retailer’s rules

Every major retailer has a vendor guide: carton and pallet labels, maximum pallet height and weight, advance ship notices, delivery appointments. A poorly built pallet or a missing label can lead to a refused delivery at the distribution center or a chargeback billed to the vendor.

B2B fulfillment therefore calls for a different kind of discipline than ecommerce: fewer orders, but larger ones, more rules and fixed delivery dates. It is built for manufacturers, distributors and brands that sell in stores, often alongside their online store. For these brands, we run omnichannel fulfillment: store orders and online orders ship from one shared inventory, so you never have to split your stock between two warehouses.

Kolineo ships to many major retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Sobeys, Amazon, Avril, Jean Coutu, Loblaws, Bureau en Gros, Sam’s Club, Renaud-Bray, Archambault and Lowe’s. Do your retailers require a specific label format or EDI? Send us their vendor guide and we will work out together how to apply it.

What our B2B fulfillment includes

Everything a retail order needs to be accepted the first time.

  • Carton orders

    Full cases or unit quantities, picked and labeled for each store or distribution center.

  • Palletizing

    Single-SKU or mixed pallets, built, stretch-wrapped and labeled to the retailer’s instructions.

  • Retail compliance

    Labels, shipping documents and vendor guide instructions applied to every order.

  • Cross docking

    Goods that are just passing through are routed to your customers without going into storage.

  • LTL and FTL shipping

    Partial loads or full truckloads, with our carrier partners and rates negotiated on our volumes.

  • One inventory for every channel

    A single stock pool for your retailers and your online sales, visible in real time.

Trailer loaded with pallets bound for a retail distribution center

Cross docking services: move goods without storing them

Cross docking means receiving goods and shipping them back out quickly, without putting them into storage. It is useful when an import container already holds the quantities for several distribution centers, or when a retail order arrives from your factory ready to deliver. Transloading, moving freight from one container or trailer to another, works on the same principle.

Less handling, less storage space, shorter lead times: when it is well planned, cross docking lowers your costs. We set it up with you based on your volumes, your inbound shipments and your retailers’ delivery windows. If you import, our shipping service also coordinates import, export and customs clearance.

  • Unloading and sorting by destination
  • Palletizing and labeling, as needed
  • Outbound LTL or FTL shipping
  • One team, from arrival to departure

B2B order fulfillment, step by step

The same process for every purchase order, from the first carton to the delivery appointment.

  1. You send the order

    The retailer’s purchase order reaches us with its instructions: quantities, distribution center, delivery date.

  2. We pick and pack

    Picking, casing and pallet building according to the retailer’s vendor guide.

  3. We label and document

    Carton and pallet labels, bill of lading and required documents are ready before departure.

  4. We ship

    LTL or FTL transport is arranged around the date and appointment set by the retailer.

Retail compliance: complete orders, on time

order accuracy
99.98%
of orders shipped on time
99.87%
average shipping savings for our clients
28%
businesses trust us with their logistics
61

Shipped to major retailers

Walmart, Costco, Sobeys, Amazon, Avril, Jean Coutu, Loblaws, Bureau en Gros and other retailers receive orders prepared by Kolineo.

  • Walmart
  • Costco
  • Sobeys
  • Amazon
  • Avril
  • Jean Coutu
  • Bureau en Gros
  • Renaud-Bray

Our carriers

Agreements with the main carriers in Canada and the U.S. for your parcel, LTL and FTL shipments.

  • Postes Canada
  • Purolator
  • UPS
  • FedEx
  • DHL
  • GLS
  • USPS
  • XPO

B2B fulfillment FAQ

Which retailers do you ship to?

Kolineo ships to many well-known retailers, including Walmart, Costco, Sobeys, Amazon, Avril, Jean Coutu, Loblaws, Bureau en Gros, Sam’s Club, Renaud-Bray, Archambault and Lowe’s. Your retailer isn’t on the list? Send us its vendor guide: every retailer has its own rules, and we review them before your first order.

My retailers require EDI. Is that a problem?

EDI requirements vary from one retailer to the next: purchase orders, advance ship notices, invoices. Tell us which ones apply to you and which EDI provider you use, and we will work out with you the best way to build those exchanges into your order fulfillment.

Can you combine B2B and ecommerce fulfillment?

Yes, that is omnichannel fulfillment. Your inventory is shared between retailers and online customers; only the picking changes: pallets and cartons on one side, individual parcels on the other. See our B2C fulfillment page.

When should I choose LTL or FTL?

LTL (less than truckload) suits shipments of a few pallets: your freight shares the trailer with other shippers’ freight. FTL (full truckload) makes sense when an order nearly fills a trailer, or when transit time and handling matter more than cost. We pick the most cost-effective option for each shipment.

Do you serve U.S. retailers?

For your retail customers in the U.S., our Chicago warehouse puts your products closer to their distribution centers. Let’s talk about your volumes and target retailers: see our warehouse near Chicago.

How much does B2B fulfillment cost?

Pricing depends on the number of orders and cartons, palletizing, labeling requirements and shipping. Start with our 3PL cost calculator, then ask for a quote and attach your retailers’ vendor guides.

Our other 3PL services

A new retailer to supply?

Send us its vendor guide and your expected volumes, and we will prepare a quote built around its requirements.

Request a quote (819) 861-2354