48% of shoppers abandon their cart because of high shipping costs, and 61% expect delivery within three days. So when a UK customer discovers a brand they love abroad, adds items to their cart, and then sees long delivery times or expensive international postage, they often leave. Not because they don’t want the product — but because the buying experience feels too difficult.
This is why international fulfilment into the UK is such an important step for brands expanding into the market. By holding stock within the UK, delivery becomes faster, shipping fees are clearer, and the whole checkout experience feels familiar to the customer – which has a direct impact on conversion and repeat purchasing.
In this blog, we’ll look at why fulfilling orders from within the UK matters for international brands, how this approach improves conversion and repeat purchases from UK customers, and what the set-up process looks like when working with a UK fulfilment partner.
Table of Contents
The Delivery Experience Matters More Than Most People Realise
Many brands initially try selling into the UK while fulfilling orders from their home country. It can work in the early stages, particularly when volumes are low, but challenges appear quickly:
– Shipping times stretch to 7–14 days, depending on customs and carrier handling
– Shipping costs become noticeably high for the customer
– Customers sometimes get unexpected import duties, which can create negative experiences
– Handling returns becomes slow and inconvenient for both sides
Even if your product is fantastic, these delivery hurdles can create friction that stops customers from returning to buy again.
UK consumers are used to fast, predictable delivery, so when orders take too long to arrive, many simply look for a brand that can deliver faster.
This is where keeping stock in the UK becomes the key difference.
How UK-Based Fulfilment Supports Your Growth
Shipping products to the UK in bulk and storing them in a local warehouse can change everything about how customers interact with your brand.
Once your stock is held in a UK fulfilment warehouse, delivery times typically drop to 1 to 3 working days, and shipping fees become similar to what domestic brands offer. That alone is enough to increase conversion rates, because customers feel confident in their purchase.
By fulfilling orders from inside the UK, brands also avoid many of the common cross-border issues that come with sending individual parcels internationally.
Returns, replacements, and exchange handling all become more manageable.
If you would like to understand how fulfilment affects growth at scale, this article is useful:
How Fulfilment Centres Support Business Growth
How PackPro Supports International Brands
At PackPro, we work with brands outside the UK who want to establish a strong, reliable presence in the UK market without needing to set up their own facility.
Our Essex 3PL warehouse acts as your base in the UK. Here’s how it works in practice:
1. You ship inventory to the UK in larger shipments
This keeps freight cost-efficient and removes the need to ship individual orders across borders.
2.We store and manage your products
With organised inventory management and clear stock visibility, so you always know what’s available.
3. Orders are picked and packed as they come in
Whether through Shopify, Amazon, TikTok Shop, Etsy, or your own store.
4.We send orders using couriers that match your delivery needs
You are not locked into a single carrier, and delivery costs stay predictable.
5. 3PL returns are handled directly in the UK
Keeping the customer experience smooth and reducing turnaround times for exchanges.
This setup helps brands expand in a way that feels manageable — not overwhelming.
Case Study: Growing a Netherlands Brand in the UK
One of the brands we support is based in the Netherlands. They were receiving a growing number of orders and enquiries from the UK, but they were struggling with the delivery experience.
Before moving stock to the UK:
– Shipping to the UK was costing customers £12 to £18
– Delivery often took 7 to 12 days
– Some customers were being charged unexpected import fees
– Repeat purchase rates were lower than expected
The brand knew there was demand, but the delivery setup was holding them back.
They moved their stock into our UK warehouse and began fulfilling orders from inside the UK. The difference was immediate:
– Customers paid standard UK shipping rates
– Orders arrived in 1 to 3 days
– Returns were processed locally
– Customer satisfaction increased noticeably
Since making the switch, the brand has seen a 300% increase in UK sales.
The product didn’t change — the fulfilment model did.
This is the impact of removing barriers to purchase.
Who UK Fulfilment Works Well For
This approach is particularly effective for brands that:
– Already see website traffic from the UK
– Receive questions or interest from UK retailers
– Sell well in their home market and want to expand naturally
– Want to build a long-term presence in the UK without opening their own warehouse
You don’t need a physical office.
You don’t need to hire staff.
You simply operate in the UK using a local base that is already set up for fulfilment.
Ready to Explore the UK Market?
If expanding into the UK is something you’re thinking about, we can walk through what the setup would look like based on your:
– Product type
– Order volume
– Packaging needs
– Expected demand in the UK
From there, we can help build a realistic and clear route into the UK market.
Get 3PL Pricing now!
FAQs — Expanding into the UK With Local Fulfilment
1. Do I need to set up a UK company to start fulfilling orders in the UK?
Not necessarily. Many international brands ship inventory to a UK fulfilment centre and operate through their existing business entity. Depending on your payment setup and how you list your products, you may not need to register a UK company straight away. If it becomes beneficial later, you can make that decision once sales are already coming in.
2. How do I get my stock from my country to the UK warehouse?
You can ship your products directly to the fulfilment centre. Most brands either send palletised stock via freight or ship finished goods directly from their manufacturer to the UK warehouse. PackPro can receive, book-in, and store your stock ready for orders.
3. What delivery times can UK customers expect once stock is held in the UK?
Orders fulfilled within the UK typically arrive within 1–3 days, which aligns with standard customer expectations. This is one of the key reasons brands see higher conversion and repeat purchases when they move to UK-based fulfilment.
4. Will this reduce shipping costs for my UK customers?
Yes. When your products are shipped from inside the UK, customers pay standard domestic shipping rates, instead of international postage. This usually leads to fewer abandoned baskets and better customer satisfaction.
5. How does returns handling work when stock is kept in the UK?
Returns can be processed directly back to the UK warehouse. This means customers don’t need to send items overseas, which makes returns simpler and increases trust in the buying process.
6. What if my order volume isn’t huge yet?
You don’t need high volume to benefit from UK fulfilment. Many brands move stock once they start seeing consistent UK interest — even in smaller batches. The improvement in conversion alone often justifies the move.
7. Can I sell on more than one platform at the same time?
Yes — many Shopify sellers also sell on:
TikTok Shop
eBay
Amazon
Etsy
If you expand to multiple sales channels, using a fulfilment provider with multi-channel integration can help keep stock accurate across all platforms.
(Internal Link Opportunity: Expanding Fulfilment Beyond Amazon: The Key to eCommerce Growth)