For a growing online shop, the first warehouse is usually the spare room. Then it is the living room, and then the garage. At some point the boxes stop being a sign of success and start slowing everything down. Outsourcing storage and fulfillment in Jakarta solves that, but only if you choose the right setup and ask the right questions first.
What warehousing and fulfillment actually include
The two words are often used together, but they cover different work.
- Warehousing is storage: receiving your stock, checking it, putting it on shelves or pallets, and keeping a record of what is where.
- Fulfillment is what happens when an order comes in: picking the right items, packing them, labelling the parcel and handing it to a courier.
- Value added services sit around both: relabelling, bundling, kitting, returns handling and stock counts.
Why Jakarta
Jakarta and the surrounding Greater Jakarta area hold the largest share of Indonesian online shoppers, and most national couriers run their main sorting hubs there. Stock stored in Jakarta can reach customers in the capital the same or next day, and reaches most of Java in a few days. Tanjung Priok port and Soekarno Hatta airport are also close, which matters if your stock is imported.
Signs you are ready to outsource
- You spend more time packing parcels than selling.
- Orders are going out late or wrong during busy periods.
- You import stock and want it delivered straight from the port to storage.
- You need to sell to customers outside your home city faster.
- Stock counts no longer match what your sales platform says.
How warehousing is usually priced
Prices vary by provider, but the structure is similar. Storage is charged per pallet, per shelf or per cubic meter each month. Handling is charged when goods come in and go out. Fulfillment is charged per order, sometimes with an extra charge for each additional item. Packing materials and courier fees are usually separate. Ask for a sample invoice based on your real order volume, because the cheapest storage rate is not always the cheapest total.
Questions to ask before you sign
- How is stock received and counted, and how quickly is it available to sell?
- Can I see stock levels at any time, and how often are physical counts done?
- What is the daily cut off for same day dispatch?
- Which couriers do you work with, and can I choose?
- How are returns handled and checked?
- Who is responsible if stock is damaged or lost in the warehouse, and is it insured?
- What is the minimum contract period and notice to leave?
Combining freight and storage
Many of our clients import stock, or bring it from factories in other islands, and want it to go straight into storage. Having the same company handle the freight, the customs and the warehouse removes a handover. Containers are unloaded directly into storage, and the stock count starts the day it arrives. If your goods come in from abroad, our customs clearance guide covers what happens at the port.
Starting small
You do not have to move everything at once. A common approach is to move your fastest selling products first, keep slow movers at home, and expand once the process works. Send us your product range, monthly order volume and where your customers are, and we will suggest a setup in Jakarta through our quote request form. Our other branches in Bali, Semarang and Yogyakarta are listed on the locations page.
