Receiving and putaway
Our standard receiving time is 24 hours, with putaway measured from completion of unloading. Inbound stock is counted and checked against shipment documents before storage.
Retail suppliers
Fulfillment for Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s suppliers.
Your purchase orders come with quantities, labels, routing instructions, and deadlines. Nile handles receiving, storage, retail order preparation, and fulfillment so your team can focus on the account instead of chasing the warehouse.
- 24-hour standard receiving time
- Pick-line cycle counts and rolling quarterly physical audits
- SAP, NetSuite, and major U.S. retail connections
- Retail and ecommerce fulfillment from shared inventory
The situation
A warehouse mistake becomes your supplier problem.
The retailer calls your team when an order is short, a label is wrong, or a shipment misses its window. You need the cause and the next action before the issue becomes another deduction.
- Stock has arrived, but it is not ready when the purchase order needs to ship.
- A short shipment leaves you reconciling the warehouse count against your ERP.
- A label, case pack, or pallet does not meet the retailer’s requirements.
- The shipment and advance shipping notice show different quantities.
- An order misses its ship window while your team waits for a status update.
- A retailer deduction arrives without enough shipment detail to review it.
- Extra preparation charges make the actual cost higher than the quoted cost.
Inside Nile · Horn Lake
Room to get retail orders ready.
Palletized cartons staged at Horn Lake. Your retailer’s labeling, preparation, and routing requirements shape how we get each order ready to leave.
Retail preparation
The pallet, labels, and shipment details need to agree.
Provide the retailer’s written requirements before processing. Pallet configuration, wrapping, labels, and order quantities are part of the same job.
What we run
What Nile handles for your retail accounts
Case and pallet preparation
Retail labeling, pallet builds, wrapping, and order-specific quantities. Requirements are scoped to the retailer and program rather than assumed to be the same for every shipment.
Purchase orders and shipment notices
Nile can scope EDI purchase-order receipt, shipment notices, and acknowledgments through the connection set up for your account. Trading partners, document types, and responsibilities are defined during setup.
Retailer-directed shipping
Retail shipments follow the written routing instructions supplied for the order. Carrier selection, shipping accounts, and any separately arranged freight are defined in your fulfillment setup.
Inventory counting
Pick-line cycle counts and rolling quarterly physical audits provide a basis for reconciling stock. Counts are reviewed against warehouse records, including receipts, shipments, and adjustments.
Kitting and additional preparation
Multipacks, kits, relabeling, and repacking can be scoped as additional work. Special projects are quoted and approved separately, so the work and cost are agreed before it begins.
Before the order ships
Give each purchase order a clear set of instructions.
The stock and the quantities
Match the purchase order to available inventory, case quantities, and any stock already committed elsewhere. A shortage needs a decision before the order reaches the pick floor.
The retailer’s requirements
Provide current routing instructions, labeling requirements, and pallet specifications in writing for each retailer and program. Use those instructions to define the preparation required.
The ship window and the delivery window
Leaving the warehouse on time and arriving at the retailer on time are different milestones. Order release, preparation, carrier collection, and delivery appointments all need to fit the schedule.
The shipment record
Keep the purchase order, quantities shipped, bill of lading, and applicable shipment notice connected. Those records are the starting point when a retailer reports a shortage or deduction.
From our customers
Moab Ventures
“Our Nile Fulfillment team has been a critical part of Moab’s growth over the past six years. They consistently fulfilled our retail orders to each retailer’s routing requirements and met must-arrive dates. That reliability helped us earn and keep our retail buyers’ trust.”
Jake WagnerGeneral Manager, Moab Ventures
Retailers Nile ships to for Moab Ventures
FAQ
Questions we get asked
Have a requirement we haven’t covered? Let’s talk it through. We’ll confirm the service details and costs for your account before you start.
Discuss your requirementsDo you support Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe’s?
Yes. We handle retail labeling, pallet preparation, kitting, and fulfillment for suppliers selling through these retailers. Tell us which programs you supply and share your routing guides. We’ll work through the requirements with you before orders start.
How quickly do you receive inventory?
Our standard is 24 hours from the end of unloading to putting inventory away. Book freight deliveries with our receiving team and send the shipment documents ahead of time so we know what’s coming.
How do you handle retailer deadlines and urgent orders?
Send us the retailer’s deadlines and routing instructions in writing ahead of time so we can plan the work. At Horn Lake, our standard B2B shipping target is 48 hours after we receive a complete, released order. Orders marked “must ship” before 3 p.m. have a same-day shipping target. Retailer arrival dates also depend on carrier transit time.
Can you handle our EDI connection?
EDI exchanges order documents electronically. We can work with your provider or manage the connection for purchase orders, shipment notices, and acknowledgments. We’ll confirm the retailers, documents, and fees during setup. Your team keeps responsibility for invoicing and financial EDI.
How do you keep inventory accurate?
We use pick-line cycle counts and a rolling quarterly physical audit. You get quarterly results within 10 business days. Your team or auditor can join a count—just give us five business days’ written notice.
What happens if we get a chargeback?
Send us the notice, purchase order, and supporting records. We’ll work through what happened with you, whether it involves warehouse work, routing instructions, inventory, or the carrier. Any reimbursement depends on the cause and the terms we agreed on.
Can retail and ecommerce orders use the same inventory?
Yes. We can fulfill both from the same inventory. During setup, we’ll work with you on how much stock to reserve for retail orders and promotions, and how much to make available online. We can also connect with SAP, NetSuite, and your ecommerce platform.
Can we change or cancel an order?
Call or email us as soon as you know something has changed. Cancellation is free before the order is released to the pick floor. If picking has started, a restocking fee applies. We’ll check the order’s status and talk through what’s possible.
What can add to our fulfillment bill?
Extra work such as relabeling, rebuilding pallets, repacking, special projects, materials, and approved overtime can add cost. Freight is separate. We’ll break these out in your quote so you can see what’s included and what costs extra.
What do you need to put a quote together?
Start with the retailers you supply, a typical month of orders, your SKU and case-pack list, and how much inventory you store. Tell us about peak periods, special prep work, and what isn’t working with your current warehouse. We’ll take it from there.
Related
Walmart fulfillmentPreparation and fulfillment for Walmart orders.B2B and retail fulfillmentPallets, cases, and retail shipment preparation.Get a fulfillment quoteTell us about your retail business and request pricing.IntegrationsRetail channels, SAP, NetSuite, and ecommerce systems.Fulfillment pricingSee what makes up the full monthly cost.Switching 3PLsPlan a transfer around your open orders.
Next step
Tell us what your retail orders need.
Bring your retailer requirements, order profile, and current warehouse concerns. We’ll use them to scope the preparation, fulfillment, and storage work.