## Why growing brands are leaving traditional 3PLs ### You never know what fulfillment is going to cost you Storage fees, pick & pack fees, receiving fees, "special handling" fees. By the time you get your invoice, your margins have disappeared—and you had no way to predict it. ### Your inventory is in their system, not yours Your inventory is your lifeline — but with a 3PL, it’s out of sight and out of your hands. You rely on reports instead of real-time visibility, support tickets instead of solutions. When something goes wrong, you’re the last to know. ### You're locked into terms that don't fit your business anymore Most 3PLs require long-term contracts, minimums, and volume commitments. If your business pivots, slows down, or scales faster than expected, you’re still locked into the same terms. Growth shouldn’t come with handcuffs. ## Saltbox vs. Traditional 3PLs Everything a 3PL offers. None of what makes them frustrating | Feature | Traditional 3PL | Saltbox | | ------- | ---------------- | ------- | | Space & Access | ✗ Black box—no physical access to your inventory | ✓ Your dedicated suite + 24/7 access to your products | | Visibility & Control | ✗ Limited visibility, slow communication | ✓ Full visibility—walk to your suite anytime | | Pricing Model | ✗ Complex, unpredictable fees (storage, pick/pack, receiving, special handling) | ✓ Transparent, predictable membership pricing | | Flexibility | ✗ Long-term contracts, minimum volume requirements | ✓ Month-to-month options, scale up or down | | Fulfillment Options | ✗ All or nothing—full outsourcing required | ✓ Your choice: DIY, supported, or fully managed | | Workspace | ✗ Warehouse only—no office or team space | ✓ All-in-one: warehouse + office + coworking | | Community | ✗ Transactional vendor relationship | ✓ Founder community + peer learning | | Relationship Model | ✗ Optimized for mature, high-volume brands | ✓ Growth partner that adapts to your business | ### "Founders should be focused on marketing, partnerships, and brand-building—not packing orders or solving fulfillment fires. Saltbox exists to give founders their time back and set them up to scale without forcing them to give up control." ## Saltbox is the 3PL Alternative for Growing Ecommerce Brands 1. ### See every order. Access your inventory directly Saltbox receives your inventory, provides professional pick & pack and on-site labor services, and carriers pick up daily onsite — so you can outsource fulfillment without giving up control. Your inventory stays in your space. Your operations stay transparent. And you get hands-on support from a team that understands your brand. It’s fulfillment done with you — not hidden behind a ticketing system. 2. ### Flexible Space That Scales With You Actually see and touch your product and orders. No long-term contracts. No volume minimums. No rigid pricing tiers. Whether you’re shipping 500 orders a month or 5,000, Saltbox flexes with your growth — so you can expand, downsize, or adapt as your business evolves. 3. ### Built for customization, not just throughput Launching a limited drop? Running a collaboration? Want to include handwritten notes or custom inserts? Most 3PLs treat anything outside standard pick & pack as a “special project” — with added fees and delays. At Saltbox, customization is part of how you grow. Our teams support flexible packaging, kitting, inserts, and branded touches — without penalizing you for building a standout brand. "Saltbox has really changed our world and having the space and the capacity to really grow our business the right way." ### Haley Lucero CEO of Colorado Threads ### Candice Adams Founder & CEO "Saltbox is the perfect all-in-one solution for ecommerce brands. The office, warehouse, and logistics support have been key to our growth. I feel like their team is a committed partner in our success. Becoming a Saltbox member is a game-changer!" ### Jonathan Simpson Founder "With the services provided at Saltbox, especially daily weekday pickups with major carriers, we have grown our wholesale business to service clients in all 50 states and 10 different countries!" ### Sarak Lesko Executive Director "Saltbox has been an ideal solution for us as a growing non-profit. We need the flexibility to adapt our space with inventory donations and outflows, and the work environment is great for our team. Saltbox gets 5 stars!" ### Adam Stern Founder of Full Olive "Saltbox has given us the foundation to think bigger and innovate. We're no longer held back by space constraints." ### Estelle Shone Founder "Saltbox’s elastic warehousing and in-suite pick and pack services are the perfect match for Flour & Olive, allowing us to scale our operations seamlessly." ### Jared Drinkwater CEO of Low and Slow Snacks "I've been with Saltbox for the last year and a half and honestly would never be able to operate my small business selling snack foods, not only online, but through retailers across the country without Saltbox's help." ### Katherine Dunn Founder "Saltbox is more than just a space to do business out of, it’s a space for community, inspiration, support, and motivation! The Saltbox team has provided us with the support needed to help us focus on scaling, expanding our offerings, and streamlining our processes." ### Natalia Lee CEO, GOLDN The Brand "My husband and I joined Saltbox after a year of considering it. We went from sleeping in our car to becoming members in February 2024. The team members on site are amazing, offering resources like Parcel and Pantheon carrier services, as well as on-site marketing resources." ### Ken Robinson General Manager, Hello Garage "Having someone accept shipments at our Saltbox warehouse allows us to focus more on growing the business instead of waiting around for packages and freight to arrive." ### Mike Whitaker CEO "The Saltbox services and space can flex with our business, up or down, and that is so helpful as an entrepreneur." ### Brea Fullerton Founder & CEO of Shinery “If it wasn’t for Saltbox, we would have made expensive mistakes and just been Googling random things to figure out how to best capitalize on high-traffic ecommerce events.” ## See what fulfillment looks like when you're in control See how Saltbox gives you control, transparency, and flexibility—without compromise.