Why Beauty Brands Need a Different Kind of 3PL

‍The fulfillment support your products—and your customers—deserve

Most 3PLs will tell you they’re “beauty-friendly” because they offer climate-controlled storage. But beauty fulfillment goes far beyond temperature—it’s about presentation, product safety, compliance, speed, and customer experience.

From fragile SKUs to regulatory labeling, beauty brands face challenges that require more than just a clean warehouse. And when you're selling on Shopify, managing retail partnerships, and shipping nationwide, the stakes are even higher.

At Handled, we specialize in ecommerce fulfillment for beauty and personal care brands. With fulfillment centers in Los Angeles, CA and the New York City area, we help brands deliver fast, consistent, and elevated unboxing experiences—every day.

Fragile SKUs Need More Than Bubble Wrap

Beauty products are often delicate—think glass bottles, pumps, jars, and liquids. If your fulfillment partner treats them like apparel, it’s only a matter of time before breakage or leaks damage your brand.

At Handled, our team is trained to handle:

• Serums, oils, and creams
• Fragile droppers and jars
• Pressurized and liquid-based products

We use custom pack-out SOPs, leak-prevention techniques, and damage-reducing materials designed specifically for health and beauty SKUs.

Compliance & Accuracy Are Non-Negotiable

Selling on platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and TikTok Shop comes with requirements that many 3PLs aren’t equipped to manage. At Handled, we support:

• Lot and batch tracking for quality assurance
• FIFO and FEFO inventory rotation
• Retailer-specific labeling and routing guides

We help beauty brands stay compliant and retail-ready—without the scramble.

Unboxing Is Part of the Product

Your packaging is often the first physical impression your customer gets. Whether you’re shipping a single SKU or a high-touch influencer kit, your fulfillment partner should protect and elevate your brand—not dull it down.

Handled offers:

• Branded packaging workflows (tissue, stickers, tape, inserts)
• Custom kitting and bundling (e.g., starter kits, subscriptions)
• Gift-with-purchase automation
• Consistent, photo-worthy presentation—at scale

If your customer shares an unboxing on TikTok or Instagram, you want them tagging your brand—not complaining about crushed boxes or leaky lids.

Location and Speed Still Matter

Fast delivery isn’t just a perk—it’s a platform requirement. Many marketplaces now grade sellers on delivery speed and penalize missed SLAs.

Our bi-coastal fulfillment centers in Los Angeles and the New York metro area are:

• Located near major USPS, UPS, and FedEx sortation hubs
• Strategically placed to reach most U.S. customers in 1–2 days
• Designed for same-day fulfillment with a 12 p.m. local cutoff

Whether you're shipping DTC or retail, we help you hit delivery expectations—without cutting corners.

Built for Shopify (and Built to Scale)

We integrate natively with Shopify to automate fulfillment and reduce manual work. That means:

• Real-time order syncing
• Automated workflows triggered by Shopify tags
• Subscription support
• Returns processing through Loop or your returns platform of choice

Handled helps you scale without outgrowing your operations.

💬 Let’s Talk

If your current 3PL isn’t keeping up—or you’re launching something new—Handled can help. We’ll even provide a free audit of your fulfillment setup to uncover bottlenecks, gaps, or risks.

Let’s make sure your fulfillment reflects the quality of your brand.
👉 Contact us