Nutritional supplements are big business – and they're only going to get bigger. A government study came back with the remarkable statistic that almost half of adults in the UK take dietary supplements each day.

If you're selling health supplements online – be they protein powders, multivitamins, or anything in between – you know the importance of prompt and reliable delivery. Getting the right products to the right address at the right time is crucial to fostering customer loyalty.

After all, we're now living in an age where an Amazon Prime member can get cod liver oil delivered to their door in 24 hours. You need to meet their expectations to ensure they don't click away from your store.

Order fulfilment is one of those things that starts out easy and rapidly becomes a pain. When you're getting your business off the ground and fulfilling the odd order here and there, you're able to fit it in with your other activities – but as soon as you start to grow, so too does the mound of parcels that needs shipping.

You've got the products. You've got the marketing know-how. But do you have the time and capacity to keep the customer satisfied?

If the answer on your lips is a hesitant "no", you might want to enter the world of 3PLs.

What are 3PLs and how can they help?

Yes, it might sound like a festive acronym for "three pipers leaping", but a 3PL is much more practical than that.

It's a company that specialises in "third-party logistics". Essentially, you partner up with a 3PL when you want someone else to take care of fulfilment. They pick, pack and dispatch – among other jobs which we'll come to shortly.

Why would you outsource fulfilment like this? The main reason is that it frees you up to stay focused on the other things that matter – and the ones that involve less faffing around with tape, labels and scissors.

For your business to grow, you need to work on R&D. Branding. Online presence. All things that take time.

So working with a 3PL like Stowsafe means you no longer have to handle fulfilment, shipping, exchanges and returns. You don't even have to keep an eye on your inventory anymore.

Crucially, a good 3PL will tailor its services to your industry. There's no workable one-size-fits-all solution to fulfilment. Of course, some requirements apply across the board – products need to be safe, organised and ready for shipment at all times.

But the needs of an exercise bike company clearly differ from those of a jewellery brand. And health supplements are no different.

How can working with a 3PL help your health supplement brand?

First things first: we're passionate about fulfilment. It's our bread and butter. Our labour of love. But we know better than anyone how unglamorously time-consuming it can be.

That thing which motivates you – call it what you like, brand identity, vision – that's something you can't outsource. Only you can be at the helm of your online store. But fulfilment is something that can be done by someone else to a higher standard.

So don't fritter away your time on endless journeys to the post office counter when you can be building your business.

We've talked a lot about time. But a 3PL also frees up space. So many startups keep their supplements in a spare room or garage – and whatever the space, it quickly becomes an obstacle course. One filled with parcels, pouches and stationery.

With a 3PL, your stock is kept in a dedicated warehouse. When an order comes through, you don't have to leap into action – we're there to process it for you, every step of the way.

How can Stowsafe help?

We've worked with brands big and small in a range of sectors, so we know a thing or two about staying flexible.

Whatever stage you're at, we can tailor a fulfilment plan to your requirements – one that takes into account the specific needs of your sector.

Looking after and delivering stock

OK, we don't want to sound boastful but our warehouse is definitely bigger than yours.

At 24,500 square feet, it's clean, secure and – dare we say it – beautiful. And we're proud to say that it's certified by the Organic Food Federation. That means maximum freshness and zero cross-contamination.

How secure is secure? Well, our warehouse is monitored by CCTV 24/7/365 – so the chance of stock going missing is close to zero.

The second a customer places an order, we're notified – and we get to work. Same-day dispatch? No problem – so long as the order is placed before 2.30 pm.

If you have a favourite courier, great! We're happy to work with a single delivery company if you'd like us to. But we also give you the option of automating the process. Our system can pick the most cost-effective courier for each delivery.

We cover all bases – unloading, inspecting, picking, packing, dispatching. Oh, and we also cover returns.

Custom packaging

Labels. Flyers. Tags. Kits. We can help you to realise your packaging vision. Not only will it look beautiful, but it will also be sturdy – ensuring no damage to your goods in transit.

Keeping on top of inventory

We talked earlier about meeting customer expectations. A big one is making sure that the products on your online store are actually in stock. There's no better way of driving away a potential loyal customer than by failing to fulfil an order.

Our warehouse management system keeps on top of inventory so that you don't have to. Every time an order is fulfilled, the inventory is updated – and you get automated low-stock alerts too. Even better, we're integrated with many major eCommerce platforms.

Are you looking for a 3PL partner for your health supplement and vitamin brand?

Our mission at Stowsafe is to take fulfilment off your hands so that you can stay focused on the things that only you can do.

We have a proven track record of providing tailored food supplement fulfilment services. If you want to find out more, please don't hesitate to get in touch.