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ShipBob's 2026 State of Ecommerce Fulfillment Report

ShipBob, a prominent global supply chain and fulfillment platform catering to small and mid-sized ecommerce businesses, has unveiled its fifth annual "State of Ecommerce Fulfillment" report. This comprehensive document collates insights derived from anonymized proprietary data spanning thousands of its clients, in addition to surveying 416 ecommerce executives who collectively shipped hundreds of millions of units in 2025. Industry thought leaders also contributed to the report, offering expert opinions in dedicated "Ask an Expert" sections.

The report encompasses over 200 critical data points shedding light on the state of ecommerce fulfillment in 2025 and the priorities of brands looking towards 2026. With an array of data visualizations and benchmarks, it aims to assist brands in evaluating their standings against competitors while gaining insights into shifting supply chain trends compared to the prior year.

Among the findings in the 2026 report, key insights include:

• - Increased Business Costs: A significant 79.56% of brands reported that changes to tariffs in the US during 2025 escalated their business expenses.
• - Rapid Delivery Goals: 68.99% of brands intend to deliver domestic orders within 2-3 days, emphasizing the growing consumer demand for speed.
• - Utilization of Third-Party Fulfillment: 84.13% acknowledged relying on third-party fulfillment services for at least some of their orders, indicating a major trend towards outsourcing logistics.
• - Multi-Center Strategies: A significant 58.65% of brands currently employ more than one fulfillment center, with almost 44% planning to increase this number in the upcoming year.
• - Compliance Needs: 68.99% of brands expressed requirements for compliance in their fulfillment partnerships, including aspects such as lot tracking and certified facilities.
• - Expansion Intentions: An interesting 43.51% of brands are considering shipping to new countries or expanding their fulfillment operations internationally, a noticeable increase from 36% last year.
• - Diverse Sales Channels: With an increase from 78% last year, 85.82% of brands now sell through two or more sales channels. This multifaceted approach is further seen with over half of the brands selling through three or more channels.
• - Increased B2B Engagement: 77.4% of brands are now participating in some form of business-to-business transactions, marking a significant growth from 53% in the previous year.
• - Top Sales Channels: The report identifies that websites remain the primary sales channels for brands, while the rise of TikTok Shop appears to have waned in 2026.
• - Customization Efforts: 80.29% of brands are incorporating customized or branded elements into their orders, such as marketing inserts and branded packaging, aimed at enhancing customer experience.

“2025 exposed weak ecommerce economics, forcing brands to rethink their supply chain. This ultimately reinforced that the right fulfillment strategy has become an insurance policy,” remarked Dhruv Saxena, CEO and Co-Founder of ShipBob. “That’s precisely why we exist to help brands future-proof their business with the ShipBob Advantages - our global network, scale, omnichannel solutions, technology, financial support, and customer service. Our commitment is to provide brands with a competitive edge that compounds as they scale and utilize even more of ShipBob’s offerings.”

For those seeking in-depth insights, the full report is available for download from ShipBob’s official website.

About ShipBob

As a leading global supply chain and fulfillment technology platform, ShipBob empowers SMBs and mid-market merchants with world-class capabilities that ensure a delightful shopping experience. Their technology enables merchants to gain a comprehensive overview of their business and customers across all sales channels. By managing products, inventory, and orders with real-time analytics, merchants can optimize their fulfillment processes through ShipBob’s extensive network of over 60 fulfillment centers worldwide. Explore more at shipbob.com.