E-commerce fulfillment in Türkiye: how it works, step by step

Most e-commerce brands start the same way: stock sits in a spare room or a corner of the office, orders are packed in the evening and rushed to the carrier the next morning. As order volume grows, the packing table becomes the bottleneck.

This guide explains what fulfillment is, how the process works step by step, how it is priced and which signs tell you it is time to outsource. Where things work differently in Türkiye, we point that out.

What is fulfillment?

Fulfillment is the whole operation that takes an order from the warehouse shelf to the customer’s door: storing the stock, picking the order, packing it, handing it to a carrier and, when needed, processing the return.

A fulfillment service runs that operation on your behalf. Your products are stored in the provider’s warehouse; orders from your sales channels flow into their system automatically; their team prepares each order and ships it. You stay focused on product, pricing, marketing and customers.

You will also hear the term 3PL (third-party logistics). 3PL is the broader category: it also covers pallet freight between businesses, customs and transport. E-commerce fulfillment is the branch of 3PL that specialises in small, individual orders going to consumers.

The fulfillment process, step by step

1. Integration and product setup

Your sales channels (Trendyol, Hepsiburada, Shopify or your own site) are connected to the warehouse system. Each product is set up with its barcode, dimensions and, where relevant, expiry tracking, and matched to its listings on each channel.

2. Receiving

When your stock arrives, cartons are opened, units are counted and barcodes are scanned against the expected shipment. Products without barcodes are labelled. For food, cosmetics and supplements, lot numbers and expiry dates are recorded at this stage.

3. Put-away and storage

Each product is placed in a shelf location that suits its size and sales velocity. Every location has its own barcoded address (for example A-12-03), so the system, not someone’s memory, knows where each item is.

4. Order import and stock reservation

When a customer places an order, it is imported into the warehouse system and the stock is reserved for that order, so the same unit cannot be sold twice. Updated stock levels are pushed back to every channel.

5. Picking

A picker sees the next order on a handheld terminal and follows a suggested route through the warehouse. In an accurate operation, every product and every location is scanned; scanning the wrong item triggers a warning.

6. Packing and labelling

Picked items are verified again at the packing station and packed in a suitable box with the right void fill. The shipping label is printed; for marketplace orders, the label is pulled from the marketplace automatically. Box size has a direct impact on shipping cost, because Turkish carriers bill by volumetric weight. Our guide to desi explains how that works.

7. Hand-over to the carrier

Packed orders are handed to carriers and the tracking number is sent back to the sales channel. The key term here is the cut-off time: orders placed before it ship the same day; later orders leave on the next working day.

8. Returns

Customer returns arrive at the warehouse and are inspected one by one. Items in sellable condition go back on the shelf; damaged or opened items are set aside and reported to you.

What is different in Türkiye?

• Marketplaces lead. A large share of Turkish online retail runs through marketplaces such as Trendyol and Hepsiburada. Marketplace orders typically ship with the marketplace’s own contracted carriers and labels, so your fulfillment partner must integrate with each marketplace, not just your web shop.
• Shipping is priced by desi. Domestic carriers compare a parcel’s volumetric weight (desi) with its actual weight and bill by the higher one, so box selection matters.
• Returns follow consumer law. Consumers can withdraw from online purchases within 14 days of delivery, so a returns process that gets sellable items back on sale quickly protects your stock.
• Data protection. The fulfillment provider processes your customers’ names, addresses and phone numbers on your behalf under KVKK, Türkiye’s personal data protection law. Ask where that data is stored.
• Invoicing stays with the seller. Sales invoices (e-Fatura or e-Arşiv) are issued by the seller through their own e-invoicing provider; the fulfillment provider invoices you for its services.

How is fulfillment priced?

Pricing varies between providers, but most quotes are built from the same items:

• Pick & pack: a fee per order, usually decreasing in tiers as monthly volume grows.
• Additional items: a small fee for each extra unit in an order.
• Storage: a monthly fee for the space your stock occupies, measured in cubic metres, shelf locations or pallets.
• Returns handling: a fee per return for receiving, inspecting and restocking.
• Receiving: some providers charge per unit, carton or pallet received.
• Shipping: marketplace orders typically use your marketplace agreement; orders from your own site can use the provider’s corporate carrier rates.
• Packaging and special services: boxes and void fill, kitting, gift wrapping or labelling may be included or priced separately.

Comparing unit prices line by line is misleading. What matters is the total cost per order, calculated with your own order profile. Try it with your numbers in our pricing calculator.

When should you outsource fulfillment?

There is no magic order threshold, but these signs suggest it is time:

• Packing and shipping take hours of your day, leaving no time for growth.
• Shipments are late during campaigns and your marketplace performance score suffers.
• You have run out of storage space and are considering renting a warehouse.
• Complaints about wrong or missing items are increasing.
• You sell on several channels and stock levels no longer match between them.
• Your sales are seasonal and fixed rent and payroll weigh heavily in quiet months.

On the other hand, if you ship only a few orders a week, or make and personalise every item to order, handling it yourself may still make sense for a while.

How fulfillment works at Pronto Depo

Pronto Depo, a Yılmazer Lojistik service, provides e-commerce fulfillment from its camera-monitored, insured facility in ASO 2. OSB, Ankara. Orders from Trendyol, Hepsiburada and Shopify flow into the warehouse within minutes. Every product, shelf location and parcel is verified by barcode scan. Orders received by 2 PM, Monday to Saturday, ship the same day. Lot numbers and expiry dates are tracked and orders are picked first-expired, first-out. You can follow your stock, shipments and returns in real time in the seller portal.

To see what fulfillment would cost with your volume, use the pricing calculator or request a quote and we will come back with an offer tailored to your products.