Most new coffee brands send their orders in one of three ways: they post orders themselves, they use a fulfilment house (a 3PL) that stores stock and sends each order, or they sell on Amazon and let Amazon FBA do it. We roast your coffee and deliver it in bulk to you, your 3PL or Amazon. We do not drop ship single orders. This guide compares the three routes on cost, effort and when each makes sense.
The short answer
| Send it yourself | Fulfilment house (3PL) | Amazon FBA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Your first months, small volumes | Steady online orders, no time to pack | Selling on Amazon |
| Cost per order (guide) | Postage, from £3.75 for a tracked small parcel, plus packaging | About £1.50 to £3.00 pick and pack, plus postage | About £3.00 per 250g unit, plus a referral fee |
| Storage | Your own space | About £3 to £6 per pallet per week | Charged per cubic foot per month |
| Your time | High | Low | Low |
| How your stock gets there | We deliver it in bulk, roasted to your order | ||
Figures are guides from published 2026 rates and change often, so always check the current price before you plan. Sources are listed at the end.
Our part: getting your stock to the right place
We roast to your order and deliver in bulk. We do not hold made up stock for you, so you, or your 3PL, reorder with our lead time built in.
- Roasting and delivery: we roast on Thursdays and deliver on Fridays.
- Lead time: first orders take 2 to 3 weeks from label sign off. Repeat orders of 200 to 500 bags usually go out the same week, but plan on 2 weeks to be safe.
- Delivery to you or your 3PL: £12.95 up to 20kg, then £0.45 per kg, by tracked courier. Pallets are around £100 each.
- Every bag carries a batch number and a best before date, so your 3PL can rotate stock properly.
Option 1: send orders yourself
Most brands start here. You keep your stock at home or in a small unit, pack each order and post it.
- Cost: postage plus packaging. A Royal Mail Tracked 48 small parcel bought online is £3.75. A single 250g bag often fits a large letter, which is cheaper.
- Good for: your first few hundred orders, testing demand, and adding a personal note to every parcel.
- Watch out for: the time it takes once orders pick up, and storing coffee somewhere cool and dry.
Option 2: a fulfilment house (3PL)
A 3PL stores your stock and picks, packs and posts each order as it comes in, usually linked straight to your Shopify or Etsy shop. We deliver your coffee to them in bulk.
- Typical costs (2026 guide): about £1.50 to £3.00 per order to pick and pack, about £0.15 to £0.40 for each extra item in the order, and about £3 to £6 per pallet per week for storage, plus postage. Some charge a set up or monthly minimum fee.
- Good for: brands with steady online orders who would rather spend their time selling.
- What to ask a 3PL: do they handle food, will they send the oldest best before date first, what are their minimums, and do they connect to your shop.
We do not recommend a specific fulfilment house yet. Any UK 3PL that handles food will work, and we deliver to them in bulk.
Option 3: Amazon FBA
With Fulfilment by Amazon, your stock sits in Amazon's warehouses and Amazon sends each order, with Prime delivery. It is how we sell our own coffee on Amazon.
- Fulfilment fee (2026 guide): around £3.00 per unit for a 250g bag in a small parcel, and around £3.05 to £3.26 for a 1kg bag, outside peak. Peak season (mid October to mid January) is a little higher.
- Storage: around £0.76 per cubic foot per month from January to September, and £1.51 from October to December.
- Referral fee: Grocery and Gourmet is 5% on items up to £10 and 15% above.
- Our prep: the cleanest set up is a barcode on each label so Amazon needs no extra labelling; otherwise we apply Amazon's own stickers. A standard box holds 12 x 1kg or about 40 x 250g. Stock goes in on Amazon's partnered carrier, about £3 a box up to 15kg, booked in your Seller Central account.
Amazon changes its fees regularly, so check the current rate card in Seller Central before you set your price.
Why we do not drop ship
Sending single bags to your customers from the roastery would mean holding your stock, packing every order and charging you for each one, which pushes your cost per bag up sharply. Delivering in bulk keeps your price per bag low, and a 3PL or Amazon does the single orders far more cheaply at scale.
Selling into the EU
We can supply brands in the EU. Orders are paid in full up front, priced in pounds and delivered to your door. Your business is the importer of record and handles import duties and VAT.
Which route should you choose?
- Just starting? Send orders yourself, keep your first order small and learn what sells.
- Steady online sales? Move to a 3PL once packing takes more than a few hours a week.
- Selling on Amazon? Use FBA and let us deliver your stock straight in.
- Selling to cafés and shops? We can deliver to you in bulk and you supply them. Read how to sell your coffee brand into cafés, gyms and farm shops.
Put your fulfilment cost into our coffee brand margin calculator to see what each route leaves you per bag, and see our white label coffee prices for the coffee itself.
Frequently asked questions
How do new coffee brands get their coffee to customers?
There are three common routes: send orders yourself, use a fulfilment house (a 3PL) that stores your stock and sends each order, or sell through Amazon and let Amazon FBA store and send your orders. Many brands start by sending orders themselves and add a 3PL or FBA as they grow.
Do you drop ship orders to my customers?
No. We roast your coffee and deliver it in bulk to you, to your fulfilment house or into Amazon FBA. Your orders to customers are then sent by you, your 3PL or Amazon.
How much does Amazon FBA cost for a bag of coffee?
As a guide, Amazon UK's fulfilment fee for a 250g bag in a small parcel is around £3.00 per unit outside peak season, with storage charged per cubic foot each month and a Grocery referral fee of 5% on items up to £10. Check the current rates in Seller Central before you price.
How much does a UK fulfilment house charge?
As a guide, UK 3PLs charge around £1.50 to £3.00 to pick and pack an order, plus postage, with storage from about £3 to £6 per pallet per week. Small volumes sit at the top of those ranges.
Can you deliver straight into Amazon?
Yes. We prepare your stock for Amazon FBA, ideally with a barcode on each label so Amazon needs no extra labelling, or with Amazon's own stickers applied, and send it in on Amazon's partnered carrier booked in your Seller Central account.
Do you supply brands in the EU?
Yes. EU orders are paid in full up front and priced in pounds, and we deliver to your door. Your business is the importer of record and handles import duties and VAT.
Start your brand
Tell us where you plan to sell and we will plan delivery around it. Samples are free, you pay £9.95 shipping. Read our start a coffee brand page, or ask for a quote. A roastery since 1975, We Are Coffee Co since 2023.
Sources
- Royal Mail Tracked 48 online prices, royalmail.com, checked 11 November 2026.
- Amazon UK FBA rate card effective 1 July 2026, as published by AMZ Prep (amzprep.com), checked 11 November 2026.
- UK fulfilment cost index 2026, Eightx (eightx.co), refreshed 1 June 2026.
