B2B logistics for retailers and distributors: multi-line orders, delivery notes, pallets and replenishment

Many sports and parts brands sell both to consumers and to shops, workshops, clubs or distributors. The product is the same, but a B2B order runs on different rules: more lines, more units per line, documents the customer checks on arrival and, often, an agreed delivery date. If your warehouse treats those orders as a large ecommerce order, problems follow: poorly identified cartons, delivery notes that do not match and returns because the customer’s conditions were not met.

What makes a B2B order different from a B2C order

The main difference is not size but what the recipient does with the goods. A consumer opens a box and uses the product; a shop receives it, counts it against a document, books it into its system and puts it on the shelf. Every step of that process depends on your shipment arriving in order.

Aspect	B2C order (ecommerce)	B2B order (shop or distributor)
Lines per order	1-3 SKUs	Dozens of SKUs, sizes and colours
Units per line	Usually 1	Full cartons or pack multiples
Paperwork	Invoice or receipt, sometimes paperless	Priced or unpriced delivery note, packing list, labels per carton
Shipping unit	Parcel	Several cartons or a pallet
Timing	As soon as possible	Agreed delivery date or window
Issues	Individual return	Claim for discrepancies, partial or full rejection

Picking multi-line orders

An order from a cycling shop may include jerseys in five sizes, bib shorts in three and several glove SKUs. Picking it properly takes method:

• Pick by location, not by the order of the list: the warehouse sets the route, not the order in which the sales rep typed the lines.
• Scan every line against the exact SKU, size and colour. In parts, two items that differ by a single digit are the most common error.
• Check quantities in pack cartons: if the master carton holds 12 units and the order asks for 10, it has to be opened, counted and the rest resealed.
• Handle shortages: agree with your operator whether to ship what is available and back-order the rest, or hold the order until it is complete. It should be written down for each customer.

Pre-packs and assortments

In sportswear it is common to sell by size curve (for example, a carton with 1 S, 2 M, 2 L and 1 XL). If your operator can build those assortments as a kit item, the shop receives exactly what it ordered and you reduce counting errors.

Delivery note, packing list and carton labelling

Paperwork is what generates the most claims in B2B. It helps to distinguish three items:

1. Delivery note: the delivery document the recipient signs. It can be priced or unpriced; many brands prefer it to travel without prices when the recipient is not the one paying.
2. Packing list: details what each carton contains. With it, the shop can check one carton without opening all the others.
3. Carton label: identifies the carton (order, carton number “3 of 7”, consignee). Some chains also require their own logistics label with a barcode.

If a shop cannot check your shipment in minutes, it will set it aside and your invoice will be paid later. Paperwork is part of the product.

Cartons, pallets and transport

Once an order goes beyond a few cartons, it pays to consolidate it on a pallet. Some basic guidelines:

• Heavy cartons at the bottom; fragile ones (visors, helmets) on top or on a separate pallet.
• Stretch film and corner boards so the pallet arrives stable; a label visible on at least two sides.
• Respect the maximum height the carrier or the customer’s loading bay will accept.
• For a few cartons, parcel services usually work out better than groupage; for several pallets, the reverse. Compare before setting a rule.

Key account requirements

Retail chains, large distributors and B2B marketplaces usually have a supplier manual. Before signing with a key account, ask for that manual and check with your operator whether it can comply. You will typically find:

• Booked delivery appointments in a specific slot; arriving outside it can mean rejection.
• Advance shipping notice (ASN) with the contents of each carton, sometimes via EDI.
• Product labelling with their code or their retail price.
• Pallets with standard dimensions and heights, without mixing SKUs in one carton or with a maximum number of SKUs per carton.
• Penalties for delays, shortages or incorrect paperwork.

Each of these requirements has a labour cost. Do not let it surprise you on the invoice: ask how it is charged before accepting the order.

Store replenishment and shared stock

Replenishment is the B2B order that repeats: the shop sells and orders what it is missing, or you send stock based on what it has sold. To make it work you need to see truly available stock, separate from stock already committed to online orders. According to industry indices for 2025-2026, 69% of brands require real-time stock visibility from their operator, and in B2B that visibility is the difference between promising a date and meeting it.

When ecommerce and shops draw on the same stock, set allocation rules: which channel takes priority in a launch, how many units are set aside for shops and when they are released. If replenishment arrives from the factory already allocated by store, cross-docking can save you storage.

Checklist: what to ask your operator for B2B

• Picking with every line scanned, including size and colour.
• System-generated delivery note and packing list, in your format and your language.
• Labelling per carton and, if you need them, customer labels.
• Building assortments and pre-packs.
• Pallet consolidation and a choice between parcel and groupage.
• A single stock pool for ecommerce and B2B, with allocation by channel.
• A B2B rate separate from B2C: per order, per line, per carton or per pallet.

At ZENVU we pick ecommerce and B2B orders from the same stock in our warehouse in Álava, Spain, with picking guided by the WMS and real-time stock by SKU, size, colour and condition in ZENVU Portal. You can see how we organise it in B2B logistics or request your rate on pricing.