Apparel & Custom Branded
Every size. Every color.
Every time.
Size/color matrix management, retail-ready packaging, poly-bagging, and hang-tag insertion — fulfillment built specifically for the complexity of apparel brands at scale.
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What's Included
Apparel fulfillment built for
the SKU explosion problem
A shirt in 5 sizes and 4 colors is 20 SKUs. Add another style, and you're at 40. SML's apparel fulfillment is designed to manage that complexity without the errors that come with it.
Size / Color Matrix Management
Every size and color combination is a discrete SKU with its own barcode, bin location, and pick path. Associates scan to confirm variant — not eyeball it. A small black tee and a medium black tee are never in the same order unless the customer ordered both.
Poly-Bagging & Garment Prep
Individual garments poly-bagged per your spec — flat fold, rolled, or hanging configuration. Bag thickness, size labeling on the outside of the bag, and hanger removal or retention all documented per SKU.
Hang-Tag Insertion
Hang tags, care card inserts, brand story cards, or price tickets applied per your spec before units ship. For retail-bound inventory, we apply price stickers and hang tags to meet your retail partner's floor-ready requirements.
Retail-Ready Packaging
Wholesale and retail orders packed to your retail partner's routing guide — EDI-compliant labeling, floor-ready folding and bagging spec, UCC-128 carton labels, and packing slip format. We handle the complexity so your retail relationship stays clean.
Returns Sorting by Variant
Returned apparel sorted, inspected, and restocked by the correct size/color variant — not thrown back into a generic bin. Sellable units return to the right location; unsellable units flagged for your review.
Wholesale Pick & Ship
Wholesale orders fulfilled per your buyer's routing guide. Cartons built to their case-pack requirements, labeled to their spec, and shipped to their DC or store locations on their delivery window — not yours.
How It Works
How apparel fulfillment
works at SML
From inbound garment receiving to retail-floor-ready shipments — every step is documented and variant-accurate.
Inbound Receiving by Variant
Your inventory arrives. We receive by SKU — not by style — counting each size and color separately and confirming against your PO. Discrepancies (wrong size ratios, wrong colorways) are caught at receiving, not after you've processed 500 orders.
Variant-Level ReceivingGarment Prep & Location Assignment
Garments are prepped per SKU spec: hang-tagged, poly-bagged, or left in their shipped state depending on your configuration. Each variant is assigned its own bin location and confirmed in our WMS before any orders are picked.
Prep Before PickOrder Pick — Scan Verified
Pick lists route associates to the correct bin for each variant. Every garment scanned against the order line — size and color confirmed by barcode before it moves to packing. No visual-identification picking on apparel.
Scan-to-ConfirmPack per Spec or Routing Guide
DTC orders packed per your unboxing spec. Retail and wholesale orders packed per your buyer's routing guide — fold configuration, poly bag size, carton pack quantities, and label placement all followed to the retailer's requirement.
Channel-Specific PackShip with Correct Documentation
DTC orders ship with tracking pushed to your storefront. Wholesale orders ship with the retailer's required documentation — EDI-compliant shipping notices, UCC-128 labels, and packing list format. Both channels handled cleanly from the same operation.
Dual-Channel ReadyWho It's For
For apparel brands that have
outgrown one-size-fits-all fulfillment
Standard 3PLs often struggle with apparel because the variant complexity breaks their standard pick process. SML's operation is designed around the way apparel actually works.
DTC apparel brands with 20+ active SKUs across sizes and colors who need variant-accurate fulfillment without a dedicated warehouse team.
Brands selling into retail or wholesale that need a 3PL that understands routing guide compliance — EDI labels, floor-ready packaging, and delivery windows that retail buyers actually enforce.
Brands with frequent launches and seasonal collections who need rapid onboarding of new SKUs without disrupting the existing pick operation.
Apparel brands running both DTC and wholesale channels from the same inventory pool who need channel-specific packing without splitting their stock.
Maybe not the right fit if…
- You need on-demand or custom printing (DTG, screen print, embroidery) — we fulfill finished goods only
- You're under 200 orders/month and variant complexity is manageable at your current scale
- You sell exclusively through Amazon FBA (handled separately under our FBA Prep service)
Not sure if SML is the right fit? Tell us about your operation — we'll give you a straight answer.
Talk to Our Team →FAQ
Common questions
Ready for fulfillment that
actually understands apparel?
Get a free quote for apparel and custom branded fulfillment. Tell us your variant count, channels, and monthly volume — we'll confirm fit and give you clear pricing.