When TikTok Shop's US site announced the cancellation of its previously mandated "centralized warehousing and shipping" policy, many sellers' first reaction was quite genuine—"Finally, we can choose our own logistics!"
The platform's reopening of third-party logistics and self-shipping options not only signifies a change in rules but also means that the initiative has returned to the sellers. For merchants selling apparel, home goods, and small items in the US market, this is almost an opportunity to restructure their warehousing and distribution systems. However, problems arise: with more freedom in choosing logistics, how should warehousing and distribution be selected to avoid both inventory buildup and delivery delays?
With greater freedom in logistics, the pressure is even more real.
The US e-commerce market is already mature. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the scale of online retail in the US remains high, and consumers have increasingly higher demands for delivery experiences. Two- to three-day delivery is now the norm; any delay will result in negative reviews and refunds.
In the past, under the centralized warehousing and shipping model, sellers, while constrained, had relatively simple processes; now, with the return of choice, they must consider warehousing, shipping, and returns themselves. Especially for small and medium-sized sellers, several problems can easily arise if warehousing and logistics don't keep pace: inability to ship orders during peak periods, inventory piling up in warehouses during off-seasons, and slow return processing that impacts resale. Logistics "freedom" actually tests a seller's overall operational capabilities.
Why are more and more sellers re-emphasizing a US overseas warehouse?
Ultimately, the US market is one where "local efficiency determines the experience." While cross-border direct shipping is flexible, delivery times fluctuate greatly; local overseas warehouses, on the other hand, offer more stable fulfillment. Firstly, overseas warehouses allow for advance inventory preparation, moving the transportation chain forward and shortening last-mile delivery time. Secondly, a distribution network of warehouses in the East and West Coasts can cover orders from different regions, reducing cross-regional transportation costs.
More importantly, there's the issue of returns and exchanges. E-commerce almost inevitably involves returns. Long return processing times slow down inventory turnover and disrupt cash flow. Local warehouses can complete returns, relabeling, and relisting much faster—a crucial but often overlooked aspect for sellers.
A truly effective overseas warehouse is more than just "large in size."
U-Speed has two overseas warehouses in the US, one in the East Coast and one in the West Coast, with a total area of 20,000 square meters. The warehouses are equipped with light and heavy-duty shelving, forklifts, a WMS warehouse management system, PDAs, and a 24-hour monitoring system, boasting comprehensive hardware infrastructure.
What determines the user experience is the system and processes.
U-Speed's US overseas warehouses have their own WMS warehouse management system, with multi-platform API integration. They have already integrated with TEMU, TikTok, SHEIN, and AE, supporting platform order pushes and a clear dropshipping process, eliminating the need for sellers to perform repetitive manual operations. As an officially certified SHEIN semi-managed warehouse, it can also handle TEMU semi-managed and TikTok shipping needs.
In terms of processing capacity, it can handle up to 100,000 packages per day. Whether it's daily orders or peak periods during promotional events, it maintains stable outbound shipments.
Detail-oriented capabilities are also key to stable warehousing and logistics.
Many sellers, when partnering with overseas warehouses, are truly concerned about three questions: How fast is the outbound shipment? How accurate is the inventory? Can returns be processed promptly? U-Speed warehouses implement strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), with a Chinese management team overseeing operational details on-site. Data is updated in real-time for both inbound and outbound processes, allowing for immediate verification of discrepancies and minimizing the risk of incorrect or missed shipments.
SKUs are managed through meticulous zoning, arranged according to shipping frequency to improve picking efficiency and reduce waiting time. Returns and relabeling are processed and data uploaded within 48 hours to ensure products are quickly returned to sales status.
These seemingly "basic" capabilities are precisely what determine the seller experience.
Following policy changes, warehousing and logistics capabilities become a competitive advantage.
The relaxation of logistics policies in the US for TikTok Shop gives sellers more options. However, the real differentiator is not whether to choose third-party logistics, but whether there is a stable and mature overseas warehousing system to support it.
Apparel, home furnishings, and small items have high inventory turnover requirements. Unstable shipping or slow return processing can easily impact store ratings and repurchase rates. Compared to frequently changing logistics solutions, establishing a long-term overseas warehousing partnership is more conducive to stable growth.
U-Speed's US overseas warehouses offer sellers safe, efficient, and cost-effective warehousing and distribution solutions through system integration, multi-platform support, and localized team management. With logistics options now more readily available, proactively optimizing warehousing and distribution structures is worse than reactive responses. In the US e-commerce market, products are the foundation, traffic is the entry point, and warehousing and distribution capabilities are becoming a true competitive advantage.
