Warehousing and fulfilment for your stock in Malta

Pure storage is the simplest arrangement: pallets go in, sit in racking and come out in full or in cases when you call them off. Charges are usually per pallet space per week, plus handling in and out. It suits manufacturers and wholesalers who ship in bulk.

Fulfilment adds pick, pack and dispatch of individual orders, usually fed automatically from your online shop or marketplace account. The warehouse holds your stock at item level, takes orders during the day, packs them to your specification and hands them to carriers against a cut-off time. Here the integration with your shop, the cut-off and the accuracy rate matter more than the storage price.

Many businesses need a mix: bulk stock on pallets feeding a pick face for single orders, plus occasional pallet deliveries to retailers. Describe your whole flow, not just the part you are worried about.

Warehouses price by activity, so two quotes can only be compared on the same assumptions. Give each provider the same numbers: average and peak pallet count, orders per month, items per order, the share of orders that come back, and the size and weight of a typical parcel.

Seasonality is the classic trap. A contract priced on an average month may carry minimum volumes, or it may lack the space and staff for your November. Ask how peak capacity is guaranteed and what happens to storage charges when stock sits longer than planned.

• storage per pallet or shelf location, and how part-used locations are charged
• goods-in handling: palletised, loose-loaded containers, labelling
• pick and pack per order and per additional item, packaging materials
• carrier rates, or whether you bring your own carrier accounts
• returns processing per item, including inspection and re-labelling
• system set-up, integration and monthly software fees
• minimum monthly charges and notice period

The contract should say how stock is recorded and counted, how often a full or rolling stocktake happens, and what tolerance for discrepancies is treated as normal. It should also state the warehouse's liability for loss or damage and the limit on it. Standard logistics terms often cap liability by weight or per claim, which may be far below what your products are worth, so check what your own stock insurance covers while goods are off your premises.

Many warehouse terms give the provider a lien over your goods for unpaid invoices. That is normal, but it means a billing dispute can stop you moving your stock. Agree the exit process in advance: notice period, how stock is handed over, who pays for loading out and how data is returned.

The GDPR applies to shipment and customer data; in Malta the Information and Data Protection Commissioner (IDPC) is the supervisory authority. If a supplier processes personal data on your behalf, you need a data processing agreement.

Maltese companies are registered with the Malta Business Registry. Ask suppliers for their company and VAT numbers, and whether they work in English, Maltese or both.

Source: idpc.org.mt · eur-lex.europa.eu · mbr.mt

You confirm your mobile number with a text code and your email address with a link. We then show the request to businesses in your area, without your name or contact details. Only one business can take it on; it pays Offrano for the request, and it costs you nothing.

Before that business sees your details, we email you its name, address and phone number. We check only that it is a registered business, for example through its Malta Business Registry entry or VAT number, not the quality of its work. We cannot promise that a business will respond; if nobody takes the request within 21 days, we withdraw it. Offrano is not a party to any contract for the work.