Scaling Globally Starts in the Warehouse

👉👉👉Everyone wants to talk about customer acquisition. Nobody wants to talk about warehouses. Until orders start arriving late Returns start piling up And customers start asking where their parcel is Suddenly, fulfilment becomes the most interesting part of the business. In this episode of the eCom Collab Club® Podcast, Adam Pearce sits down with Steph Mitcheson, Business Development Director at Prolog Fulfilment Global, to unpack one of the most overlooked growth levers in eCommerce: operations. Steph has worked across manufacturers, retailers and 3PLs, helping brands navigate everything from global fulfilment and reverse logistics to marketplaces, returns and international growth. Together, they discuss when it makes sense to outsource fulfilment, the hidden costs of getting logistics wrong, why returns shouldn't be treated as an afterthought, and how operational excellence can become a genuine competitive advantage. Because customers rarely remember when fulfilment goes well. They always remember when it doesn't. In this episode – Why fulfilment is part of your customer experience, not just your operations – The biggest mistakes brands make before moving to a 3PL When outsourcing fulfilment makes commercial sense (and when it doesn't) – The hidden costs of running your own warehouse for too long – Why returns are a growth opportunity, not just an operational headache – Reverse logistics and how to recover value from returned products – Expanding internationally without creating operational chaos – Amazon, marketplaces and fulfilling across multiple channels – The importance of communication when something inevitably goes wrong – Building logistics that support growth instead of restricting it Timestamps 00:00 – Why fulfilment becomes everyone's problem eventually 01:03 – Meet Steph Mitcheson and Prolog Fulfilment Global 01:37 – Why fulfilment is a competitive advantage 04:15 – When should brands move to a 3PL? 08:40 – The biggest mistakes growing brands make with fulfilment 11:00 – Running your own warehouse versus outsourcing 16:30 – Global fulfilment and scaling internationally 21:05 – Amazon, marketplaces and multi-channel fulfilment 27:40 – Reverse logistics and why returns matter 34:15 – Customer experience starts after checkout 40:20 – Sustainability, refurbishment and circular logistics 46:00 – Advice for brands preparing to scale 50:00 – Final thoughts About the Guest Steph Mitcheson is Business Development Director at Prolog Fulfilment Global. With experience spanning manufacturers, retailers and third-party logistics providers, Steph helps brands optimise fulfilment, international logistics, returns and reverse logistics to improve customer experience and support sustainable growth. 🔗 Prolog Fulfilment Global → https://prologfulfilment.com/ 🔗 Steph Mitcheson on LinkedIn →   / steph-mitcheson-4238a214   About the Host Adam Pearce is Co-Founder of Blend Commerce and Founder of eCom Collab Club®. Through Blend Commerce, Adam helps Shopify brands improve conversion and customer experience, while eCom Collab Club® brings founders and operators together to share the lessons they wish they'd learned sooner. 🔗 Blend Commerce → https://blendcommerce.com 🔗 eCom Collab Club® → https://ecomcollabclub.com Resources Prolog Fulfilment Global → https://prologfulfilment.com/ Blend Commerce → https://blendcommerce.com 👍 Like the episode 🔔 Subscribe for more honest conversations with eCommerce founders and operators. 💬 Question: What's the biggest fulfilment challenge your business has faced as it's grown? #eCommerce #Fulfilment #Logistics #ThirdPartyLogistics #3PL #SupplyChain #WarehouseManagement #OrderFulfilment #ReverseLogistics #ReturnsManagement #CustomerExperience #eCommerceGrowth #GlobalExpansion #InternationalShipping #DirectToConsumer #DTC #RetailLogistics #eCommerceOperations #OnlineRetail #eCommercePodcast