Signs it is time to switch
It is usually time to switch pet 3PLs when the same problems repeat after you have raised them clearly. The common ones in pet are product shipping out of date order, no lot data on shipped orders, recurring mis-picks between flavors or sizes, damaged heavy bags, missed retailer requirements that lead to chargebacks, and autoship orders that ship late.
One bad week is not a reason to move. A pattern is. Before you start looking, document the issues with dates and examples. That record helps you write clear requirements for the next provider and gives you a fair basis for conversations with your current one, including any exit terms in your agreement.
Review your current contract first
Read your current agreement before you announce anything. Pay attention to notice periods, termination fees, minimums that continue through the notice period, and how outbound inventory transfer is handled and billed.
Also check who owns the data. You need your order history, inventory by lot and best-by date, receiving records and item master in a usable format. If your current warehouse system can export lot-to-order history, request it early. That history is your recall trail for product already in customers' hands, and you are responsible for traceability whether or not the old warehouse is still your partner.
Plan the inventory move by lot
Inventory should move by lot, not just by SKU. Your new 3PL needs to receive every lot with its best-by date so FEFO keeps working from the first order.
- Request a full inventory report by SKU, lot and best-by date from the outgoing warehouse.
- Have pallets labeled by lot before they leave, and avoid mixed-lot pallets wherever possible.
- Do a physical count at departure and at arrival and reconcile the difference.
- Flag short-dated stock before moving it; shipping product that is close to its date across the country may not be worth the freight.
This is also a good moment to clean up. Obsolete packaging, expired samples and discontinued SKUs are cheaper to dispose of or liquidate at the old location than to move and store at the new one.
Keep autoship running during cutover
Autoship continuity is the most important part of a pet 3PL migration. Subscribers expect their food to arrive on schedule, and a missed renewal can cost you the customer.
The safest approach is usually a split cutover: start receiving at the new 3PL while the old one keeps shipping, then switch order routing once the new location has enough stock and its integration is verified. Some brands route new orders and one-time orders to the new location first, and move subscription renewals last. Check your renewal calendar and avoid cutting over during a heavy renewal day or a promo. If you must pause anything, it is better to ship a renewal a few days early than late.
Integrations and channel cutover
Every sales channel needs to be pointed at the new warehouse, and each one behaves differently. Your storefront and subscription app need order routing and inventory sync updated. Marketplaces need inventory and tracking feeds verified. Retail and EDI partners may need updated ship-from addresses and new trading partner testing before the first purchase order ships.
Retail channels deserve extra lead time because vendor compliance changes can take weeks to approve. Ask your new 3PL to run test orders through every channel before go-live, including a subscription renewal, a bundle, a marketplace order and a retail purchase order if you have one. Confirm tracking numbers flow back correctly in each case.
Set the new 3PL up for success
Give the new provider the information the old one learned over time. A clean item master is the foundation: weights, dimensions, case packs, shelf lives, minimum remaining shelf-life rules by channel, storage requirements, packaging rules and kit recipes.
Write down your exceptions too. Which SKUs must never ship together, which treats need odor segregation, which customers receive inserts, which retailers need special labels. Most early mistakes at a new 3PL come from rules that lived in someone's head at the old one. Agree on reporting from day one, including inventory by lot, shipped orders with lot numbers and a damage log.
A realistic timeline
Pet 3PL migrations commonly take several weeks to a few months depending on catalog size, number of channels and retail requirements. A simple storefront brand with a few dozen SKUs moves faster than a brand with retail EDI, multiple subscription programs and dated inventory in several locations.
Avoid migrating close to peak season or a major product launch. Build in time for integration testing, a physical inventory move and a short period where both warehouses overlap. That overlap costs a little more, but it is the cheapest insurance against a stockout during the move.
After go-live, hold a short weekly review for the first month. Look at order accuracy, ship times, renewal performance, damage and inventory variances by lot. Early issues are normal; what matters is that they are visible and fixed quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to switch pet 3PLs?
Switching pet 3PLs commonly takes several weeks to a few months, depending on SKU count, sales channels, retail EDI requirements and how much inventory needs to move.
How do I avoid missing autoship orders when changing warehouses?
Use a split cutover: stock the new warehouse while the old one keeps shipping, verify integrations with a test renewal, and move subscription order routing last, away from heavy renewal days.
What data should I get from my old 3PL?
Get order history with lot numbers, inventory by SKU, lot and best-by date, receiving records and your item master in an exportable format, because you need that trail for recalls.