Prioritize proximity to major highways and cross-border lanes, dock and staging capacity, racking and cubic utilization, WMS interoperability and API connectivity, labor pool consistency, SLA guarantees for pick-and-pack, and contingency plans for peak demand.

Expect lower land and labor costs than primary metro markets, which can reduce fixed warehousing rates. Factor in potential higher line-haul to large consumer metros, accessorials, and carrier density when modelling total landed cost.

Confirm scheduled carrier coverage on national routes, availability of regional LTL and full-truck services, any nearby rail spurs or intermodal terminals, and proven cross-border carrier experience for customs and transit lanes.

Require a modern WMS with real-time inventory visibility, API order integration, scalable pick-and-pack resources, value-added services (kitting, labeling), returns processing workflows, and capacity flexibility to scale for seasonal peaks.

Use KPIs such as order accuracy, OTIF delivery, average transit time, inventory turns, dock-to-stock time, cost per order, and returns rate. Establish regular performance reviews, root-cause analyses, and shared continuous-improvement targets.