Evaluate proximity to major highways and ports, facility capabilities (temperature control, racking, clear heights), carrier access and consolidation options, SLA performance (OTIF, pick accuracy), scalability for peak seasons, and value-added services like kitting and returns handling. Confirm labor skillsets and local operating hours to match your order cycles.

Costs in Saldus are often lower due to reduced land and labor rates, but transportation per-pallet costs can vary with distance to major ports. Key drivers: real estate rents, labor availability, handling complexity, required service levels, and carrier density. Assess total landed cost (storage + handling + transport) rather than unit line-item rates.

Saldus benefits from efficient trucking lanes to Riga and Liepāja ports and direct overland routes to Estonia, Lithuania and Poland. Expect next-day to two-day ground transit to neighbouring Baltic capitals and 2–4 day lead times into parts of Scandinavia and Central Europe depending on consolidation frequency and carrier schedules.

Require a modern WMS with real-time inventory, API/EDI connectivity for order and shipment exchange, barcode/RFID scanning, configurable order-routing rules and reporting dashboards. Preference should be given to providers that support carrier-agnostic rate-shopping, returns processing workflows, and KPI exports for OTIF and inventory reconciliation.