Prioritise demonstrated transit times to your core customer zones, carrier integrations (APIs), WMS functionality, pick accuracy metrics, SLA penalties, returns handling, and scalable labour models. Compare cost per order including transport, storage, and handling rather than rent alone to assess true efficiency.

Inner‑London locations reduce last‑mile miles and delivery time at the expense of higher rent and smaller footprints. Expect lower transport cost per order and faster delivery windows, balanced against higher inventory carrying per sqm and potential constraints on bulk storage and cross‑dock throughput.

Focus on robust WMS with API connectivity, slot management, batch picking, returns processing, kitting and light assembly, and flexible labour scaling. For B2B customers, prioritise pallet handling, ASN support, and proof‑of‑delivery capabilities to meet trade and EDI requirements.

Request historical time‑in‑transit data for your destination postcodes, review carrier contracts and cut‑off times, perform pilot orders during peak and off‑peak windows, and validate SLA performance with live tracking and exception reporting to ensure quoted service levels are achievable.