Prioritize transit time to your customer base, dock and staging capacity, peak‑season labor plans, WMS and API capability, returns handling, inventory visibility and reporting, and carrier mix (parcel, LTL, same‑day couriers). Run transit-matrix scenarios and landed-cost models to compare providers on total cost-to-serve.

Higher labor and real estate increase per‑pick and storage rates, pushing decisions toward micro‑fulfillment, cross‑dock, or regional stock pooling. Strong carrier access can offset costs by lowering transit and parcel rates; evaluate total landed cost rather than headline warehousing rates.

Manhattan 3PLs commonly support eCommerce parcel fulfillment, B2B replenishment, and omnichannel fulfillment with same/next‑day options. Verify WMS real‑time inventory, multi-channel order routing, returns processing, kitting/assembly capability, and integration maturity with your OMS and carriers.

Expect consistent same‑day and next‑day delivery to much of the metro area when stock is local; 2‑3 day ground to outer suburbs is typical. SLA targets should reflect peak season variability; require buffer capacity and clear KPIs for on‑time rates and order accuracy.

Require demonstration of API/EDI integrations, real‑time inventory feeds, automated rate shopping, and robust reporting. Assess the 3PL’s ability to ramp labor, provide temporary storage, and maintain error rates under peak throughput with historical metrics and client references.