Prioritize measurable criteria: dock and staging capacity, handling equipment (RF scanners, conveyors), slotting and pick accuracy rates, WMS/API integration, SLA for order processing, carrier mix for last-mile delivery, and scalability for peak volumes. Also evaluate unit economics: storage rates, picking fees, and inbound/outbound freight handling costs.

Proximity reduces dray and rail transit, lowering landed costs for imports/exports and enabling faster replenishment cycles. Close highway access to I-85/I-385 shortens overland transit to Southeast hubs, reducing transit days, carrier surcharges, and enabling more competitive two-day ground coverage for high-density markets.

Require cloud-capable WMS with real-time inventory, API-based order/returns integration, barcode/RFID support, configurable business rules for channel prioritization, visibility dashboards, and standardized EDI or REST endpoints for seamless order routing, refund processing, and return-to-stock procedures.

Key levers include right-sizing storage density and slotting to reduce pick time, consolidating inbound shipments to lower LTL spend, leveraging local carrier networks to reduce last-mile premiums, negotiating blended rates for seasonal volume, and automating manual processes to reduce labor cost per order.