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Meaning & use

e-fulfillment

noun·Academicbusiness

Last updated

UK/ˌiː fʊlˈfɪlmənt/
US/ˌiː fʊlˈfɪlmənt/

Meanings

  1. noununcountablebusiness

    The process of receiving, packing and delivering orders that customers place online, including handling returns.

    Grammar: Uncountable: the company handles its own e-fulfillment.

    Patterns

    • e-fulfillment of something
    • e-fulfillment services

    The shop outsourced its e-fulfillment to a warehouse near the airport.

    Good e-fulfillment means orders arrive quickly and in good condition.

    E-fulfillment costs grew as online sales boomed.

  2. nouncountable or uncountablebusiness

    A service or system, usually run by a specialist firm, that stores goods and ships them for online sellers.

    Grammar: Used for a service or a business area: an e-fulfillment provider.

    Patterns

    • e-fulfillment provider
    • e-fulfillment center

    Small sellers often hire an e-fulfillment provider to ship their products.

    The retailer opened a new e-fulfillment center in the north.

    A strong e-fulfillment platform tracks every parcel.

Common combinations

e-fulfillment provider
We chose an e-fulfillment provider that offers next-day delivery.
e-fulfillment center
The e-fulfillment center ships thousands of parcels daily.
outsource e-fulfillment
Many startups outsource e-fulfillment.
e-fulfillment services
E-fulfillment services include storage and returns.
streamline e-fulfillment
New software helped streamline e-fulfillment.

Synonyms and how they differ

order fulfillment
Order fulfillment covers all orders, online or not, while e-fulfillment is limited to online shopping.
distribution
Distribution is a wider term for getting goods to sellers or buyers, but e-fulfillment is specific to individual online orders.
logistics
Logistics covers the overall movement and storage of goods, whereas e-fulfillment focuses on filling customer orders.
shipping
Shipping is just the sending stage, while e-fulfillment includes storage, packing and returns.

Word family

fulfill verb
to complete or carry out, as an order
fulfillment noun
the act of carrying out or satisfying something
e-commerce noun
buying and selling over the internet
fulfillment center noun
a warehouse where online orders are packed and sent

Commonly confused: e-fulfillment or fulfillment? e-fulfillment or efulfilment?

e-fulfillment vs fulfillment

Fulfillment alone can also mean personal satisfaction, as in a fulfilling career, so e-fulfillment is the specific online-order term.

e-fulfillment vs efulfilment

Efulfilment is a missing-hyphen spelling and the British variant; e-fulfillment with a hyphen and double l is the American form.

Practice

The online store hired a specialist company to store its goods, pack orders and ship them. This service is called ___.

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