Shopify Fulfillment Network (SFN) is a first-party app built to help merchants outsource fulfillment through a vetted network of trusted third-party logistics (3PL) partners.

As the sole designer on a team of 11, I led the end-to-end product design process—from conducting research, mapping out user goals and designing the interface for launch.

While this project also included work on the fulfillment dashboard, this case study focuses on the marketplace experience, where much of the design exploration and decision-making occurred.

Scaling fulfillment is not easy

Once merchants reach roughly 100+ orders per week, self-shipping becomes unsustainable. Many want to focus on growing their business but still offer fast delivery options. With more than 70,000 3PLs in the U.S., finding the right partner can be overwhelming. Most rely on word of mouth, online searches, or paid platforms.

Merchants of this size make up roughly 8–10% of Shopify stores, signaling a key opportunity for Shopify. This aligns with Shopify’s mission to grow with merchants and support them at every stage of their business. Few competitors offered a trusted platform for comparing and connecting with 3PLs, which positioned Shopify well to fill that gap.

Learnings from research

Through user interviews with self-shipping merchants, we uncovered that:

• Merchants trust Shopify’s recommendations, validating the need for a vetted partner network
• They want clear, upfront information on pricing, shipping speed, and delivery coverage
• Merchants with some logistics knowledge were more likely to transition successfully to a 3PL
• They expect ongoing transparency once fulfillment begins

To understand the partner perspective, we visited two 3PL warehouses and surveyed partners to learn about their processes, value propositions, and the types of merchants they sought to work with.These insights shaped where we decided to focus our efforts — helping merchants choose the right 3PL confidently and maintain visibility once fulfillment began.

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Focus areas and goals

I focused on two key jobs to be done:

• As a merchant, I want to easily compare 3PLs so that I can find and contact one to start outsourcing fulfillment.
• As a merchant, I want visibility and insights into my partner’s fulfillment so I can track orders and measure performance.

Success metrics:

• Onboard at least 4 partners to launch
• Drive measurable conversion from app install, to partner selection and then to inventory sent
• Refer 300+ merchants per month to 3PLs

The marketplace of 3PLs

Pattern recognition
I researched recommendation interfaces such as credit card comparison tools like NerdWallet, purchase guides from The Strategist and Wirecutter, and product comparison layouts from companies like Apple.

I wanted to make the interface highly visual, allowing merchants to compare fulfillment times with a 3PL, view delivery coverage on a map, and directly compare two partners side by side. However, this proved to be too engineering-intensive, and we did not have enough data to support it, so we simplified the design.

I was inspired by the idea of creating profile cards for each 3PL that highlighted the metrics merchants cared about most. A unique challenge was selecting which metrics to standardize across partners. We focused on what merchants wanted to see and shared these priorities with partners so they could align with Shopify’s framework.

Through conversations with our partners, I learned that they tailor their services to each store’s products and needs. To account for that, I designed a pricing calculator so merchants could estimate costs upfront based on their unique products, order volume, and shipping destinations.

The layout was initially designed to scale to dozens of partners, which is why I chose a grid format to accommodate that growth. Eventually, we decided to scale back the design to fit our initial launch with four partners, as it was unclear how long it would take the business team to onboard additional ones.

The fulfillment dashboard

To ensure the app remained useful after a merchant connected with a 3PL, we replaced the marketplace interface with a dashboard that surfaced insights into the 3PL’s fulfillment performance.

The principle of this post-connection flow was to give merchants a clear window into their provider’s performance. 3PLs remained responsible for resolving issues, and any merchant actions were redirected to the provider’s platform.

This level of visibility did not previously exist in Shopify’s interfaces, making SFN especially valuable for merchants tracking how their partners performed.

The design reused existing Shopify analytics components for consistency and familiarity. I also designed a component within Shopify’s Order Details page that provided real-time updates on a 3PL’s activity, including when an order was packed, shipped, and delivered.

Results and learnings

We launched Shopify Fulfillment Network with four partners. Within the first month, the app saw 1.9K installs, 335 merchants contacting a 3PL, and 22 merchants successfully sending inventory to their partner.

The response was encouraging. 3PL partners shared positive feedback, SFN was featured in Shopify’s quarterly highlights, and one merchant left a 5-star review describing how satisfied they were with their partner.

I learned how to balance the needs of partners while keeping the focus on merchants. Although 3PLs were key collaborators, our primary users were always the merchants. Partners quickly recognized that by aligning with Shopify’s standards, they could access an exclusive network of engaged, high-intent businesses.

Designing for logistics reinforced that software is only one part of the fulfillment puzzle because much of the complexity happens offline where products, warehouses, and people intersect. Still, I’m proud that our work simplified a critical first step: helping merchants connect with partners they can trust.