In 2026, where will your revenue actually come from?
If your answer is Amazon, TikTok, Walmart, D2C, and most likely a combination of the above, how do you plan to build one backend that can support those channels without losing margin or control?
Rising marketplace fees, tighter SLAs, faster policy changes, and Amazon’s decision to end in-house FBA prep and item labeling in the U.S. by January 1, 2026 have all shifted what a sound fulfillment strategy looks like.
In this post, we’ll walk through what sound fulfillment strategy looks like in the 2026 e-commerce landscape, and how to plan for the new omnichannel reality.
RELATED: TikTok Fulfillment Is Reshaping Inventory Planning and Multichannel Fulfillment
Start With Strategy: Where Are You Selling in 2026?
Before you compare fulfillment programs, you need clarity on your channel mix.
Are you still primarily an Amazon business, with Shopify or TikTok Shop as early experiments? Or are DTC, TikTok Shop, and wholesale already meaningful contributors, with Amazon becoming one part of a broader mix?
Your fulfillment strategy should start from this reality – and where you expect it to be 12–24 months from now – not from a generic checklist.
When brands skip this step, fulfillment becomes reactive. Inventory gets stuck in the wrong places. Teams spend time managing exceptions instead of executing consistently. Margin erosion shows up gradually, rather than as one obvious problem you can quickly fix.
The 2026 Reality: Omnichannel Comes First
Most growth-focused brands now sell in more than one place. Amazon remains critical, but TikTok Shop, DTC, and wholesale are no longer side tests. They are real revenue streams with real service expectations.
That is why the decision set has shifted. The key question is no longer just “FBA vs. FBM,” but which channels your operation is actually built to serve, and how each SKU and order flow should move through your fulfillment network.
The brands that handle this well are less focused on labels like “FBA brand” or “FBM brand” and more focused on building a backend that can adapt as fee structures, service requirements, and platform rules change.
👉 If you are unsure where Amazon stops making financial sense for certain SKUs, a practical starting point is to pressure-test storage and fulfillment costs using Tactical’s Free AWD vs. 3PL Break-Even Calculator.
Fulfillment Strategy for Amazon-First Brands
For brands where most revenue still runs through Amazon, FBA will usually remain central. Prime visibility and Buy Box competitiveness still matter, and for small, fast-moving items, FBA can remain a strong option.
What has changed is the risk profile.
As of January 1, 2026, Amazon no longer offers prep and item labeling services for FBA shipments in the U.S. At the same time, fulfillment and storage costs have increased, and inbound performance is bound to be affected by placement rules and capacity constraints.
A more resilient Amazon-first strategy uses FBA selectively, rather than by default.
Core, Prime-sensitive, high-velocity SKUs continue to sit in FBA. Prep, labeling, kitting, and quality control move off Amazon so inventory arrives FBA-ready. Oversized, slow-moving, or margin-sensitive SKUs are routed through FBM or a 3PL, where storage and handling can be aligned to the product’s economics.
In this structure, a capable 3PL becomes a critical part of the model. The 3PL handles FBA-compliant prep before inventory reaches Amazon, runs FBM for SKUs that do not fit FBA’s fee profile, and maintains backup offers when inbound delays or stockouts put sales and rank at risk.
This preserves the upside of FBA while reducing dependence on a single warehouse network.
👉 Tactical supports Amazon-heavy sellers with West Coast facilities built for FBA prep, FBM backup, and fast replenishment from one shared inventory pool. Book a call with our team to learn more.
Fulfillment Strategy for Omnichannel Brands
Once TikTok Shop, Shopify, and wholesale move beyond small tests, the primary risk shifts.
It is no longer about picking the “wrong” Amazon program, but about trying to run multiple channels on fragmented inventory and disconnected workflows.
This is how organizations end up effectively operating several separate fulfillment systems that all compete for the same stock, attention, and internal resources.
For serious omnichannel sellers, the center of gravity moves away from any single marketplace and toward a shared operational backbone.
In 2026, that backbone is typically a 3PL or internal warehouse that receives, preps, and stores inventory under one set of standards. From there, Amazon FBM and Seller-Fulfilled Prime orders, TikTok Shop orders, DTC shipments, wholesale orders, and FBA replenishment all draw from the same inventory pool.
In this model, FBA becomes a performance layer. You still use it where Prime eligibility and conversion gains justify the cost. TikTok-native fulfillment options can be evaluated the same way: useful for certain SKUs and campaigns, but not something to build your entire operation around.
The foundation is not a single platform’s warehouse network. It is a fulfillment network that can route orders wherever demand appears next — without forcing you to redesign your backend every time you scale a channel.
👉 Tactical’s focus is building that backbone: one operation that can support Amazon, TikTok Shop, DTC, and wholesale from unified inventory and consistent processes.
Why a 3PL Is Core to a 2026 Fulfillment Strategy
A common pattern in 2026 is brands attempting to scale Amazon, TikTok Shop, and DTC while also acting as their own 3PL. The intention is understandable. The operational risks are predictable.
Shipping performance becomes inconsistent as volume spikes. Prep and labeling errors increase now that Amazon no longer covers those services. Inventory fragments across channels, leading to stock imbalances and unnecessary transfers. Internal teams spend disproportionate time managing exceptions instead of focusing on growth.
A strong 3PL does not replace FBA or platform-native fulfillment programs. It makes them safer and more effective to use.
A capable 3PL provides a place where Amazon-compliant prep and labeling can be handled consistently, FBM and SFP-level SLAs can be supported when needed, and TikTok Shop, DTC, and wholesale orders can all be fulfilled from shared inventory using the right packaging and routing rules.
That combination is what turns “we sell on multiple channels” into “we operate as one business with multiple front-ends.”
RELATED: 5 Multichannel E-Commerce Predictions for 2026 (And Your Must-Read Fulfillment Guide)
Tactical’s Fulfillment Strategy Recommendation for 2026
For 2026, the guidance is straightforward.
If you remain mostly Amazon-focused, continue using FBA where the economics are clearly favorable — but add a 3PL to handle prep, misfit SKUs, and FBM backup so you are not fully exposed to changes in Amazon fees or policies.
If you are serious about omnichannel growth, treat a 3PL as core infrastructure, not an optional add-on. Use it as your operational backbone, then layer Amazon programs, TikTok Shop requirements, and other marketplace nuances on top.
Two principles tie this together:
-
Avoid concentrating your entire operation inside one platform’s warehouses and rulebook.
-
Avoid trying to build a full-scale logistics network in-house while simultaneously scaling multiple sales channels.
The brands most likely to succeed in 2026 will be those that choose their channels intentionally, bring in a capable 3PL partner early, and use Amazon and other programs as tools within a broader strategy, not as the sole structure of their business.
👉 To evaluate your current setup, start with Tactical’s AWD vs. 3PL Calculator or book a call with Tactical to review your Amazon, TikTok Shop, and DTC fulfillment strategy at the SKU level and identify where a different mix of FBA, FBM, and 3PL support can improve performance.