Selling in Switzerland without losing control of the supply chain
Importing, storing, delivering, and managing returns in Switzerland exposes a foreign merchant to liability breaks between multiple stakeholders. The necessary resources are the customs declaration in writing or electronically and the registration for VAT for businesses generating more than 100,000.- in revenue over the last 12 months.
E-commerce fulfillment, also called fulfillment, organizes the entry of goods, warehousing, order fulfillment, delivery, and returns. This guide follows the actual flow, from data preparation before import to operational and financial reconciliation. For a broader overview of Swiss e-commerce, articles from the Swiss Commerce Association are an excellent resource.
Fulfillment is therefore not limited to the shipping of a package. It defines who decides, who executes each operation, and what information must flow between the merchant, the logistics provider, customs services, and carriers.
Warehousing corresponds to the receiving, storing, and managing of inventory. The customs clearance brings together the formalities necessary for customs passage. The last mile delivery covers the final journey to the recipient. Return management organizes the control and processing of returned products.
This distribution of responsibilities determines the continuity of service and visibility on stocks. Choose the logistics model before sending the first stock to Switzerland.
Prepare the merchandise and the import framework before arrival in Switzerland
The flow begins before the departure of the goods. The product data, commercial documents, and import instructions must be consistent before shipping.
The nature of the required information depends on the goods, the import model, and the sales conditions. The merchant must therefore have applicable requirements validated by their customs, tax, or regulatory contact.
What the merchant must prepare
The merchant remains responsible for commercial decisions and the framework chosen for selling in Switzerland. They specifically choose the import model, sales conditions, and the distribution of obligations with their clients or partners.
They must provide the information that allows for the identification of each product and the proper processing of the flow. This includes the commercial references, necessary descriptions, quantities, declared values, and instructions agreed upon with the relevant parties.
It must also determine the documents to be provided and clarify its tax responsibilities. The duties, taxes, and terms of representation must be confirmed for each flow. These elements may vary depending on the product, its origin, its destination, and the commercial arrangement.
A modification of the catalog or sales conditions can also change the logistical instructions. The merchant must communicate these changes before the next shipment.
What the provider can manage at customs clearance
The provider can carry out the formalities within its scope, based on validated data and documents. STAR Logistique includes the customs clearance and VAT management in the services of international transport.
This delegation must be described precisely. The provider can prepare and transmit the operational elements, coordinate the customs clearance, and track the movement of goods. The merchant retains decisions related to its sales model, its tax responsibilities, and the accuracy of the information provided.
Before departure, validate the following checklist:
- Responsibilities of the merchant, the provider, and the other validated parties
- Product data ready and consistent with the catalog
- Commercial documents and instructions verified
- Import instructions transmitted to the operational contact
Receive, check and store the stock in Switzerland
After customs clearance, each unit must become identifiable and available in the logistics system. This step connects the upstream transport to the processing of customer orders.
The merchant sets the stock rules and the acceptance criteria. The provider executes the reception, the planned control, the recording, and the storage.
Reception and storage
The reception follows a defined sequence:
- Arrival of goods at the logistics site
- Physical receipt of the shipment
- Control according to the agreed instructions
- Identification of products and references
- Recording in the information system
- Storage at the designated location
- Availability of stock for sale
An anomaly in quantity, identification, or condition must produce an actionable status. The merchant can then decide whether the products remain blocked, are accepted, or follow another process.
STAR Logistique securely stores goods in its warehouse in Geneva. Its integrated system covers procurement, storage, picking, cross-docking, packaging, returns, and customs clearance. The cross-docking allows for the redirection of certain goods without prolonged storage, according to the defined flow.
Warehousing, visibility and replenishment
A WMS, or warehouse management system, records the stock movements and provides real-time traceability. At STAR Logistique, the solution e-logistics links this tracking to the main warehouse operations.
The merchant uses this visibility to establish his forecasts, set his replenishment rules, and decide on the quantities to send. The provider manages the physical movements, the locations, the recording of units, and their operational availability.
The Swiss stock can meet local demand, while other stocks serve neighboring markets. The warehouse locations primarily cover Switzerland and France, on the border, allowing for the study of a EU-Switzerland stock strategy.. The relevance of each location depends on volumes, destinations, and product constraints.
Before the launch, define the reception rules, the expected controls, the anomaly statuses, and the replenishment thresholds.
Connect the shop and execute each order.
An actionable order must pass from the sales channel to the logistics system without losing its essential information. It then triggers the picking, packing, labeling, and handover to the carrier.
The merchant controls the catalog, the ordering rules, and the promise made to the customer. The provider executes the order according to the validated parameters.
Transmission of orders and system controls.
The shop or marketplace transmits the necessary data for processing: product reference, quantity, address, delivery service, and applicable instructions. The logistics system then checks that the order can be executed with the available stock.
Some connectors and integration plugins. can connect products and flows between the sales channels and logistics operations. The connection mode must be confirmed for each technical environment.
Before the commercial launch, check in particular:
- Matching between catalog references and those in stock
- Correct transmission of addresses and delivery instructions
- Management of incomplete, duplicated, or canceled orders
- Reporting useful statuses to the sales channel
- Blocking orders that require verification
A test must cover the creation of an order, its processing, its shipping, and the transmission of its status. It must also include an error case to verify who receives the alert and who decides on the next steps.
Picking, packing, labeling, and handing over to the carrier
Picking corresponds to the selection of products in the warehouse. The operator identifies the requested items, gathers them, and then directs them to the packing station.
STAR Logistique prepares orders with customized packing methods and appropriate protection. The parameters can take into account the format, fragility, value, or transport constraints, subject to their validation in the specifications.
The label associates the package with the chosen delivery service. After the planned checks, the provider hands over the shipment to the carrier and records the status change.
Test a complete order flow before launch, with a product, an address, and a delivery method representative of actual activity.
Ensure the delivery of the last mile, tracking and returns
Shipping, the transport, the final delivery and the handling of an incident are distinct steps. Their coordination depends on the statuses transmitted between the warehouse, the carrier network and the sales channel.
Choose the delivery service and provide the tracking
The delivery service must match the destination, the type of package and the promise made to the customer. After handing over to the carrier, tracking updates make the main steps of the journey visible.
STAR Logistique prioritizes same-day shipping for 99 % of orders. This priority describes the handling in the warehouse, and not a universal delivery time.
The logistics operations announce same-day shipping for orders received before 2 PM. The cut-off, that is, the deadline for processing, must be confirmed with the other conditions applicable to the flow.
Tracking relies on a network of carriers in over 130 countries and on the transmission of updates. The merchant must specify which statuses appear in their store, which messages are sent to the customer and who intervenes when a status remains unchanged or indicates a failure.
Handle exceptions, exchanges and returns
A failed delivery can lead to a new presentation, availability or a return. The handling depends on the rules established with the carrier and the logistics provider.
For each type of exception or exchange, frame the following information:
- Owner of the business or logistics decision
- Status to be communicated to the merchant and the customer
- Intended destination for the returned package
- Action to apply to the stock after inspection
The return process begins with the receipt and identification of the product. The service provider performs the agreed inspection, then transmits the result. The merchant then decides on restocking, an exchange, another treatment, or removal from sellable stock.
STAR Logistique manages returns, advises merchants on their return policies, and offers dual-use packaging. These packaging options can simplify returns when they are suited to the product and the chosen process.
Record the rules for delivery, exceptions, exchanges, and returns in the operational specifications.
Manage stocks, the performance, and the reconciliation of operations
Management connects the quantities in stock, the orders shipped, the delivery statuses, the returned products, and the discrepancies pending. This common view prevents treating each report without connection to the other operations.
A WMS tracks inventory in real-time, manages product locations, and supports order fulfillment as well as shipping. STAR Logistique also provides clients with remote access to view their inventory and manage their replenishment according to their needs.
Indicators to monitor
The indicators must allow for precise decision-making. They can track volumes, statuses, or discrepancies, without imposing a goal that does not correspond to the contract.
The merchant must examine :
- Available, reserved, blocked, and pending stock control
- Orders received, processed, shipped, or in anomaly
- Delivery statuses and open exceptions
- Returns received, checked, and pending decision
- Discrepancies between expected stock and recorded stock
- Invoices and items to reconcile with the completed operations
The provider processes physical movements, updates the statuses, and documents anomalies according to the agreed process. The merchant interprets this information to adjust their forecasts, business rules, or replenishment.
Operational and financial reconciliation
The reconciliation verifies that the commercial, logistical, and financial data describe the same operations. A shipped order must correspond to a stock movement, a transport status, and the billed lines according to the contract.
Discrepancies must be qualified before their resolution. A difference may arise from a partial receipt, a quality hold, a canceled order, a pending return, or an operation not yet reconciled.
A useful governance routine consists of :
- Comparing stock movements to orders and returns
- Reviewing still open delivery exceptions
- Checking receipt and preparation anomalies
- Reconciling billed services with recorded operations
- Adjust the replenishment rules after analyzing the discrepancies
Choose a fulfillment provider for Switzerland
The choice of a provider depends on its actual scope, its systems, its geographical coverage, and its ability to handle the constraints of the catalog. A search for Logistics providers for e-commerce in Switzerland or The best e-commerce logistics companies in Switzerland must therefore lead to a factual comparison, without overall ranking.
STAR Logistique operates in over 130 countries. Its expertise also covers high-value logistics and watchmaking. Emaloja is particularly responsible for the integration of the ERP and/or CMS for fashion, jewelry, the pharmaceutical products and dangerous materials. Each sensitive product must, however, undergo an operational validation before being stocked.
Use this grid to question each candidate, including STAR Logistique when the elements are confirmed.
🎯 Selection criterion
❓Question for the provider
✅ Element to confirm
📦 Impact
🎯 Customs scope
❓What formalities do you execute and what decisions remain our responsibility?
✅ Customs clearance, VAT management, representation, and expected documents
📦 Clear distribution of responsibilities before shipment
🎯 Location and Swiss stock model
❓Where is the stock stored and what flows can leave this site?
✅ Swiss site, receiving rules, types of stock and coordination with other countries
📦 Local availability and replenishment organization
🎯 Integrations and API
❓How do orders, products, and statuses flow between our systems?
✅ Connectors, plugins, APIs or file exchanges actually available
📦 Data reliability and reduction of manual processing
🎯 Cut-off and delivery options
❓What cut-off time applies and what transport services are available?
✅ Conditions for same-day processing and choices based on destination
📦 Consistency between customer promise and execution
🎯 Returns management
❓What steps do you take after receiving a return?
✅ Control, statuses, restocking, defined processing and return packaging
📦 Management of returned stock and speed of business decision
🎯 Capabilities for temperature-sensitive or regulated products
❓What product constraints can you handle and under what conditions?
✅ Storage, transport, documentation, security and prior validation
📦 Protection of goods and flow compliance
🎯 Cross-border coverage
❓Which countries and which import-export flows can you coordinate?
✅ More than 130 countries for STAR Logistique, subject to applicable service
📦 Protection of goods and flow compliance
🎯 Pricing model
❓What events trigger billing?
✅ Receipt, storage, preparation, packaging, transport, customs, and returns
📦 Cost predictability per order and per scenario
🎯 Performance reporting
❓What reports do you provide and how are anomalies tracked?
✅ Stock, orders, transport, returns, billing, and discrepancy handling
📦 Ability to control the service and correct the rules
Request a quote based on your volumes, your references, your sales channels, your import flows, your product requirements, and the level of service expected.
FAQ on cross-border e-commerce fulfillment in Switzerland
No, a Swiss stock is not the only possible model. A cross-border shipment may suit certain flows, while a local stock can shorten the national journey. The choice depends on the catalog, volumes, and the validated import model.
Pharmaceutical products, hazardous materials, thermosensitive items, and high-value goods require enhanced validation. It is necessary to confirm the conditions of transport, storage, security, and handling before their arrival.
Yes, a multi-warehouse system can distribute stock between Switzerland and Europe. However, each site and each flow must be validated according to the markets served, as an available location does not guarantee that it is suitable for all goods.
A 3PL provider executes and coordinates the logistics operations entrusted by the merchant. It connects the warehouse, the systems, and the transport according to agreed rules, while the merchant retains its business decisions.
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In summary
A controlled launch in Switzerland depends on decisions made before the first stock movement:
- Validated import model and sales conditions
- Merchant and provider responsibilities documented
- Stock location chosen according to the markets served
- Product data and order integration tested
- Delivery and exception rules defined
- Exchange and return circuit formalized
- Stock, order, transport, and billing indicators established
STAR Logistique has more than 38 years of expertise in supply chain.