What Is Product Kitting and Bundling? A Guide for eCommerce Brands

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Meta Description: Learn what product kitting and bundling mean in fulfillment, how these strategies boost efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance your customers' experience.

As an eCommerce brand, you’re always looking for ways to save on fulfillment costs, improve efficiency, and enhance your customers’ buying experience. Product kitting and bundling offer a powerful solution—helping you combine individual products into attractive, ready-to-ship packages. But what exactly is involved in kitting and bundling, and how can it streamline your logistics and boost your bottom line? We’ll break down what kitting and bundling actually mean, how they work in a fulfillment setting, and why they matter for growing eCommerce brands.

What Exactly Is Product Kitting?

Product kitting refers to the practice of combining multiple individual items into a single package or kit that can be sold and shipped together as one SKU (stock keeping unit). Kitting can involve assembling gift sets, subscription boxes, product starter kits, or retail bundles, creating an entirely new packaged offering out of individual components.

For example, a cosmetics brand might kit a moisturizer, cleanser, and face mask together as a “daily skincare set.” Instead of customers purchasing each item separately, they buy one curated package that feels more valuable and convenient.

How Does Product Bundling Differ from Kitting?

Bundling is similar but slightly different. While kitting usually means pre-assembling products into one SKU, bundling often means grouping separate SKUs together in a promotion or special offer, without necessarily repackaging them as one. Bundles may be seasonal promotions, discounts for buying multiple complementary products, or temporary packages that aren't permanently stored together.

For instance, a nutritional supplement company might offer a “wellness bundle” of individual products—vitamin C tablets, protein powder, and probiotics—but each product remains separately stored and managed until an order is placed.

What Is Kitting and Assembly?

Kitting and assembly is the process of combining multiple components into a single, shipment-ready product. Unlike standard kitting—which simply bundles finished items—assembly involves physically preparing or partially assembling components. Examples include packing flat furniture kits, organizing hardware sets, or assembling promotional displays. At 3PL Center, we handle both kitting and assembly to streamline fulfillment, reduce handling times, and ensure products reach your customers ready-to-use.

Key Benefits of Product Kitting and Bundling

Kitting and bundling deliver multiple logistical and marketing advantages:

1. Increased Order Efficiency
Pre-assembled kits simplify the fulfillment process. Pick-and-pack teams can grab one SKU instead of multiple items, significantly speeding up packing times.

2. Lower Shipping Costs
Optimizing packaging for kits reduces dimensional weight, allowing you to save on shipping. Rather than shipping several products separately, you can ship a single, well-designed kit.

3. Enhanced Customer Experience
A carefully curated kit or bundle can elevate your brand’s perceived value. Customers appreciate convenience, creativity, and the thoughtful presentation of complementary products.

4. Higher Average Order Values (AOV)
Bundling encourages customers to purchase more products at once, effectively raising your average order values without heavy discounts.

5. Easier Inventory Management
Managing bundled SKUs simplifies inventory tracking and forecasting, enabling better inventory accuracy and lower warehouse labor costs.

The Step-by-Step Kitting Process Explained

A typical kitting operation follows these steps:

Receiving & Inspection: Individual items arrive at the fulfillment center, where they’re checked against packing lists.


Kitting Assembly: Workers carefully assemble the products according to your detailed instructions into final, ready-to-ship kits.


SKU Assignment: The completed kits are given a unique SKU, entered into your warehouse management system (WMS) as a single product.


Storage: Kits are stored and inventoried until a customer orders them.


Fulfillment & Shipping: Orders for the kits come through your online store or marketplace and are immediately picked, packed, and shipped.

Common Examples of Products Perfect for Kitting & Bundling

Many product categories benefit from kitting and bundling, including:

Subscription boxes (beauty, supplements, snacks)


Seasonal gift sets and promotional bundles


Starter packs (skincare routines, fitness bundles, DIY project kits)


Influencer or media press kits (cosmetic samples, fashion items, new product launches)


Holiday and event-themed kits (Mother’s Day gift bundles, holiday baking kits)

How 3PL Center Makes Kitting and Bundling Easy

At 3PL Center, our dedicated team specializes in kitting and bundling for brands of all sizes. We carefully assemble products into ready-to-ship kits customized exactly to your specifications. With extensive experience managing high-volume kitting projects, we can scale seamlessly to handle seasonal demand or product launches.

Our warehouse management system tracks every kit precisely—so you have full visibility into your inventory at all times. Plus, our strategic locations nationwide ensure quick, cost-effective shipping to your customers, reducing transit times and shipping costs significantly.

Should You Offer Kits or Bundles?

If you’re looking for a way to simplify fulfillment, lower shipping costs, boost customer satisfaction, and increase sales, kitting and bundling are powerful strategies. Partnering with an experienced 3PL provider like 3PL Center can streamline the process, allowing you to effortlessly scale your kitting strategy.