Retailer compliance labels, private-label rebranding, multi-SKU bundling, and Quebec Bill 96 French labelling — all run through one WMS rule library.
Why co-packing exists as a discipline
Brands selling into premium retail (Saks, Nordstrom, REI, Sephora, Whole Foods) can lose meaningful chunks of gross retail revenue to compliance chargebacks. Carton labels in the wrong position, ASN windows missed by an hour, packout specs that drift from the photo signed off six months ago, and routing guides that updated quarterly without the ops team noticing. The chargebacks land weeks or months after the shipment delivered, by which point the brand has no audit trail and limited dispute options.
We run retailer compliance as a per-retailer WMS rule library. The retailer's spec sheet captures during onboarding: carton label format, ASN window, routing guide, packaging spec, and chargeback schedule. The WMS reads the destination retailer code on every PO and applies the correct rules: per-retailer label template, per-retailer ASN trigger timing, per-retailer packout spec. QC samples at a rate that scales with chargeback risk. The discipline of running compliance through WMS rules rather than operator memory typically cuts chargeback rates significantly within the first quarter.
This page walks the six co-packing workflows we run, the five highest-volume retailer compliance programs with per-retailer detail, the five operating principles, the retailer compliance label viewer microexperience, the pricing structure, and the related sub-services. The math says retailer compliance work pays for itself in chargeback reduction alone; the upside is the gross-margin recovery on top.
What co-packing covers
Retailer compliance labels, private-label rebranding, multi-SKU bundling, GWP prep, Bill 96 French labelling, and seasonal overlays. Each workflow runs against the same WMS, the same operations team, and the same QC sampling standard.
UCC-128 / GS1-128 carton labels with retailer-specific vendor prefix encoding (Saks, Nordstrom, REI, Sephora, Whole Foods, Target, Walmart). Per-retailer template library, WMS prints the correct template based on destination retailer code on the PO.
Private-label SKUs that ship under the retailer brand or a separate channel-specific brand. We swap labels, tags, hangtags, and packaging inserts at our nodes so the same physical SKU ships under multiple brand identities.
Variety packs, sampler bundles, and cross-retailer-specific multipack SKUs. Same component SKUs flow into multiple bundle SKUs through BOM-driven assembly with retailer-specific outer packaging on each variant.
Pre-assembled GWP units that pack on demand into outbound orders. GWP component prep includes inserting collateral, applying promotional labels, and locking in the trigger SKU mapping so the WMS routes correctly at order time.
For Quebec ship-tos, French-language packaging compliance under Bill 96. We hold French-labelled SKUs at our Montreal node and route Quebec orders against them; English-only SKUs ship from Toronto with Bill 96-compliant outer packaging.
Holiday, seasonal, and limited-edition packaging overlays that apply to standard SKUs without changing the underlying product. Stickers, sleeve bands, gift box overlays, and seasonal inserts all run as standard co-packing workflows.
How we run co-packing
The five principles below are the standard co-packing workflow we run on every retailer compliance program. WMS-driven pick rules eliminate operator judgment on packout spec.
Every retailer compliance program starts with the retailer's spec sheet: carton label format, ASN window, routing guide, packaging spec, and chargeback schedule. We read every spec sheet from every retailer your brand ships to and translate the requirements into WMS pick rules and packout standards. Spec sheets get captured during onboarding and refreshed quarterly when the retailer updates them.
UCC-128 / GS1-128 label templates live in a per-retailer library in our WMS. The WMS reads the destination retailer code on every PO and prints the correct template (Saks position, Nordstrom prefix, REI tagging, Sephora compliance) without operator interpretation. Templates refresh quarterly; the operator sees the same workflow.
Pick rules in the WMS read retailer code first, then SKU pack spec, then any per-shipment overrides. The pick line sees the rule chain and packs accordingly: standard SKU + retailer-specific outer + retailer-specific carton label + retailer-specific insert. No operator judgment, no spec drift.
QC sampling rate scales with the retailer's chargeback risk profile. Higher-chargeback retailers (Saks, Sephora) sample at a higher rate than lower-chargeback retailers (REI). The QC step checks carton label position, packaging spec adherence, insert presence, and any retailer-specific quality-visible detail (ribbon color, tissue brand, hangtag orientation).
When a retailer issues a chargeback we capture the chargeback against the original shipment, photo-document the packout, and coordinate the dispute through your retailer compliance team. Running compliance through WMS rules rather than operator memory is the lever that brings chargeback rates down once the program is dialed in.
Retailer compliance label viewer
Five of the most stringent retailer compliance programs we run. Pick one to see the carton label spec, ASN window, packout requirements, chargeback schedule, and the operational note that distinguishes that retailer's compliance program from the others.
Co-packing pricing
Per-unit pricing scales with the operational complexity of the relabel or rework. Per-retailer setup is a one-time fee; per-unit work covers ongoing volume.
| Service | Indicative pricing | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Co-packing / relabelling (per unit) | Custom | Retailer compliance specs translate to per-unit handling time; scoped on the discovery call |
| UCC-128 / GS1-128 carton labels | Custom | Per-retailer template library, WMS-driven printing |
| Private-label rebranding (per unit) | Custom | Label swap, tag swap, hangtag rework |
| Multi-SKU bundling + cross-retailer kitting | Custom | BOM-driven assembly with retailer-specific outer packaging |
| GWP prep + WMS routing config | Custom | Promo trigger logic + promotional label application |
| Bill 96 French labelling (Quebec SKUs) | Custom | Bilingual label application at our Montreal node |
| Seasonal promotional overlays | Custom | Sticker, sleeve band, gift box overlay application |
| Retailer spec sheet setup + WMS rule config | Custom | One-time setup per retailer compliance program |
Ready to fix retailer compliance?
Per-retailer WMS rule library. Carton labels, ASN windows, packout specs, and chargeback dispute coordination all from one operations desk. WMS-driven compliance brings chargeback rates down once the rule library is tuned to your retailer mix.
