01What kitting means
A kit is a fixed set of items sold as one product: a skincare routine of cleanser, serum and moisturizer in a box, a hoodie with a matching cap, a starter kit with a refill. Kitting is the work of putting it together: picking the parts, packing them into the kit's box or bag, sealing and labeling it, and putting it on the shelf as a new item.
In manufacturing, kitting has a second meaning: gathering the parts for one assembly job into a kit for the production line. This page is about the ecommerce and retail meaning, the one you will see on a 3PL's service list.
02Kitting vs bundling vs assembly
The ranking guides don't agree on the words. NetSuite treats bundling as the broader term for any grouping and kitting as a set of complementary items sold as a new product. Shopify splits them by how they are handled: a kit is one unit with one SKU, picked once; a bundle is a merchandising choice where the items keep their own SKUs and are picked separately. The useful line for a founder is physical vs virtual.
| Physical kit | Virtual bundle | Assembly | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Items packed together into one unit before it ships | Items sold together on the store, picked separately into one order | Parts put together into a working product |
| SKU | Its own SKU; the parts are drawn down from stock when kits are built | No new stock item; the store maps the bundle to its parts | A finished-goods SKU |
| Barcode | Needs its own GTIN (GS1) | No GTIN of its own (GS1) | Its own GTIN |
| Example | A sealed gift box of three candles | A "buy the set" button that ships three separate candles | Fitting a lid and wick to a candle jar |
03How kitting works at a 3PL
- You set up the kit: its SKU, its bill of materials (which items, how many of each) and its packaging (box, insert, tissue, card).
- You send written kitting instructions, with photos of a finished kit, so every unit is built the same.
- Pre-kitting: the 3PL builds a batch of kits ahead of time and stores them. Picking is faster, but stock is locked into kits.
- On-demand kitting: the 3PL builds each kit as the order arrives. More flexible, slower per order.
- The 3PL's system draws down the component stock as kits are built, and you sell the kit SKU.
Don't leave the packaging until last. The kit box, inserts and cards have to be at the 3PL before kitting starts, and ordering custom packaging early helps the whole launch, so plan the packaging order alongside the product order. Our box templates help you size a kit box, and mailer boxes and rigid boxes are two options for the kit itself.
04Barcodes and Amazon rules
GS1, the barcode standards body, says a physical bundle needs its own GTIN assigned by whoever creates it, a virtual bundle doesn't, and the items inside always keep their own GTINs. A predefined assortment, a fixed set sold as one unit, needs a new GTIN whenever one of its items is changed, added or replaced. So a holiday kit with a new scent is a new barcode.
Amazon's FBA packaging rules say units sold as sets must be marked as sets, with a label such as "Sold as set" or "This is a set. Do not separate", and each FNSKU (Amazon's barcode) must match one unique product. Amazon also does not accept units that would need it to assemble multiple pieces, and may refuse, return or repackage non-compliant inventory. Kit for Amazon before the goods go to the fulfillment center.
05What kitting costs
There is no public rate card to compare. ShipBob says kitting is available at an additional cost, ShipMonk handles kitting and bundling as a special project its team scopes and quotes, and Red Stag Fulfillment asks you to request a quote. Ask for a price per kit for your exact build, and for any setup or batch fee: ShipMonk, for one, charges a batching fee when a subscription box batch has fewer than 50 orders.
Add the kitting fee, the kit packaging and the extra storage to the kit's landed cost before you price the set. Our free landed cost calculator has a line for packaging.
06Kit at the factory or at the 3PL?
| Factory or co-packer kits it | 3PL kits it | |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | Every unit ships as the kit, all parts come from one factory | Parts come from several suppliers, or kits change by season or campaign |
| Freight | Ships finished kits, at the kit box's volume | Ships the parts; kits are built near the customer |
| Flexibility | Low: change means a new production run | High: rebuild or unbundle at the warehouse |
| Watch for | Packaging must reach the factory in time | Kitting fees, storage of parts and kits |
In the course, our fulfillment lesson names the 3PLs we recommend for kitting and covers how to hand off packaging to them. The Product Sourcing Secrets course has that list. Co-packers can also kit products as part of filling and packing; see co-packers.
07How to spec it with a supplier
Send every 3PL the same kit spec, so their quotes compare.
| No. | Field | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Kit SKU and name | The new SKU, and the GTIN if it will be sold in retail or on Amazon |
| 02 | Bill of materials | Each component SKU and quantity per kit |
| 03 | Packaging | Kit box or bag, insert, tissue, card, seal or sticker, and who supplies each |
| 04 | Build steps | Order of packing, with photos of a finished kit |
| 05 | Labels | Kit barcode placement, "Sold as set" label for Amazon, cover or leave the inner barcodes |
| 06 | Mode and volume | Pre-kit a batch or kit on demand; kits per month |
Questions to ask the supplier
- What is your price per kit for this build, and is there a setup fee?
- Do you charge storage on components and finished kits separately?
- How many days from receiving components to finished kits?
- Can you unbundle unsold kits back into components, and at what cost?
08FAQ
Q01What does kitting mean?
Putting separate items together into one unit that is sold and shipped as a single product with its own SKU, like a gift set or a starter kit.
Q02What is kitting in a warehouse?
The warehouse or 3PL picks the components, packs them into the kit packaging, labels the finished kit and stocks it as a new item, either ahead of orders or as orders arrive.
Q03What is an example of kitting?
A skincare set of three products packed in one gift box, a PR box sent to influencers, a subscription box, or a product packed with its charger and accessories.
Q04What is the difference between kitting and bundling?
A physical kit is packed into one unit with its own SKU and barcode. A virtual bundle is sold together but picked as separate items. Some guides use bundling for both.
Q05Does a kit need its own barcode?
A physical kit does: GS1 says its creator assigns it a GTIN, and each item inside keeps its own. A virtual bundle does not.