A retailer with a dozen stores moves freight in three directions at once. Replenishment goes out from the distribution centre on pallets and in cartons. Stock moves between branches when one store runs short of a line another store has too much of. Faulty, recalled and end-of-season stock comes back to the DC. Each movement tends to be booked by a different person, through whichever carrier they know.
Senditt is a managed freight platform (4PL) for high-volume Australian business shippers: book on Senditt's negotiated rates across 35+ carriers, and track and reconcile every consignment from one dashboard. Within retail logistics, that puts the bookings of the DC, every store and head office on one account, while the carrier accounts, invoices and support stay with Senditt.
This page is about stock moving to and between stores. Online orders shipped to customers are covered on the eCommerce page.
Why store freight is harder to run in 2026
Retailers are paying more to move stock. When the ABS asked retail trade businesses in May 2026 why their operating expenses had gone up, 73% of those with higher costs named freight or delivery and 86% named fuel (ABS media release, 26 May 2026).
Supply disruption has not gone away either. In the June 2026 survey, 22% of retail trade businesses reported experiencing supply chain disruptions (released 30 June 2026). A late delivery to a store shows up as an empty shelf, and an empty shelf in a busy week costs sales.
The day-to-day problems behind those figures look much the same across most retail networks.
- Store deliveries depend on the store being ready. A store has trading hours, a shopping centre loading dock with its own rules, and staff who are serving customers when the truck arrives.
- Transfers between stores are booked ad hoc. A store manager who needs stock from another branch books whatever courier is quickest, at whatever rate it charges, and nobody sees the cost until month end.
- Each carrier reports differently. Head office checking on twenty store deliveries ends up in five carrier portals.
One account for the DC, the stores and head office
Senditt gives every location in your network the same way to book and the same rates to book on. Each consignment carries its own pickup and delivery address, so a delivery to a store, a transfer between two stores and a return to the DC are all ordinary consignments. Nothing about a store-to-store move needs a special process.
Booking from the DC or the store
The booking form takes a despatch date and time, then pickup and delivery details, each in its own panel with fields for location name, contact, phone, email, address and suburb. A DC team booking twenty store deliveries and a store manager booking one transfer use the same form, so every consignment carries the same information.
Replenishment on pallet and parcel
Retail replenishment mixes freight shapes. A flagship store takes two pallets on a Monday; a small regional store takes four cartons. The DC books both through one form, picking a suitable service for each, and both land in the consignment list, where each store's delivery shows its service, despatch date, ETA and progress.
Transfers between branches
When one store needs stock from another, the transfer is booked as a consignment from one store's address to the other's, on Senditt's negotiated rates. It appears in the same list as everything else, so head office can see what moved between stores, when, and on which carrier. The sending store puts the receiving store's contact name and phone number in the delivery panel, so the driver knows who to call if the back door is shut.
Regional stores on the right carrier
Carrier coverage differs from lane to lane, and regional stores feel it most. Across the 35+ carriers in the Senditt network, the DC team compares the services available for each store's address before booking, rather than sending every store's freight with the carrier that suits the capital cities.
Peak trading without new accounts
Stock for Christmas, end-of-financial-year sales and seasonal changeovers has to reach stores before the trading period starts. When a usual carrier is booked out in those weeks, the next consignment can go on another service in the same form, on Senditt's negotiated rates, because the carrier accounts are already in place.
Returns back to the distribution centre
Faulty or recalled stock and end-of-season lines come back as consignments with the DC as the delivery address. Booking returns the same way as outbound freight keeps them visible, so the DC knows what is on its way back before it arrives.
Manifests at the DC
At the end of each day, the DC's bookings are gathered into one manifest per carrier. Each entry in the manifest list names its carrier and service, so the DC can check every store's freight is on the right pickup.
Retail Express and the rest of your systems
Senditt connects to Retail Express, along with the other eCommerce, ERP and warehouse platforms on the integrations list. Senditt's integrations team builds each connection for you, charging a setup fee and then a support fee, and a typical build runs two to four weeks.
When a store delivery fails
A failed delivery to a closed store or a booked-out loading dock is the risk that matters most in store replenishment, and it is the one the published carriage terms address directly.
A delivery is complete when the carrier obtains a signature from someone at the address, delivers under an Authority to Leave, or makes the goods available for collection from the carrier's depot after a failed attempt. A delivery that cannot be completed can attract redelivery, storage, return-to-sender or futile pickup charges, and the carrier may send the goods back if they are neither delivered nor collected within seven days. Goods left under an Authority to Leave are at your risk from the time they are left.
In practice, three habits cut those charges:
- Time each despatch so the delivery reaches the store when someone can receive it, and enter the store's current contact name and phone number in the delivery details.
- Check a shopping centre's dock rules before booking a pallet there, and make sure the size and weight booked match what the dock can take.
- Set an Authority to Leave only where the store has a secure place to leave stock.
Re-measures and claims
Should a carrier log a different weight, size, item count, service or store address from the booking, the consignment is billed again at the corrected details, with any surcharge the carrier applies. If stock arrives damaged or short, Senditt can take the claim up with the carrier at no extra cost, on request, and pass on any recovery. The deadline for written notice is seven days after delivery, so store teams should note damage on the proof of delivery when they sign for it.
Getting started
Begin with a freight review: thirty free minutes on your store network, your DC and the way freight is booked today. Once the account is open, rates for every carrier are already there and bookings for the DC and every store can start from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Can every store book on the same account?
Yes. Each location uses Senditt's negotiated rates with 35+ carriers, and all of their consignments appear in the same list.
How are transfers between stores booked?
As an ordinary consignment, with one store as the pickup and the other as the delivery.
What happens if a store is closed when the delivery arrives?
The carrier may hold the goods at its depot for collection, and charges for redelivery, storage or sending the stock back can follow. Goods not delivered or collected within seven days may be returned.
Does Senditt store stock or run a distribution centre?
No. Senditt is a managed freight platform (4PL). Your stock stays in your DC and stores, and Senditt books, tracks and reconciles the freight between them.
Can store managers book by email or phone?
Yes. Store managers can send the details to customercare@senditt.au or ring 0433 173 504; Senditt puts the booking on the platform so head office sees it with the rest.
Which retail systems connect to Senditt?
Retail Express, plus Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento 2, BigCommerce and Maropost Commerce Cloud on the eCommerce side and the ERP and warehouse systems on the integrations page.