Ecommerce Order Picking Equipment Guide

by Craig Pryce July 21, 2026

Efficient ecommerce order picking ensures your business gets orders correct, dispatches them on time, and reduces the risk of customer returns. To achieve this, you need to use appropriate ecommerce picking equipment that maximises your picking efficiency, whatever your system.

UK consumers spend billions every week online – equivalent to 28.1% of all retail sales, according to ONS figures. That's a huge revenue potential across major ecommerce markets such as clothing, electronics, giftware, and wholesale.

Different ecommerce order picking systems suit different channels, ranging from direct-to-consumer and B2C retail to dropshipping and B2B wholesale. Trolleys are essential for warehouse order picking, factory packing, or selecting online-order items directly from the shop floor.

This guide helps you understand the types of ecommerce picking trolleys available and the different picking methods they suit. 

What is order picking?

Order picking is a warehouse process in which individual items are selected from racks, shelves, and storage bins and assembled according to customers' orders for dispatch. Ecommerce order picking is an important stage in the overall fulfilment process.

Optimised ecommerce picking and packing methods can directly impact throughput, order accuracy, and delivery speed. Focusing on efficient order picking with suitable merchandise picking trolleys can save time, reduce workforce costs in a labour-intensive role, and prevent errors that could affect your profitability and brand reputation.

Types of ecommerce picking equipment

Whatever picking method you use, an ecommerce picking trolley is required to transport goods from their location on the warehouse shelves to a central location for packing and dispatch. Various types of ecommerce warehouse picking equipment are available, ranging from traditional merchandise picking trolleys to roll pallets.

Picking trolleys

Merchandise picking trolleys typically have multiple shelves and/or bins, allowing different items and orders to be picked at the same time and boosting order-picking efficiency.

Merch picking trolleys come in different sizes and styles. For example, a three sided compact merchandise picking trolley is designed for use in confined areas and narrow stockroom aisles. 

Roll pallets

Roll pallets require greater strength to move around, but they’re typically larger than a standard ecommerce picking trolley. This allows them to accommodate larger items and to collect and transport more products at once for improved picking efficiency.

Multifunctional picking trolleys offer a good middle-ground option for roll pallets. These have a generous 600kg weight capacity and a fold-out three-step stair for easier access to higher shelves.

Pallet jacks

Pallet jacks, sometimes called pump trucks, can be hydraulic or motorised. They act like a manual forklift truck, as pallet jacks have two forks that slide into the lifting skids on wooden pallets and plastic pallet boxes.

Scanners

An integral part of many ecommerce order picking systems are scanners. Handheld scanners read barcodes and QR codes to verify that the correct item has been picked. They can also send data back to the warehouse management system (WMS) to automatically update inventory.

Pick-to-light and voice-directed systems

These modern electronic systems help guide order pickers to the correct items. These systems use a headset, which gives a visual light indicator or an audible voice instruction to tell the picker where to go next.

Ecommerce picking equipment factors to consider 

There's a type of ecommerce order-picking equipment to suit every business, regardless of your warehouse size, shop floor space, order volume, or product variety.

All premises differ due to the warehouse layout and its inventory. These are some key factors to consider when choosing ecommerce order picking equipment and systems:

• Product types: Do you store and ship fragile goods or sensitive electronics?

• Inventory size: How big, bulky, and/or heavy are individual items?

• Order volume: What is the order picking throughput on a typical day?

• Racking height: How high do you need to reach to store and retrieve goods?

• Warehouse layout: What is the size, space, and shape of your warehouse? How narrow are the aisles?

• Budget: How much do you want to spend on warehouse order picking trolleys?

Choosing the right ecommerce picking and packing equipment for your business ensures safe handling of goods and maximises order picking efficiency. In many cases, you can mix and match various merchandise trolleys for use in different areas.

Order picking methods

There are different ecommerce order picking systems and methods. The most appropriate one depends on the warehouse's scale, the number of human order pickers, the size and weight of goods, and other business-specific factors.

Choosing the best method can improve the efficiency of ecommerce picking and packing, as well as improve order accuracy in warehouses with a high volume of orders.

Single order picking

Single order picking is the most common warehouse order picking method. Each order picker is tasked with a single order at a time. They move through the warehouse, selecting items to complete the order, then move on to the next one.

Batch picking

Batch picking improves order picking efficiency by instructing workers to pick several orders at once. All items are loaded into a single trolley and then separated into their specific orders at a central packing station.

Multi-order batch picking

Each individual order's items are kept separate using a multi tier picking trolley (or similar) for faster dispatch once picking is complete. This method is ideal in warehouses with mostly smaller goods, which fit into order picking crates and totes.

Zone picking

In larger warehouses and distribution centres, multiple workers each take an ecommerce picking trolley to a different area or 'zone'. Items are retrieved, brought back to a central location, and orders are assembled for dispatch.

Wave picking

One of the most efficient ecommerce order picking methods is wave picking. This is ideal in busy warehouses with many workers. By moving through the warehouse in optimised 'waves', order pickers are kept apart, ensuring they and their merchandise trolleys have room to manoeuvre.

Buy ecommerce picking equipment online

Wheelie Bin Solutions have got you covered with a wide range of picking equipment for sale. Our fantastic range of merchandise picking and warehouse and stock trolleys allows you to match suitable equipment with the most efficient ecommerce order picking systems your business uses.

Browse our full range of ecommerce picking and packing trolleys today and give your warehouse operatives the equipment they need to fulfil orders quickly, safely, and accurately every time.