The best 3PLs for arts and crafts brands can handle thousands of small SKUs, build kits and subscription boxes, protect fragile paper and paint, and sometimes store products like aerosols or solvent-based paints that carry shipping restrictions. Many craft supplies are also imported. Here is how four providers compare for arts, crafts and hobby brands.
| Provider | Best for | Footprint | In-house customs brokerage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argents Express Group | Craft brands that import supplies and sell DTC, by subscription or to retailers | Three Argents-operated hubs: Chicago (Elgin, IL), Charleston (Ladson, SC), Seattle-Tacoma (Tacoma, WA) | Yes, licensed U.S. customs broker |
| ShipBob | Small and mid-size DTC craft brands on Shopify | 50+ locations across the U.S., UK, Canada, Europe and Australia | No; ShipBob states it is not a customs broker |
| Red Stag Fulfillment | Brands selling heavy or bulky craft equipment | Two fulfillment centers, Sweetwater, TN and Salt Lake City, UT | Not stated |
| Buske Logistics | Craft brands selling to retail and running kits or subscriptions | 44 locations across 14 states plus Ontario | Not stated |
Argents pairs fulfillment with freight forwarding and licensed customs brokerage, which suits craft brands sourcing supplies overseas.
Best for: Craft brands that import supplies and sell DTC, by subscription or to retailers. Keep in mind: Argents runs three hubs rather than a large national network, so delivery speed depends on hub placement.
ShipBob’s arts, crafts and hobby program is built for DTC brands that want a large network and simple onboarding.
Best for: Small and mid-size DTC craft brands on Shopify. Keep in mind: Its craft page does not address hazmat items such as aerosols or lot tracking.
Red Stag’s hobby and craft program is aimed at large items rather than small supplies.
Best for: Brands selling heavy or bulky craft equipment. Keep in mind: Selective about clients, two locations, and no customs brokerage described.
Buske lists arts and crafts as a served industry with kitting and retail compliance.
Best for: Craft brands selling to retail and running kits or subscriptions. Keep in mind: No hazmat handling or customs brokerage described.
Match the provider to your hardest products. Heavy equipment points to Red Stag. A DTC Shopify brand that wants a big network fits ShipBob. Retail-heavy brands with kits should look at Buske. If you import supplies, run kits or subscriptions, and carry restricted items like aerosols, Argents covers freight, customs, dangerous-goods storage and kitting with one team. See our kitting and assembly services or talk to Argents.
ShipBob for DTC craft brands wanting a large network, Red Stag for bulky craft equipment, Buske for retail compliance plus kits, and Argents for craft brands that import supplies and need kitting, lot tracking or dangerous-goods storage.
Only if it has approved storage and shipping procedures for those items. Argents offers dangerous-goods storage at its Elgin, IL hub, subject to review of each product’s safety data sheet.
Many do. Ask for examples at your volume, how variants are managed and how packaging materials are stored between cycles.
Look for a WMS with barcode scanning at every step, bin locations sized for small items, and cycle counting, so pick accuracy stays high as the catalog grows.
Argents Express Group publishes this comparison and is one of the providers listed. Details for other companies come from their own websites as of September 2026 and may change, so confirm current services directly with each provider.