System and method for fulfilling e-commerce orders from a hierarchy of fulfilment centres

A method of operating a plurality of fulfillment centres including a large fulfillment centre and a smaller fulfillment centre, each of the fulfillment centres being configured to fulfil customer orders, the method comprising:

• receiving, at the large fulfillment centre, a first product and a second product;
• picking, at the large fulfillment centre, desired quantities of the first and second products for packing into a container, wherein the desired quantities include at least one of:
• quantities ordered by at least one customer, to be fulfilled at the large fulfillment centre or the small fulfillment centre;
• and
• quantities predicted to be ordered by at least one customer, to be fulfilled at the small fulfillment centre;
• the method further comprising:
• storing, at the large fulfillment centre, the first product in a first container;
• and
• storing, at the large fulfillment centre, the second product in a second container;
• wherein each of the first and second containers is selected from a set of standardised containers having one or more predefined sizes.