General Merchandise & Big-Box Goods
Mixed-SKU container loads bound for distribution centers and retail floor sets, where the reset date is fixed and the freight has to land ahead of it.
Retail Logistics Solutions..
Retail moves on two clocks at once: the reset date a big-box buyer will not move, and the click-to-doorstep window a direct-to-consumer shopper will not wait past. We build the import and distribution program around both.
We provide end-to-end logistics support for retail and consumer goods companies, managing everything from inbound inventory to last-mile delivery. Whether you're distributing to retail stores or fulfilling online orders, we ensure speed, accuracy, and flexibility at every stage. With expertise in demand forecasting, inventory management, and omni-channel fulfillment, we help you meet consumer expectations, reduce stockouts, and stay competitive in a fast-moving market. As a licensed U.S. customs broker and a freight forwarder, the same team that books your ocean and air freight also clears it, so a classification question or a tariff exposure gets caught before it becomes a hold at the port.
Shelf-ready, on scheduleOne licensed partner, factory to floor
The Retail & Consumer Goods We Move.
Retail catalogs rarely sit in one category. We handle the mix, and the classification and handling each line requires.
Apparel, Footwear & Textiles
Seasonal and core apparel programs, footwear, and home textiles, categories where origin and material composition drive the duty and compliance picture as much as the product itself.
Consumer Electronics & Small Appliances
Devices, accessories, and small appliances that carry their own HTS classification and, often, testing or certification documentation before they clear.
Home Goods, Furniture & Housewares
Furniture, décor, and housewares, bulkier freight where container utilization and inland delivery scheduling matter as much as the ocean leg.
Toys & Juvenile Products
Toys, juvenile products, and children's goods subject to consumer product safety requirements, handled with the documentation CBP expects at entry.
E-Commerce & Direct-to-Consumer Freight
Parcel-bound and direct-to-consumer volume that needs to move from port to fulfillment center fast enough to protect a shopper's delivery promise.
Retail Import Compliance, Handled Before It Reaches the Port.
Most retail categories are sourced overseas, which means most retail categories carry some trade-compliance exposure. We manage it as part of the shipment, not as an afterthought.
Section 301
China-Origin Tariffs on Consumer Goods
A wide range of retail categories sourced from China, including apparel, electronics, and housewares, carry added tariffs under Section 301. Country of origin, not the port a shipment sails from, decides whether they apply.
How we help: confirm HTS classification and origin for each product line and flag Section 301 exposure before you commit to a purchase order, not after the container sails.
Classification
HTS Classification Across a Broad SKU Catalog
A single retail program can span dozens of HTS classifications across apparel, electronics, plastics, and textiles, and each one sets the base duty rate and decides what other trade measures attach.
How we help: classify by product line, keep the reasoning documented and consistent across reorders, and pursue binding rulings on recurring SKUs where it is worth the certainty.
Product safety
Consumer Product & Juvenile Product Requirements
Toys, juvenile products, and many household goods fall under consumer product safety requirements, and CBP can hold a shipment at entry when the supporting documentation is incomplete.
How we help: confirm the certificates and entry documentation a consumer product needs before the container lands, so the hold never happens.
Forced-labor rule
Forced Labor Exposure on Cotton & Textile Sourcing
The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates added scrutiny for cotton and textile goods with any tie to restricted regions, and apparel and home textile supply chains are a recurring target.
How we help: help assemble the supply chain documentation that keeps a textile or apparel shipment from being detained pending proof of origin.
This page is general information, not legal, tax, or customs advice; trade measures change and vary by product, origin, and destination, so we verify the rules in force on each shipment.
One Partner, From Overseas Factory to Retail Shelf.
Sourcing, customs, storage, and delivery, coordinated by a single accountable team so nothing is lost in a handoff between vendors.
Global Ocean & Air Forwarding
Freight booked and tracked from overseas factories to U.S. ports, with air options when a seasonal window won't wait for an ocean sailing. Global forwarding
Customs Brokerage & Clearance
Entry filing, classification, and origin determinations handled by a licensed broker, so retail volume clears without becoming a bottleneck. Customs brokerage
Warehousing, Transloading & Distribution
Staging, transloading, and inventory management close to the port, so goods move from container to floor set on your timeline. Warehousing & transloading
Inland Transportation & Final-Mile Delivery
Drayage, trucking, and distribution to retail networks or direct-to-consumer fulfillment points, scheduled against the reset date or the delivery promise. Inland transportation
Managed Logistics & Omni-Channel Fulfillment
An outsourced logistics team overseeing store replenishment and e-commerce fulfillment together, so one channel's surge doesn't starve the other. Managed logistics
Duty Drawback on Returns & Re-Exports
Recovery of duties paid on merchandise that is later returned, destroyed, or re-exported, a program many retail importers leave unclaimed. Duty drawback
Why Retailers Choose W.M. Stone.
Retail logistics fails at the same two points every time: a compliance hold at the border, or freight that lands after the season has moved on. We are built to prevent both.
Built for Peak Season
Holiday and seasonal surge volume is planned for, not reacted to, so a spike in orders does not become a spike in delays.
A Broker, Not Just a Forwarder
Only a licensed customs broker is authorized to clear your entry before CBP. A forwarder moves the box; we move it and clear it.
One Team, Full Visibility
Customs, warehousing, and inland delivery run as one workflow with one point of contact, not a chain of vendors and ticket numbers.
250+ Years of Combined Experience
Our team brings more than 250 years of combined industry experience to retail import programs, licensed customs brokers and freight professionals who know the Port of Virginia and the trade rules that govern it.
Retail Import & Distribution FAQs.
The questions retail and consumer goods importers ask us most before moving a program through the Port of Virginia.
Do Section 301 tariffs apply to my retail imports from China?
Possibly. Section 301 tariffs apply to a wide range of Chinese-origin goods across apparel, electronics, and housewares, and country of origin, not the port a shipment sails from, determines whether they apply. We confirm classification and origin for each product line before you commit to a purchase order.
How do you handle peak-season and seasonal surge volume?
We plan capacity, warehousing, and inland transportation ahead of the season rather than reacting to it once volume spikes, so a holiday or back-to-school surge moves on the same schedule as the rest of the year.
Can you help manage HTS classification across a large, changing SKU catalog?
Yes. We classify by product line, keep the classification reasoning documented and consistent across reorders, and pursue binding rulings on recurring SKUs where the certainty is worth it, so a catalog that spans dozens of categories still clears cleanly.
What compliance requirements apply to toys and juvenile products?
Toys, juvenile products, and many household goods fall under consumer product safety requirements, and CBP can hold a shipment at entry if the supporting documentation is incomplete. We confirm what a product needs before the container lands.
Do forced labor rules affect apparel and textile sourcing?
It can. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act creates added scrutiny for cotton and textile goods with any tie to restricted regions, and apparel and home textile supply chains are a recurring enforcement target. We help assemble the traceability documentation that keeps a shipment from being detained.
Can duty drawback recover costs on returned or re-exported merchandise?
Often, yes. Retailers that see merchandise returned, destroyed, or re-exported can recover duties paid on those goods through a drawback program, and it is a benefit many importers never claim simply because no one is tracking the paperwork for it.
Credentialed to Clear Your Retail Imports.
Here to Drive Your Business Forward.
Leave your logistics challenges to us so you can focus on growing your business. Let us provide the reliable support your operations need.