The Brand
At the heart of our brand partner’s journey (a modern, waterproof footwear brand) lies a passionate mission – to make venturing outdoors, yes even in a torrential rain storm, a more pleasant and joyful experience. The co-founders of this Vancouver-based company, fueled by their frustration with wet socks and countless canceled plans, embarked on a mission to create a waterproof sneaker that defied the rain-soaked elements so they could make the best of life in wet weather.
Yet, amid the success of their innovative product, this brand faced uphill challenges when it came to their order fulfillment and returns management. As their popularity soared, so did the complexities of managing their logistics.
Keep reading to find out how they achieved:
The Challenge
As the brand grappled with their growing operational landscape, so too grew the demand for an integrated solution to efficiently manage their ecommerce fulfillment. The immediate need was to streamline their technology integrations and processes in order to sustain and elevate their order management and shopper support.
In addition to these major priorities, they needed to implement a returns process that would match the satisfaction of their shoppers’ initial purchase and leave the customer content.
Hampered by ineffective technology, a faltering fulfillment process, and a lackluster returns experience, these inefficiencies threatened to compromise the experience they aimed to deliver to their shoppers.
The Solution
By partnering with GoBolt, they began to experience significant improvements in their operational efficiency and shopper satisfaction.
We implemented our full suite of services and integrated our technology to comprehensively address this brand’s challenges.
Let’s dive into how we made this happen:
1. Technology integration
Our team worked closely to integrate with this brand via our strategic tech integrations, including NetSuite and Loop. This holistic approach not only addressed their immediate challenges but laid the foundation for sustained operational excellence.
2. Store replenishment program
To support our brand partner’s expanding retail footprint across Canada, we implemented a store replenishment program. This involved facilitating large, case-level deliveries on a weekly cadence and addressing smaller, short-notice store replenishments as needed.
Central to this operation was leveraging our own last mile delivery service. By tapping into our dedicated fleet, we ensured a more agile and responsive approach to varying store requirements, paired with our white glove delivery service, to meet the demands of their growing number of locations. By working with an end-to-end provider, the brand experienced a more seamless journey into brick and mortar retail.
3. Returns processing
To address the challenges the brand was facing with their returns, we implemented our full returns processing solution. Our returns management process is aimed at increasing the percentage of returns that are put back into stock. This ensures brands are recapturing as much revenue as possible from returns and reducing backorders for popular SKUs. Simultaneously, the system automates shopper refunds, providing a quick resolution that contributes to a positive customer experience.
The Results
The impact was swift and significant. Since 2022, more than 2 million units have shipped with GoBolt. In Q4 2022, the average fulfillment time stood at 2.2 days. Fast forward to Q4 2023, this figure plummeted to an impressive 0.5 days, marking a remarkable 77% reduction in average order fulfillment time year-over-year.
Returns management, once a pain point for the brand, transformed into a seamless process, enhancing their overall efficiency. Beyond merely processing their returns, our full-service program became a valuable tool for identifying fraud, manufacturing defects, and tracking common product issues. This capability empowered our brand partner with actionable insights, enabling them to address concerns proactively.
In addition, our streamlined support for the brand included a dedicated onsite support rep. This rep operates as the main point of contact for any warehouse inquiries, escalations or special projects. This significantly enhanced support for our brand partner, and their own support teams. Since the onsite rep is deeply familiar with the brand’s operations, they are able to provide quick resolutions, providing a more responsive and customer-friendly experience.
Final Thoughts
The journey with GoBolt marked a turning point for our brand partner as we worked together to improve their logistics efficiency. The collaboration not only addressed existing challenges but positioned them for scale.
Key Takeaways and Benefits
Accelerated order fulfillment, improved returns management and enhanced shopper support helped lay the foundation for a more resilient and scalable operational framework.
Looking for a fulfillment and last mile partner to help take your brand to the next level? Reach out to our team today.
