Being a retailer in today’s landscape is a challenging undertaking, especially when customer expectations for flawless shopping journeys have never been higher.
Amid intense competition and skyrocketing acquisition costs, every element of your operation has to be optimized for the best possible customer experience. In the world of logistics, this means fast, error-free order fulfillment – every time.
But not only that; the shipping and delivery experience also needs to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty. So that when the package finally lands on their doorstep, they’re already planning their next purchase with you.
How do you achieve this? By partnering with a best-in-class 3PL like Whiplash. Today, we’re going to take a look at why customers chose to make the switch to our service (and why you should too).
“Before partnering with Whiplash there were some services we weren’t able to offer, such as in-store returns. This added a lot of friction to the customer experience. Integrated inventory management has been a real game-changer for the Calzedonia brand – and our ability to meet consumer expectations.” Marcello Veronesi, CEO of Calzedonia USA.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this past year, you’ll know that omnichannel is no longer the future of retail – it’s the here and now. Omnichannel activity has sharply accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and all signs show that it’s here to stay.
Consumers have enjoyed the increased levels of flexibility that the pandemic has forced upon retailers, and they clearly expect this to be the norm post-recovery; 50% of customers expect a Buy Online, Pick-up In-Store option to be available to them, while 40% want to be able to return items in-store rather than by mail.
For Italian legwear brand Calzedonia, these expectations created a challenge for CX management. With the pandemic hitting just as their ambitious U.S. expansion plan was underway, finding an experienced omnichannel fulfillment provider became a top priority.
With the help of the Whiplash platform, Calzedonia was able to achieve the complete consolidation of their inventory across ecommerce and brick and mortar locations. This gave them the ability to offer advanced O2O (online-to-offline) experiences to their customers that had previously been out of reach.
Calzedonia is currently operating out of Whiplash’s Newark location, a 32,000 sq. ft. automated distribution center serving almost 50 stores across the U.S, with plans to scale to additional locations to serve their growing store network.
Read more about our partnership with Calzedonia.
“We love what we do, and we’ve always had a long view for Baboon To The Moon and the people we work with. Whiplash has added value at every stage of our adventure.” Andy Person, CEO of Baboon To The Moon.
For D2C merchants, seamless integration with ecommerce platforms and ERPs is essential to maintaining a continuous flow of data on outstanding orders, inventory, shipments, and returns. Without software integration, information needs to be manually changed across systems in response to sales and warehouse activity.
This is no small undertaking when updates are flying in every minute, leaving your business a step behind and unable to respond effectively to adverse circumstances like shipping delays or low inventory levels. It also opens the door to inaccurate on-site information and errors in data entry, both of which are detrimental to your fulfillment operation.
As a Shopify merchant, travel accessories brand Baboon To The Moon knew that seamless Shopify integration was the number one priority when looking at prospective 3PL partners. Whiplash’s ready-made 3PL Shopify integration, as well as their scalable approach to value-added services, made them the stand-out choice.
With Whiplash’s easy two-step integration process and automatic importing of new Shopify orders, Baboon To The Moon was able to hit the ground running, achieving 4x year-on-year growth within their first twelve months with Whiplash.
Learn more about the success of Baboon to the Moon.
“Whiplash has been the ultimate trump card for Moda Operandi. By setting custom Order Rules for packing and routing, we can make sure that our most valued customers receive the service they expect – every time.” Nikhil Soares, ecommerce Supply Chain and Operations Executive for Moda Operandi.
As we’ve mentioned time and time again on this blog, the ecommerce experience has never been more integral to a merchant’s success. Cold, transaction-driven interactions that lack the ‘wow factor’ will struggle to meet the growing demand for memorable customer experiences.
As an online-only seller of luxury and couture fashion, Moda Operandi is tasked with delivering a high-end brand experience without the material trappings of boutiques and ateliers. This means that the entire end-to-end experience from ordering and delivery needs to be geared towards surprising and delighting customers at every turn.
Whiplash’s intuitive interface made it possible for Moda Operandi to set detailed Order Rules for packing and routing. The ability to set specialized packaging for certain SKUs and automatic shipping upgrades for high-value orders allows Moda Operandi to offer exclusive perks to their most loyal customers – no ongoing maintenance required.
Paired with the strategic location of Whiplash’s Secaucus facility for same-day delivery capabilities to key customer hubs in New York City, Moda Operandi is well-positioned to meet customer expectations for seamless delivery.
Find out about Moda Operandi’s journey with Whiplash.
“As the demand and interest for e-bikes surged, we needed the ability to scale quickly. With a Seattle presence and a nationwide operation, Whiplash was a clear choice for a fulfillment partner that allows us to deliver an unrivaled customer experience.” Mike McBreen, Chief Operating Officer at Rad Power Bikes. “
For direct-to-consumer brands, major growth opportunities can be difficult to predict. That’s why it’s so important to partner with a fulfillment provider who can match rapid increases in order volumes with the right infrastructure and expertise.
Multi-node fulfillment strategies give retailers much more flexibility in how they manage inventory, allowing them to allocate orders to the facility closest to end customers for faster delivery timeframes. Furthermore, it enables greater responsiveness to geographic shifts in customer location, which often leave centralized warehouse strategies unfit for purpose.
The pivot to ecommerce as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many digitally native retailers to grapple with a massive increase in the demand for their products. For RAD Power Bikes, the sudden closure of gyms and fitness centers drove consumers nationwide to search for alternative exercise solutions – leading e-bikes to become a hot commodity virtually overnight.
To capitalize on this unprecedented opportunity to build market share, RAD chose to partner with Whiplash and advantage of their advanced nationwide network, supporting future growth through a tailored fulfillment strategy with built-in scalability.
Read more about RAD’s multi-node fulfillment strategy.
And there you have it! Both emerging and established brands have made leaps and bounds towards more agile fulfillment with the backing of Whiplash’s advanced technological and physical infrastructure. No matter whether you’re a major nationwide retailer or an up-and-coming online brand, Whiplash has the tools and expertise to deliver seamless, value-added logistics that enhance the customer experience – from the moment an order is placed.
Want to know more? Contact us today!
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