SMALL BUSINESSES, BIG SUPPLY CHAINS
T he thrill that an individual or group of investors experiences watching their small or mid-sized business (SMB) grow is almost second-to-none. Just as often, however, supply chain woes can temper that thrill. Challenges come on as fast as the orders come in if the small business failed to previously establish or explore eective partnerships and fulfillment solutions.
Shopify, Aroma Retail wasn’t sure its early modest volume would even garner attention. Their worries were unfounded. “One of the most important differentiators we have is that no matter the size of the business, we reach out and help them get on board,” says Mikel Richardson, general manager of ecommerce for North America at Descartes. FROM TINY TO THRIVING Finding and forging a relationship with a provider that features a model
multi-carrier solution that could provide rate shopping during checkout. The big question was whether Aroma could nd a provider willing to be a partner, as sometimes the company’s shipments—at least in the early days—amounted to just a few packages hastily dropped off at the post of ce at close of day. When the edgling company approached Descartes Systems Group, a logistics provider featuring a platform that integrates with multiple sales channels, including Amazon, eBay, and Finding and forging a relationship with a provider that features a model for small businesses can make all the di erence.
Navigating supply chain challenges doesn’t have to be overwhelming, though. With the right tools, strategies, and partners, SMBs can streamline operations, improve inventory management, and optimize shipping and delivery processes. Leveraging technology, data insights, and scalable solutions can help level the playing eld, enabling small businesses to compete with larger players while maintaining exibility and customer satisfaction. Add in a little foresight and planning, and SMBs can scale to meet demand just as nimbly as any large company. ESSENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS Aroma Retail is familiar with this scenario. The Las Vegas-based company started on founder Cristina Reding’s kitchen counter (literally) in 2017. Aroma Retail provides scenting solutions for homes and businesses, including pure-grade fragrance oils used by world- class resorts. Launched as a tiny company, Aroma Retail’s order volumes exploded from a handful of orders shipped daily within the United States to 4,000+ domestic and international orders per month today. Initially the company offered a at-rate parcel shipping fee, but that formula wasn’t conducive to success. It was also their customers’ top complaint. “It didn’t matter where you were, our website offered a at shipping fee. Sometimes we won, sometimes we lost,” says Jim Reding, who today serves as CEO of his wife’s thriving company. To give buyers greater choice, Aroma Retail wanted a cloud-based,
for small businesses can make all the difference. Descartes was
accommodating, according to Reding, and its live-quoting function turned out to be a game-changer. Aroma Retail was also able to gain access to boutique-style support. “It was important to us to have a way to send a label to a customer if they needed to return something,” says Reding. Descartes was able to provide that from the beginning. Partnering with a provider that can service an SMB from inception and manage the aggressive growth trajectories that can sometimes occur is crucial. Aroma Retail found that with Descartes. The cloud-based Descartes XPS™ multi-carrier parcel shipping solution has supported both seasonal peaks and marketing-driven volume spikes including an avalanche of orders
As a fledgling company, Aroma Retail, which operates out of a space known as The Smelly Bar, worked with Desartes to give customers greater shipping choices.
140 Inbound Logistics • January 2025
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