and inventory management, among other services. In 2021, it shipped 91.9 million units for customers around the globe. PFS works with a variety of e-retailers ranging from startups to multinational brands; many also operate in multiple channels. Its sweet spot includes retailers looking to outsource many of their e-commerce operations. “What we were primarily looking for in a partner was consistency, speed, and accuracy in both inventory management and shipping to the consumer,” O’Connor says. “In the direct-to-consumer selling channels, it is exceedingly important to set expectations and meet them regularly,” he says. MEETING CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS If customers’ expectations aren’t met, the often significant and quick backlash can strain support teams. “Negative experiences and feedback can have a long-lasting impact,” he adds. Moreover, while meeting these goals remains essential, it becomes even more challenging during peak periods, such as
Black Friday—or for a sunglass company, during the lead up to summer. “These volume increases can cause shipping delays that can often be difficult on both consumers and the warehouse team,” O’Connor says. To address these challenges, Blenders initiated a request for proposal (RFP) process several years ago. Management interviewed and visited about 10 logistics providers, culling a list based on recommendations from like- minded brands. “We visited different third-party logistics (3PL) providers to understand the variety of solutions and unique ways that each are trying to solve and match the speed, efficiency, and cost that are needed to be competitive in e-commerce,” O’Connor says. Blenders’ research showed that almost every logistics provider had varying ways of trying to meet volume expectations, especially around peak periods and major promotions. “We were careful to find a partner that was able to service multiple customers that were at least our size or greater, with the speed and accuracy that we would expect,” O’Connor says. EFFICIENT, QUICK IMPLEMENTATION Implementing a new logistics system and moving inventory to another warehouse can often be a challenge, as well as tedious and painful, O’Connor notes. Because the cost and effort required to move inventory is substantial, Blenders took care to find the right partner. In addition, as a modern brand that uses technology to operate efficiently and quickly, Blenders was looking for a partner that valued the same attributes. “With good planning and preparation by all involved, we were able to work with our partner to achieve a fairly quick transition with no downtime to our sales or shipping,” O’Connor says. For its part, PFS had noticed the growth Blenders had been experiencing. PFS’s leadership team understood how rapid growth—while a goal many
At the same time, Blenders is committed to tackling these challenges to meet “discerning customer expectations to ship things quickly and cheaply,” O’Connor says. FINDING A PARTNER While a move to a new warehouse addressed some logistical challenges, other complications remained. “We needed a key partner that can warehouse and fulfill effectively and quickly allows our business to focus on other needs to help grow and improve,” O’Connor says. That partner is PFS. “PFS is a premier e-commerce company,” says Patrick Lowe, the company’s area vice president, business management. PFS offers a roster of “post-click e-commerce solutions, focusing on direct-to-consumer operations,” he adds. Once a customer hits “buy,” PFS springs into action, focusing on order orchestration, fulfillment and management, and customer service. The company also offers payment processing, peak season support, fraud mitigation, tax and value-add tax (VAT) calculations,
USE CASE STUDY Setting Sites on Customer Expectations THE CHALLENGE: Blenders Eyewear was committed to meeting customers’ expectations for fast and reliable fulfillment and delivery, even while enjoying rapid growth. THE SOLUTION: To partner with PFS, a subsidiary of PFSweb Inc., which offers post-click e-commerce solutions focused on direct-to-consumer operations for premier brands. THE RESULT: The ability to consistently deliver customers’ orders accurately and quickly, including during periods of higher volume and rapid growth.
NEXT STEP: To continue to work diligently to continue to meet customers’ expectations.
50 Inbound Logistics • December 2022
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