ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Apparel Fulfillment


Clothing and Apparel Logistics

The apparel industry faces many complex challenges when it comes to inventory management and order fulfillment. 

Why is accuracy so important for apparel fulfillment?


HOW IS INVENTORY MANAGED FOR APPAREL FULFILLMENT?

With a high volume of SKUs, poor inventory management can be an apparel brand killer.  Adding the fact that fashion and styles change quickly, brands can be left with aged, unsold product that loses value and costs money to store season-after-season.


Brands must balance fill rate with a disciplined SKU assortment strategy to keep inventory levels as lean as possible. Item activity level reporting from a modern warehouse management system can proactively help clothing brands identify slow moving inventory to make room for new seasonal merchandise. This active inventory management will help your fulfillment provider keep its slotting plan up to date and enable more efficient picking.


HOW IS SEASONALITY MANAGED FOR APPAREL FULFILLMENT?

Many apparel brands have seasonal surges in order volume. Whether it’s around the holidays, or through social media promotions or as the temperatures change, being able to scale your fulfillment capacity at these times is vitally important. When logistics companies can prepare for seasonal or promotional marketing events by leveraging communication, forecasting and planning, it drives improvements in order cycle time. Fulfillment providers can operate in a much more cost-effective and efficient manner when not in a “reactionary mode."


WHAT ARE THE PACKAGING DEMANDS FOR APPAREL FULFILLMENT?

Apparel packaging is an important consideration from both a branding and product protection standpoint. If an order is going directly to a consumer, the packaging and presentation is essential.  If an order is going to a retail outlet, the carton needs to be labeled properly to avoid chargebacks. To improve industry best practice is for master cartons and units to be barcoded and packaged with one style, size and color per carton.  Does your apparel, or a specific product line require hangers?  If so, your fulfillment facility will need dedicated hanging space.  Considerations and steps also need to be made if your inventory needs to be bagged, packaged, or folded in a certain way. 


WHAT VALUE-ADDED SERVICES ARE IMPORTANT FOR APPAREL FULFILLMENT?

Value-added services are an increasingly important consideration for apparel brands. Based on your specific needs and customer expectations, these additional options can offer a competitive advantage and reinforce your brand’s image. Packaging, kitting, bundling, labeling and personalization are five common and popular value-added services. Whether you need custom designed packaging or have a variety of components that need to be transformed into finished kits, there are different service options that can meet these needs.


HOW ARE RETURNS HANDLED FOR APPAREL FULFILLMENT?

Every warehouse is not for everyone, however, the relationship with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ has been more of a partnership and an extension of our company versus a traditional client-customer relationship. It is invaluable to have a partner who is just as equally invested in your success.

— eCommerce Apparel Retailer

our team has been doing a great job for us. We are subject to the vagaries of major customers, which often create logistical challenges. The ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ team has been a great partner to support us in successfully navigating through those challenges.

— CEO Active Lifestyle Apparel Brand

The team works with and supports the changes in our business. As the business continues to grow, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ has grown with us, contributing to the success of our business.

— Luxury Apparel Retailer

ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ understands how important it is to turn orders as quickly as possible to capitalize on our season. Their management of the Walmart inventory and assemblies has been great and has resulted in high OTIF scores.

— CEO Active Lifestyle Apparel Brand

APPAREL FULFILLMENT BLOG

By Katherine Wroth February 18, 2025
What happens when your business takes off overnight? E-commerce brands don’t fail because they can’t sell. They fail because they can’t fulfill. If you’re an e-Comm. brand, you probably started your business with a system that met your needs at the time. However, success can quickly become challenging without a flexible fulfillment strategy, leading to higher costs, bottlenecks and frustrated customers. In this post, we’ll discuss how scalable fulfillment impacts your business and how to find the right 3PL partner to keep operations running smoothly. What Is Scalable E-commerce Fulfillment? Scalable fulfillment refers to a logistics provider’s ability to adjust operations to accommodate fluctuating order volumes. This includes adapting labor resources, leveraging automation, optimizing warehouse management and fine-tuning order processing. If any part of this system fails to scale effectively, inefficiencies arise—delays, errors and unhappy customers. While early-stage businesses often prioritize affordability and convenience when selecting a fulfillment solution, building scalability into your strategy early on is key to long-term success. Why Scalability Matters in Fulfillment 1. Self-Fulfillment Can Only Take You So Far Most e-commerce businesses start by fulfilling orders themselves. This makes sense—it’s cost-effective and gives merchants complete control over packaging and shipping. In the early days, you only needed was storage space, shipping materials and a label printer. But as sales grow, the limitations of self-fulfillment become clear. More orders mean more inventory, packaging and labor. Maintaining order tracking, SKU management and shipping deadlines becomes a full-time job. Without the right infrastructure, delays mount, errors increase and customers look elsewhere. 2. Maintaining Quality as You Scale You can inspect every package with a low order volume, ensuring accuracy and crafting a great unboxing experience. But as demand grows, maintaining that same attention to detail becomes difficult. Many 3PLs struggle to replicate the same personalized experience, which can impact customer loyalty. Scaling fulfillment ensures that your customers continue to receive the quality they expect—even as order volumes grow. 3. Managing Seasonal Peaks and Slowdowns Many e-commerce businesses experience fluctuating demand. Whether it’s holiday shopping surges or slow post-season periods, fulfillment operations must be agile enough to scale up or down.  Without a flexible system, brands may overinvest in infrastructure they don’t always need or face fulfillment slowdowns when they need to ramp up. A scalable fulfillment partner helps you adjust resources, preventing costly inefficiencies. What to Look for in a Scalable Fulfillment Partner If your business is growing, choosing the right 3PL partner is critical. Here’s what to prioritize: 1. A Nationwide Fulfillment Network A single fulfillment center can quickly become overwhelmed. Instead, look for a partner with multiple strategically located warehouses . This allows you to: ✅ Speed up delivery times by distributing inventory closer to customers ✅ Prevent bottlenecks by shifting fulfillment to different locations ✅ Ensure seamless fulfillment even during unexpected surges 2. Automated Fulfillment Solutions Automation reduces reliance on seasonal labor, improves accuracy and speeds up order processing. With ongoing labor shortages, 3PLs integrating automation—such as robotic picking, AI-driven inventory management and automated sorting—offer a significant advantage. 3. Technology That Grows with You Your fulfillment partner’s tech stack should handle your business’s growth—not just for today but for years to come. Ask potential providers: ✔ Can their systems manage a rapid increase in order volume? ✔ Do they integrate with your e-commerce platform and order management system? ✔ Do they offer real-time inventory tracking and predictive analytics? 4. Scalable Value-Added Services Branded packaging , kitting and special inserts can enhance the customer experience—but can your fulfillment provider handle these extras as you scale? Ensure they can maintain the same level of personalization and quality even as order volumes rise. 5. Reliable Customer Support Fast fulfillment is only part of the equation. A scalable provider should also help you maintain strong customer service, offering: 🔹 Real-time order tracking to reduce customer inquiries 🔹 Streamlined returns processing 🔹 Dedicated support teams to handle peak-season demand The Bottom Line: Future-Proof Your Fulfillment Strategy Scaling your fulfillment operations isn’t just about keeping up with growth—it’s about setting your business up for long-term success. The right fulfillment partner will help you stay agile, efficient and prepared for whatever comes next. If you’re looking for a fulfillment provider who can support your business through every growth stage, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is here to help. Let’s discuss how we can build a scalable, seamless fulfillment strategy for your brand. Contact us today for a complimentary supply chain consultation to meet with one of our ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ experts.
By Katherine Wroth February 17, 2025
PROVO, Utah, Feb. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Enveyo , the leading provider of logistics data management, visibility, and shipping optimization software, today announced that ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½Centers , a leading North American third-party logistics (3PL) provider, selected Enveyo technology to power its transportation management, logistics visibility, advanced analytics, and parcel auditing processes. As a 3PL provider for DTC and B2B brands that operates 25+ locations across the United States, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ sought a technology provider that not only has substantial experience in supporting complex 3PL processes , but also has the ability to scale with them as their customer segment of e-commerce brands grow and their needs evolve. ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ was looking for a technology platform that could: Streamline transportation management processes with a robust technology engine for the handling of multiple parcel carriers, rates and surcharges Support an infinite number of complex business rules, carrier rates, and processes Ingest any volume of data in any format from their business systems, carriers, and technology partners Enable real-time and easy access to a shipping data control tower with customizable dashboards Publish a white-labeled client portal delivering reporting and analytics on transportation spend in real-time Automatically audit carrier performance with extensive reporting on dispute reason, status, and results Display time in transit data across their network of carriers to gain visibility into package tracking and delivery status data in real-time Scale with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and their customers' needs, at their pace Jude Plante, General Manager of Transportation at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½, explains, "We needed a technology partner with extensive knowledge of the complexities a 3PL of our size faces, who could also provide robust and holistic technology solutions that elevate our operations and strengthen our client relationships. Enveyo fit that profile perfectly." "We're honored to partner with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ to support their optimization initiatives around parcel program visibility for their growing customer base along with streamlining billing management processes," says Enveyo CEO & Co-Founder, Coby Nilsson . "More DTC and B2B brands are seeking modern 3PL operations with data-driven technology at the core. We're thrilled to be part of the value-added solutions ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is offering." "The market is more dynamic than ever before," Plante adds. "The supply chain and logistics complexities involved with fulfilling an order are plentiful. Enveyo understands the nuances and challenges of a modern 3PL, and we're excited to partner with their team and technology to add value to our clients and end customers' shipping experiences." To learn more about how Enveyo optimizes logistics operations for leading 3PL providers like ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ and shippers worldwide, visit www.enveyo.com . About Enveyo Enveyo is the leading provider of logistics data management, visibility, and shipping optimization software, helping shippers and 3PLs of all sizes move their logistics forward through data-driven technology. From shipment analytics and automated carrier selection to post-purchase delivery experience management and carrier auditing, Enveyo is the only suite deploying solutions across the logistics lifecycle. Powered by a robust, enterprise data management platform, Enveyo Insights, Modeling, Cloudroute, Alerting, and Audit solutions enable organizations to make business-transforming shipping decisions. To learn more about how Enveyo moves logistics forward, visit enveyo.com . About ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ Since 1941, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15 times, ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. eCommerce brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ directly here .  Official Release Here
February 5, 2025
Here's a helpful timeline/guide that is applicable for clients with a "classical" peak season in Q4: 🎯 Use Q1 to add 3PLs to your RFP discovery list/search. This master list should not be more than 7-10 providers. 🎯 You should have your preferred 3PL partner list dwindled down to three no later than end of Q1. 🎯 Use the beginning of Q2 for site visits (3 max)—engage with operations and folks on the floor. At this stage, "pricing gaps" should be somewhat narrow between 2-3 companies. Focus on who will "get the job done" and who you envision your company working with for the next 2-3+ years! This is super important. 🎯 Aim to award a verbal "yes" halfway through Q2, no later than end of May. You'll want to allow another 30-45 days to work through legal discussions. 🎯 Ideally, you should sign an MSA with your chosen 3PL no later than the end of June. This allows inventory transfers over the summer and ensures the new operation has ample "time" to touch the product, test systems, etc. 🎯 Go-Live by Oct 1—You really don't want to "go live" in November, two weeks before the major holidays/peak, etc. Launching by Oct 1 allows for at least a 30-day period before the ultra-craziness begins! The Right 3PL Can Make All the Difference—Let’s Chat If you're just about to start your RFP or need help with any of the above, contact us - ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ would love to be your next 3PL partner to run your supply chain!
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APPAREL FULFILLMENT

APPAREL FULFILLMENT CASE STUDY

We have also dealt with requirements for counterfeit product detection and management of the brand threat, while ensuring that all solutions position Vibram to scale, with orders and delivery (direct to consumer and to retail channels) capable of fast response as orders grow in number and complexity.

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