When scaling up logistics capacity to meet growing demand, there are several common pitfalls that many brands run into. To help you optimise your strategy, we’ve collected some key insights from Bleckmann’s Global Sales and Business Development Manager – and former fashion brand owner – Maxim Sion. Read on to discover his top tips for scaling up your logistics and the key mistakes all fast-growing brands should be aware of.
Building a customer-centric growth plan
Strong sales growth is a fantastic seal of approval from your customer base. But to build on this momentum and drive further growth, it’s often necessary to explore new markets and start selling your products through more sales channels. To achieve this, it’s critical to scale up your logistics operations without losing sight of what’s fuelled your success so far: connecting with your customers and providing them with an excellent service.
“Diluting the quality of your service to increase output and reach more customers is a common mistake many brands make, which can result in slower growth in the long term,” explains Maxim. “It’s vital that as you scale up your logistics capacity, your growth strategy doesn’t neglect the importance of protecting your brand reputation.” Read for Maxim’s advice on how to avoid the common mistakes brands make when scaling up.
Don’t compromise on the quality of the customer experience
When it’s time to scale up your apparel logistics, it’s important to maintain strong distribution and fulfilment services and continue delivering a high-level service for shoppers. That means continuing to offer customers efficient deliveries, easy-to-use returns systems, and live product tracking as your production and output levels grow.
“The focus for brands when they’re scaling up is to ensure they have more warehousing and transportation capacity so they can reach a greater number of customers,” shares Maxim. “But what can sometimes be overlooked is the quality of service they’re providing – be it user-friendly returns protocols, customised packaging, or other value-added services – that’s key to keeping customers coming back and building brand loyalty.”
Don’t forget to prioritise operational flexibility
The nature of the fashion and lifestyle industry is such that demand often peaks at certain key moments throughout the calendar year. So, as you scale your operations, you need to keep this in mind. The key to scaling sustainably is to remain as agile and flexible as possible. For example, you should be able to meet a short-term spike in demand during Black Friday without compromising operational efficiency in the weeks and months that follow. A fashion-specialist third-party logistics (3PL) partner can help you efficiently manage such short-term spikes by hiring additional temporary staff and flexibly managing multi-client warehouse space to meet short-term needs.
Don’t overlook the importance of supply chain transparency
Alongside operational inflexibility, disjointed supply chains make scaling your logistics operations a challenge – so this is another big mistake to avoid for fast-growing fashion brands. At its core, supply chain transparency means having clear, real-time visibility into every stage of the logistics process, from freight forwarding to last-mile delivery and returns management. “Scaling your logistics operations becomes extremely difficult with poor inventory management resulting from a lack of supply chain transparency,” says Maxim. “As your output grows, tools such as an advanced warehouse management system (WMS) and transportation management system (TMS) are crucial for managing inventory, tracking orders and maintaining close control of your operations.”
Don’t miss out on the latest logistics technology
Embracing the latest logistics technology can help emerging fashion brands compete with larger industry players during the scaling process. Indeed, there’s a wide range of advanced technology that can save you time and make your operations far more accurate and efficient as your business grows. “From enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to advanced solutions like Bleckmann’s AutoStore (an automated storage and retrieval system), there’s a wealth of technology available to help you improve your operational efficiency,” explains Maxim. “Especially if you’re targeting omnichannel growth, or you’re aiming to begin selling outside your home market, having access to the latest technology can be key to expanding efficiently as your logistics setup becomes more complex.”
How the right 3PL partnership can accelerate growth
As we’ve seen, there are several challenges facing brands when scaling their logistics operations, so the logical next step is often to outsource your operations to a dedicated 3PL provider. Such partnerships enable emerging fashion brands to benefit from the economies of scale and dedicated expertise of an established fashion logistics provider without the need for significant upfront investment.
However, for many brands, even partnering with a 3PL on a fixed-term contract might seem prohibitively expensive. That’s where Bleckmann’s Bscale solution comes into play, offering brands of all sizes full access to Bleckmann’s logistics and fulfilment services. “With Bscale, brands choose only the services they require and can expand their operations at their own pace, ensuring maximum flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” explains Maxim. “As a plug-and-play solution, it connects seamlessly with your existing online store, providing you with tools to organise inventory, streamline incoming shipments and manage returns – all supported by real-time analytics for enhanced decision-making and optimised performance. Based on my own experience of running a fashion brand, it addresses many of the common obstacles to growth.”
Want to take your logistics to the next level? Explore how our Bscale solution can help your brand scale its logistics operations now, or get in contact for a free consultation with one of our experts!
