Ready to Scale Your Arts & Crafts Business?
In the UK we’re discovering that a digital detox lowers stress levels, improves productivity and enhances our social interactions. And what better way to unleash our creative side than to take up a new hobby, get crafting and replace scrolling with making?
Craft supplies, online workshops and subscription boxes remain hugely popular, and the sector continues to grow. Many of the arts & crafts brands Prolog now works with came to us having experienced excellent growth, consolidated their new customer base, and were ready to scale their business.
Growth, Consolidation, Scaling
When growth happens fast for a new, or fairly new eCommerce business it quickly reaches a point where existing systems can no longer cope efficiently. It becomes harder to stay on top of your stock inventory, customers begin to get frustrated that their orders don’t arrive fast enough and returns start to increase.
It’s at this point that consolidation is required. A failing infrastructure needs to be supplemented in order to maintain the quality of the product and the level of service expected by customers. Often this means working with a fulfilment company that takes over the operational aspects, so the business gets a breathing space to develop their brand and their products.
Scaling comes into view once you’ve successfully consolidated, your revenue has stabilised, and your brand is established. Your business is now in a position to partner with a 3PL that can streamline your operations, improve supply chain efficiencies, and exceed the expectations of your customers.
3PL Partnerships for Arts & Crafts eCommerce
If you’re ready to scale, you’ll most likely be looking for 3PLs that are the right fit for your sector. So, what is it the arts and crafts brands need to have in place from their 3PL partner in order to scale successfully? Prolog works with a number of eCommerce businesses in this sector and there are 5 things we consider essential:
1. Personalised Kitting and Subscription Services
Subscription and kitting are big business at the moment in the UK, so eCommerce brands need to know that the 3PL they work with has:
- A trained and motivated workforce.
- Capacity to offer personalised kitting and subscription.
- Expertise in working with small, often fragile components.
- Inclusion of personalised messaging and option.
2. Design and Packaging Specialists
Your 3PL should offer packaging design, ensuring that your clients’ goods move efficiently, cost-effectively, and safely through the supply chain, whilst prioritising brand messaging. A great unboxing experience is important for arts and crafts suppliers, but the design of your packaging is also a vital component in your supply chain management.
3. Onboarding, Account Management, Support
No matter the value-adds offered by your 3PL partner, they count for nothing if the onboarding, account management and support are poorly delivered. The onboarding process needs to offer a seamless transition for your IT systems and business operations. Account Management should be dedicated and ongoing. And support has to be personalised and efficient.
If you’re a small business, check that you won’t get lost in the system.
4. Returns Management
The aim of every 3PL should be to reduce your returns to a minimum. It’s unlikely, though, that they’ll disappear altogether. For those returns they manage, the process should be simple, efficient, and frictionless for customers. In over 50% of cases a good returns service will result in the customer placing further orders.
5. Ongoing Optimisation
The idea of scaling is that ongoing optimisation leads to further growth without changes to the infrastructure. The arts and crafts sector is undergoing a renaissance and trends may change rapidly over the next 5 years. You need to know that your account manager will be working with you to anticipate those changes, offer innovative problem solving, and ensure your supply chain continues to work as efficiently as possible.
Choosing Your 3PL Partner
If you’re looking for a 3PL partner to partner with in order to scale your arts and crafts brand, Prolog is here to help. We are an established fulfilment company, with an impressive 3PL operation for growing businesses that are ready to scale.
We specialise in optimised warehousing, picking and packing, shipping and returns for businesses focused on crafting, arts and hobbies. If you’re looking for a 3PL partner that has the experience and expertise to help you grow efficiently and successfully, we’d love to talk to you.