Products Inspired by Living
and Playing in the Mountains
Background:
In 2004, SmartWool – one of the most respected merino wool providers in the Outdoor Apparel Industry – was preparing to launch an e-commerce division for two reasons:
- to make the entire breadth of its product line available to its customer base; and
- to ensure that customers everywhere – even in remote locations – could have access to their favorite SmartWool products.
Based in Steamboat Springs, CO, SmartWool is an apparel brand whose products are inspired by living and playing in the mountains. The company offers year-round apparel for an active life in unpredictable mountain climates. SmartWool products are created to get the most out of the inherent benefits of Merino wool while delivering extraordinary comfort through intelligent and thoughtful products; allowing mountain athletes to do what they love to do longer.
Challenge:
SmartWool searched for the right third-party fulfillment service provider by interviewing a number of companies across the U.S. Glenn Airoldi, director of e-Commerce for SmartWool, outlined the key requirements the company had identified and why it selected IFS for the launch of its e-commerce business in May 2005:
- the ability to ship direct to consumers;
- a central U.S. location – making shipping from Kansas City to both coasts faster and less costly;
- the capability to turn customer orders within 24 hours;
- the ability to split wholesale packages, managing inventory levels for consumers; and
- a “high touch” Call Center, which provides exceptional service to SmartWool customers.
Glenn explained the demands of managing the fulfillment process for the company. “We know that fulfillment for SmartWool is very demanding for two reasons…the rate of growth that we’ve enjoyed within the e-commerce world and the seasonality of our business. We operate at a very high velocity in the winter months, yet at a much, much calmer pace during the summer. It really forces Keith and the rest of the IFS team to manage space and inventory levels in a way that allows us to serve the needs of our customers at the highest level.”
The rate of growth Glenn alluded to has been at least five-fold since the e-commerce division launched. And – given the extreme seasonality of the business – the daily volume of shipments during the holidays can sometimes be bigger than the volume of an entire month during the summer.
Regardless of the seasonality, the IFS team has stepped up to the plate every day to ensure SmartWool customers receive excellent service. IFS President Keith Milburn commented, “We put a high value on our partnership with SmartWool and we understand their seasonality challenges. But managing seasonal surges is something we have experience in, and frankly we do it very well. Plus, our entire team is committed to doing an exceptional job for SmartWool.”
Results:
Glenn says, “IFS has been critical to the success we’ve seen with our e-commerce business.”
He referred to the Call Center as a ‘shining light’ in the partnership between IFS and SmartWool. “What we love about the IFS Call Center is the quality of the staff and the obvious value that IFS places on retaining good employees. I don’t think there’s a Call Center anywhere that could give us the longevity of the lead staff or the low turnover that we’ve seen at IFS. And it’s extremely helpful from a training standpoint for us to know that – on a seasonal basis – we’re training people who are already very familiar with our products. In fact, some members of the IFS Call Center team have taken our customers’ calls for the last four or five years.”
Glenn concluded by saying, “IFS has been an invaluable partner in growing our brand. Their dedication to exceeding our service expectations has allowed us to grow quickly. Thanks to their expertise, we’re now taking 99.99 percent order accuracy and timely delivery for granted.”
To learn more about SmartWool®, visit www.smartwool.com