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Personalization: A Game Changer for Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce Brands
Katherine Wroth • October 3, 2024
Personalization: A Necessity in eCommerce
Did you know 65% of consumers now expect brands to understand and cater to their individual preferences and needs? Once considered a luxury, personalization has now become essential for brands looking to stand out in the competitive eCommerce space.
The Evolution of 3PL Personalization Services at Barrett
Our journey into specialized services began several years ago, driven by growing customer demands. Initially, we offered essential services like ticketing, tagging, repackaging and re-boxing. As our clients’ needs expanded, we adapted by incorporating advanced services like RFID tagging, reverse logistics and high-volume returns management.
Personalization: A Game Changer for Direct-to-Consumer Brands
Personalization has become a key differentiator, especially for direct-to-consumer brands. Barrett has invested in in-house services like embroidery, monogramming, and laser engraving to meet this growing demand. These capabilities enable our clients to add personal touches to their products, creating stronger connections with their customers.
We offer in-house personalization services to help brands enhance their value in a crowded marketplace. As more brands strive to stand out, this area of our business continues to grow and evolve.
The Strategic Role of Boutique Services
Offering boutique 3PL services goes beyond logistics — it enhances the customer experience. For growing brands, the ability to provide personalized products can significantly impact customer loyalty and retention. At Barrett, we ensure that our high-touch personalized services meet the needs of our clients while enabling them to offer their customers a unique and tailored experience.
By keeping these services in-house, we maintain strict control over quality, speed and flexibility, ensuring our clients can respond to customer demands efficiently and precisely.
Top 20 Personalization and Customization Services Brands Are Leveraging
- Embroidery – Adding custom stitched logos, names or designs to apparel and accessories.
- Monogramming – Custom initials or designs added to products like bags, towels or clothing.
- Laser Engraving – Personalizing products such as metal, leather or wood with precise engraved designs or text.
- Custom Printing – Personalized printing on products like t-shirts, mugs, posters and packaging.
- RFID Tagging – Embedding custom RFID tags in products for tracking and inventory management.
- 3D Printing – Creating custom one-of-a-kind items or parts based on customer specifications.
- Custom Packaging – Offering personalized packaging designs for gifts, products or shipments.
- Heat Press Vinyl – Applying custom vinyl designs or logos to apparel and accessories.
- Engraved Jewelry – Personalizing rings, necklaces, bracelets and other jewelry with names or messages.
- Custom Color Options – Allowing customers to choose specific color combinations for products.
- Custom Sizing/Measurements – Tailoring products to specific body measurements or fit preferences (especially in fashion).
- Personalized Labels – Adding custom labels or stickers to products, especially for limited editions or exclusive releases.
- Digital Customization – Allowing customers to design and configure digital products, such as personalized skins for gadgets or electronics.
- Custom Engraved Glassware – Personalizing glass items such as drinkware or decorative pieces with names or logos.
- Personalized Stationery – Custom-designed notepads, invitations or cards for personal or professional use.
- Photo Customization – Adding personal photos to products like books, canvases or keepsakes.
- Customizable Shoes – Offering custom patterns, colors or engravings on footwear.
- Name/Date Embossing – Adding embossed names, initials or dates to leather goods such as bags, wallets or notebooks.
- Custom Fragrance Creation – Allowing customers to mix and create personalized scents.
- Personalized Gift Wrapping – Offering custom wrapping paper or unique packaging for special occasions.
As more brands embrace personalization as a key growth strategy, we are well-equipped to provide the high-touch boutique services they need. Our commitment to expanding these offerings positions us as a critical partner for brands seeking to deliver exceptional personalized experiences to their customers.
Ready to elevate your brand's customer experience with personalized, high-touch 3PL services? Contact us today to discover how our in-house personalization services can help your brand stand out.
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Here's a helpful timeline/guide that is applicable for clients with a "classical" peak season in Q4: 馃幆 Use Q1 to add 3PLs to your RFP discovery list/search. This master list should not be more than 7-10 providers. 馃幆 You should have your preferred 3PL partner list dwindled down to three no later than end of Q1. 馃幆 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. 馃幆 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. 馃幆 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. 馃幆 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 - Barrett would love to be your next 3PL partner to run your supply chain!
Franklin, Mass., Jan. 23, 2025 — Barrett Distribution Centers , a leader in third-party logistics (3PL) leader for over 82 years, is proud to announce its partnership with MISSION , a performance lifestyle brand. “Following a thorough search and review process, we selected Barrett based on their ability to provide a scalable, dependable and competitive Omni-Channel Warehouse and Managed Transportation Services solution,” said Lisa Lehan , COO of MISSION. “Their strategic location offers the foundation necessary to support our forecasted growth through D2C and B2B channels, making them the ideal partner for our next growth phase.” MISSION is dedicated to prioritizing comfort by providing a high level of cool in every environment, whether indoors or outdoors. As a performance lifestyle brand, MISSION focuses on innovative design to ensure that extreme heat and discomfort do not interfere with work, play, or daily experiences. The brand integrates heat health™, comfort, and performance into its offerings to facilitate peak performance during a variety of physical activities. MISSION’s journey is defined by action and a strong commitment to comfort and success. The brand prioritizes innovative cooling products that can be utilized across various activities. MISSION strives to achieve health and wellness goals through continual innovation, creating solutions that empower individuals to enhance their performance without allowing heat to hinder their efforts. “It’s a pleasure to reconnect with a fun, innovative and growing brand like MISSION,” said Mark Healy , VP of Customer 好色先生 at Barrett. “I’m proud to call Lisa Lehan, MISSION’s COO, a friend, and the entire Barrett team is excited and honored to support the next phase of MISSION’s growth.” Barrett is set to launch the MISSION operation from the Memphis region , home to its robust network of high-growth apparel brands and robotics-driven pick solutions. About MISSION Founded in 2009 by a group of world-class athletes and heat safety experts, MISSION is the leader in head-to-toe cooling and heat-relief product innovations that enhance performance and safety for anyone who works, plays, or lives in the heat. MISSION's goals extend far beyond providing comfort; they aim to revolutionize health, wellness, productivity, and performance in the face of heat challenges. MISSION is distributed nationwide in over 25,000 retail stores and online, leading the market with patented and proprietary technologies. MISSION is the founding partner of the National Heat Safety Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving safety and performance in high-temperature environments for workers in the United States. Along with scientists, researchers, and industry leaders, the Coalition collaborates with public and private partners to set guidelines and raise awareness about heat safety standards. For more information, visit mission.com and follow us on Instagram @mission. About Barrett Distribution Centers Since 1941, Barrett 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. Barrett 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, Barrett is big enough to do the job and still small enough to care about your business deeply. eCommerce brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact Barrett directly here . Official Release Here
Industry Challenge In today’s logistics landscape, companies face hurdles such as fluctuating customer demand, rising costs due to inflation, and supply chain disruptions. To stay competitive, logistics providers must prioritize cost reduction and service quality. This entails adopting modern tools to offer customers greater visibility into their operations and associated costs. By leveraging analytics and enhancing transparency, companies can improve efficiency, streamline processes, and deliver exceptional customer experiences. Barrett Specific Challenges Barrett, committed to customer satisfaction and operational excellence, encountered significant challenges: Customer Satisfaction : Customers demanded frequent and accurate visibility into supply chain operations, affecting our Net Promoter Score (NPS) and trust. Poor Visibility : Inadequate visibility across the supply chain caused delays and eroded customer trust, hindering proactive decision-making. Metric Visibility and Transparency : Limited visibility and manual metric calculations hindered meaningful insights and continuous improvement. Customer Communication/Working Relationship : Numerous inquiries strained resources, necessitating streamlined touchpoints and proactive communication. Feedback from clients underscored the urgency to revamp reporting and analytics for improved transparency and alignment with customer expectations. Solution: Modernizing Data Stack and Analytics Strategy To address these challenges, Barrett revamped its data stack and analytics strategy: Snowflake Implementation : Consolidating data into one platform improved visibility and decision-making speed across the supply chain. Tableau Cloud Partnership : Leveraging Tableau's embedded analytics product and APIs enabled seamless integration of dashboards into the customer-facing portal, providing real-time insights. Driving Value for Our Business and Our Customers Transparent Cost Breakdown : By providing customers with transparent cost breakdowns, Barrett enabled informed pricing decisions tailored to different channels and partners. Streamlined Communication: Improved visibility and collaboration streamlined business planning and cost forecasting, enhancing decision-making and alignment. Elevated Customer Experience: Self-service capabilities and responsive inquiries improved NPS scores, enriching overall customer experience. Revenue Growth : Enhanced offerings led to a 13% increase in close rate, equating to an estimated $20M to $30M in new business annually. Prevention of Missed Opportunities: Prior deficiencies in reporting tools and visibility potentially cost $75M annually. Feedback from prospects highlighted areas of improvement, emphasizing the importance of customer-focused metrics. By addressing these challenges and leveraging modern technologies, Barrett not only enhanced its own operations but also empowered its customers to thrive in a dynamic logistics landscape. About Barrett Distribution Centers At Barrett, we solve challenges and build solutions that drive transparency, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. If you'd like to streamline your supply chain or elevate your customer experience, c ontact us today for a complimentary supply chain consultation with a seasoned 3PL expert.
