Not the Norm is a carefully curated brand offering a family of ethical, effective, and thoughtfully sourced natural supplements and body care products. While their commitment to natural alternatives has built them a loyal customer base, managing the logistics of their growing business behind the scenes was becoming an increasing challenge.
Previously, handling their own inventory and shipping had become a significant bottleneck. "
The small building we were using for fulfilling orders was getting overwhelmed with the storage of stock," Tania Wedin, founder of Not the Norm explains. "
It was away from our main office location and our storage unit, making stock tracking and transfers costly and time consuming." At the time, the staff handling their fulfilment were only available part-time, which made keeping up with demand difficult.
When searching for a new third-party logistics (3PL) partner to streamline their operations, they had specific criteria in mind. They wanted a partner who could offer flexibility, a convenient location, and a shared ethos.
"Eirios has a small team which is dedicated to running a personalised service, and the centre is in a good location for us being a short detour from the A40 should we ever need to visit, and for delivery of our main stock from the factory in Tiverton." The ability to build a genuine, adaptable relationship with their fulfilment provider was a major factor in their decision. "The personalised service, with the ability to adapt to demands is very appealing, plus we wanted to support a small business, particularly a Welsh one if possible! Eirios ticked all these boxes."
Transitioning to an outsourced fulfilment centre can be a daunting prospect for any business, but for Not the Norm, the onboarding process was smooth and highly efficient. Reflecting on the initial setup phase with Eirios, Tania noted that it was "very straightforward, well communicated, and logical. I think we were up and running within a week!"
Partnering with Eirios has transformed the day-to-day operations for the brand. Instead of navigating costly stock transfers and relying on part-time help, Not the Norm now benefits from a full-time, dedicated approach. When asked about the benefits they’ve experienced since the switch, the team says there is "A long list! We aren’t overwhelmed with stock, we now have a dedicated small team of reliable, responsive people who are excellent at communications, efficient and easy to work with who are managing our stock, order fulfilment, and random tasks such as labelling, packaging etc. The systems in place are clear and easy to use."
