Sea-M is an elegant linen clothing brand founded by Kate Allan. When preparing to launch the brand, Kate knew that providing a premium customer experience would be vital, but she also recognised the operational hurdles that lay ahead for a new entity.
With a professional background outside of logistics, Kate understood the value of outsourcing from the very beginning.
"My years of experience in advertising taught me many things, but one being the fine art of delegation," Kate explains.
"I knew that when I launched the brand online, my time could be filled with packing orders and the logistics surrounding this. I didn’t have the time (nor patience) to learn it all, but I was also adamant for my customers to have as smooth a journey as possible when ordering their items which were beautifully packaged."
Finding a partner that could deliver on both logistics and presentation required a long process of researching various 3PLs. For Sea-M, the ideal fit wasn't a massive corporate facility, but a partner that offered a more bespoke service.
"What I loved most about the team at Eirios were that they were a small but established 3PL in the Welsh countryside," says Kate. "Their rates were incredibly competitive and no question is left unanswered." The location also provided a natural synergy between the two businesses. "My brand has Welsh roots so there was an instant pull towards Eirios; I didn’t want a huge warehouse where I was one of hundreds of brands contained under one roof, I needed a more personal approach. I’m a small brand and this meant a huge amount to me."
For a founder launching a new e-commerce store, technical integrations can often be a source of stress. However, Kate found the transition to be incredibly smooth. "Setup was so easy! As a self-confessed technophobe, it couldn’t have been easier and the team is always on hand to guide you through any hiccups or queries."
Because Sea-M was starting from scratch with order fulfilment, Eirios was able to provide valuable foundational support. "I am very new to logistics and so I was very much starting from scratch, but Luke was always very insightful and helpful if I had questions and guided me on best practices for e-commerce brands."
