How this London Retailer Saved One Day A Week by Revamping Order Fulfillment

Soda Says is a story of success in the ever-growing field of consumer technology, and their journey getting there is an interesting one to track. In order to better understand their trajectory, we looked at the company’s impressive expansion so far and the steps they took to ensure their journey wasn’t compromised. In particular, we’re delving into how a switch in handling logistics meant that one of their team members was able to reclaim a day each week, giving the whole team more time to focus on growing their online store.

Whether you’re tech-savvy or a self-confessed technophobe, it’s hard to ignore technology. As well as having an app for almost anything these days, there is a plethora of compatible gadgets and gizmos to make daily routines easier and more enjoyable. From smart lightbulbs and fridges to Amazon buttons which re-order dishwasher tablets whenever you’re low, the world is your technological oyster.

Apps and products like these are now second nature to most Millennials and Generation Zers, but Soda Says CEO and Founder, Grace Gould, spotted a bit of a disconnect with other demographics. Having worked in both the tech and retail sectors, she noticed that nobody was aiming these high-tech products at people like her mum and her girlfriends. So, in 2017, she created Soda Says to correct that very issue.

With her business idea firmly planted, Grace and Soda Says set out to ‘Make Life Teccessible’. Selling cool and fashionable items such as eco-friendly coffee presses and portable smartphone printers, the company prides themselves on stocking items that are easy to use. Cooler still, each product even comes with a refreshingly honest ‘Don’t Buy’ section outlining potential reasons why a specific item might not be the right purchase for you.  

Overcoming Growing Pains

With its target audience and product range in hand, the company quickly began to grow. By March 2018, their brand was starting to gain some recognition and their operation had more than doubled in size. But rather than hear us wax lyrical about their incredible journey, why not hear it straight from the horse’s mouth? Here is Alex Goldin, Soda Says’ Operations Manager, to take you through their incredible journey so far (disclaimer: Alex is not actually a horse).

“I was the 6th person to join the company in May 2018. We were just in Selfridges, while our online business was in the UK only. By November, we had around 20 staff members, as well as physical stores in the US and Ireland.”
Alex Goldin, Operations Manager at Soda Says

Not content with the distance they’ve covered so far, the company is acutely aware that continued growth is not just a goal, but a necessity. Soda Says 2018’ advancements were supported by new bricks and mortar locations, specifically ones that were opened in new markets like the US and Ireland.  Growing into 2019, Soda is focusing on online growth which demands keeping their logistics costs low while maintaining the customer experience central to the brand.

At launch, Soda Says were using a more traditional 3rd-party logistics partner; one that stored their products in a warehouse and sent them out on their behalf. According to Alex, this just wasn’t a viable long-term option. “As the type of retailer we are, we always wanted to have a special way of packaging with hand-written notes, free gifts, and sweets incorporated, and using 3rd-party logistics actually made that really hard to do.”

The company knew they needed a different solution, and fast. Not only was this issue blocking the road to where they thought they should be, but it also had the potential to negatively impact their customer’s impression of the brand. Upon searching for a better way of fulfiling orders, Soda Says joined forces with Weengs in November 2017. Allowing them to have better control of what went into the packages, removed the issue of them storing any materials themselves, and ensure they didn’t have to worry about a slide in customer satisfaction.

Aside from the quality of the packing stifling their progress, there was the issue of time as well…

What a Difference a Day Makes

“With our products being stored outside of London in a warehouse, a colleague of mine would have to spend a day a week going there to constantly check up on their service. Two hours to get there, two hours back, it was really time-consuming.”
Alex Goldin, Operations Manager at Soda Says

For a burgeoning business with such lofty ambitions, a day is a long time. The day they were losing was time that could be spent on other factors in the business – from sourcing new products, attending trade events, and of course, focusing on their online growth. Losing one member of staff for a whole business day can be crippling for a new business and there’s no way to really compensate for it other than regaining that time somehow.

As well as cutting out needless journeys to and from warehouses with convenient daily pick-ups at a time that suits them, Alex acknowledged that using Weengs has also given them “more oversight and control” over their shipments. So, the service was not only achieving the main objective of saving them time, but it also helped to maintain their brand reputation in a way that was never possible with previous logistics partners.

How Do You Solve A Problem Like Space?

Outside of the time they were claiming back, Soda Says also had a separate issue of space and more specifically, where to store their packaging. Knowing this would be another obstacle to overcome, they begun looking into outsourcing. This was a much more viable option when considering, as Alex says, they “don’t have a lot of physical space in the UK”.

“All the materials would take up precious space that we don’t have, as well as the larger costs up-front. Weengs were able to offer a personal touch and flexibility, meaning we only ever paid as and when we wanted to ship our items. The fact that there is no retainer fee has been very helpful.”
Alex Goldin, Operations Manager at Soda Says

The Journey Ahead

By changing their logistics plan, Soda Says were able to stop wasting time and forget about where to store their packaging. This allowed the business to refocus their attention on what’s really important – getting their items out there to as many customers as possible via their online store.

By letting the professionals at Weengs take over the laborious task of logistics, you can regain some much-needed time for your business, as well as removing all of the stress, hassle, and unnecessary upfront costs that come with it. Weengs will collect your items from you, professionally pack them in our London-based Warehouse, and find the best carrier for you, handling everything along the way.

Soda Says used Weengs to

• Claim back up to 4 hours a day
• Save space by no longer storing packaging materials
• Focus their energy on growing their online sales
• Gain greater control of their bespoke packing