A fashion retailer popular with celebrities and sports stars has experienced 200% growth after transforming its logistics operations with software innovator Shipster.
The Couture Club, a Manchester-based lifestyle and streetwear brand, has seen international sales soar after a strategic investment to digitalise its warehouse management and shipping operations five years ago.
At the heart of the transformation is Shipster, a custom shipping integration platform that connects online retailers, eCommerce warehouses, and distributors with over 100 leading couriers.
By integrating with Descartes Peoplevox™, a leading eCommerce warehouse management system (WMS), The Couture Club has been able to automate and streamline its ‘pick to ship’ process. This has increased efficiency and productivity, accelerated order fulfillment and boosted customer satisfaction, increased profits, and enabled operational flexibility for growth.
Commenting on the partnership, Scott Shashua, Managing Director at Couture Club, said: “Shipster has transformed our company logistically, enabling us to do things we never thought would be possible. Our brand has been growing year on year internationally. I don’t think we could have been able to cope with the growth we have experienced without Shipster. The impact has been tremendous.”
The Couture Club was founded in 2015 by reality TV star Ross Worswick and entrepreneur Scott Shashua.
Year-on-year growth has seen the brand launch with Selfridges along with various celebrities and sports stars seen wearing the brand such as Lamine Yamal and Eduardo Camavinga. Today the business employs 50 people.
As with any young business, The Couture Club’s started off using manual, paper-based logistics systems. But in 2019, as sales rocketed, it reached a tipping point.
Chris Warburton, Warehouse Manager for The Couture Club, said: “I jokingly refer to that time as ‘the dark days’ – where half your day would be picking and the other half would be creating and putting labels on for shipping. The pressure to fulfil orders was immense and relentless. That manual process was painful and prone to human error which could cause further delay to our already demanding schedule. As we got bigger and bigger, it was obvious things needed to change.”
In 2019, The Couture Club upgraded its WMS to Descartes Peoplevox™ and integrated Shipster for automated shipping.
Chris added: “The long-standing partnership between the two software solutions means data flows through the business quickly. Labels with all the correct information are printed instantly on demand. That speed has doubled our capacity to be able to fulfil more orders. Accuracy is 100%, It’s bulletproof.”
With a growing international customer base, The Couture Club has used Shipster’s custom shipping rules capabilities to remain compliant with post-Brexit regulations, including IOSS and EORI. By automating the generation of necessary shipping documents, the brand ensures smooth cross-border operations.
Shipster’s flexible licensing model has allowed The Couture Club to scale its operations dynamically, adding or removing licenses and couriers depending on seasonal demand, ideal for a fast-moving fashion business.
“As a business you always look at places where you can improve certain systems,” Chris added. “We are lightyears away from where we were before. When it comes to Shipster, it is so reliable and can handle anything you throw at it. There’s nothing that Shipster hasn’t been able to support us with to make our lives easier. And the responsiveness is instant. They understand how fast-moving our business is and how costly delay is.”
Tony Cheetham, Founder and Managing Director at Shipster, based in Manchester, said: “It has been fantastic to be part of The Couture Club’s success story. Retailers, especially in the fashion sector, need a solution that is efficient, cost-effective and gets products out of the warehouse to customers seamlessly.
“We have a fantastic track record of supporting fast-growing fashions brands and are proud to be part of the growth of such a vital and valuable sector of the UK economy.”
For more information about the partnership, please visit here.
