Excel3PL Shortens Time from Receiving to Order Fulfillment During Period of Rapid Growth [Case Study]
- Last updated on July 26, 2024
- Salt Athletic
The Results
The Objective: Meet growing logistics needs as demand increases
The Challenge: Slow receiving and picking times were causing late shipments
Salt Athletic faced significant challenges with slow receiving and picking times, which led to late shipments and customer dissatisfaction. As their order volume grew, their existing logistics processes struggled to keep up with the increased demand, resulting in delayed order processing and shipment timelines. These inefficiencies not only risked damaging Salt Athletic’s reputation but also threatened their ability to maintain a competitive edge in the market. Excel3PL needed to tackle these operational bottlenecks head-on to ensure timely delivery and enhance overall customer experience.
The Result: Excel3PL ensures efficient delivery times and boosts customer satisfaction
Get to Know Salt Athletic
A letter from the CEO
Hello, and welcome to Salt.
We are soccer players with a passion for designing and making beautiful products that really work.
Our story begins when we were competing in soccer tournaments around the country. We became so frustrated with the smell of our cleats and shin guards stinking up every part of our lives, that we decided to definitively end that problem once and for all. After years of research and development, the Salt team is so excited to present our patented technology so you can enjoy life around the beautiful game, free from that disgusting cleat smell.
Cheers!
Rafael de la Vega
CEO Salt Athletic
The Client
About Salt Athletic
Salt Athletic is a premium sports technology company that is revolutionizing the athletic bag industry. Their patented silver and carbon-based anti-smell technology provides a permanent solution to odors from soccer cleats and other sports and exercise-based equipment. Salt Athletic’s first product, the Aērcase, has become a best seller with soccer enthusiasts across the country. The story of Salt Athletic’s success is one with which many entrepreneurs are familiar, with lessons learned and hurdles overcome. We sat down with founder Rafael de la Vega to learn more about how he started Salt Athletic, where he is now, and the advice he has for other DTC e-commerce sellers hoping to break into their own industry niches.
When you’re just starting out, you’re not just going to get burned, you’re going to get roasted. It’s normal and you’ll live. You are exactly where you need to be on your path to success.
Rafael de la Vega | Founder of Salt Athletic | Advice to Young Entrepruners
The Launch
By 2018, De la Vega had learned what it took to start and scale a venture-backed startup. He cites his prior failings as helping him learn the hard lessons on what works and what doesn't. Simply having a winning product isn’t enough, you need a business plan with a solid foundation and to work with exceptional people as well.
De la Vega worked closely with top-of-the-line manufacturers and hired a branding studio to showcase the Aērcase’s premium quality and design accurately. He also patented the integrated silver and carbon odor-eliminating technology, so it is ready to expand into other applications. The start of the pandemic slowed his operations, but finally, the Aērcase launched for sale on Shopify in 2021!
Salt Athletic works closely with a producer in India to manufacture the Aērcase, which is seeing sales grow exponentially. With daily sales often exceeding 100 units, De la Vega turned to a 3PL for help storing, packing, and shipping the Aērcase direct-to-consumers. However, their first experience with a large 3PL was disappointing. Unnecessary moving parts and complexity drove costs up and resulted in slow service to customers. Cargo was often received late, resulting in avoidable out-of-stock and late shipments. This caused the team at Salt Athletic to look elsewhere for a more nimble and cost-efficient 3PL.
The Solution with Excel3PL
In the spring of 2023, Salt Athletic moved its logistics over to Excel3PL, conveniently located in De la Vega’s childhood backyard of Tulsa, OK. Excel3PL’s focus on independent e-commerce sellers meant more attention could be paid to Salt Athletic’s specific requirements. As a smaller 3PL, inbound receiving delays which had been resulting in late shipments were eliminated. Now, when cargo arrives via LTL shipment or air freight, it's received and available in Excel3PL’s WMS for quick turnaround to customers.
By using Excel3PL to handle the logistical side of managing Salt Athletic’s sales, De la Vega and his team are able to put all their focus on growing the business and innovating. As sales have skyrocketed, it has also allowed them to keep up with growing demand while ensuring customer satisfaction and efficient delivery times. This was especially true during the 2023 holiday season when sales on the Salt Athletic Shopify store frequently reached over 300 units daily. In less than a year since switching to Excel3PL, Salt Athletic has added 5% to its bottom line.
“Excel3PL is able to receive our product fast when cargo arrives — there’s been a big efficiency there!”
What's Next for Salt Athletic & Excel3PL
De la Vega has big plans for Salt Athletic. His goal is to offer a range of odor-eliminating bags and gear protectors for the sports industry. His products focus on solving the specific need to eliminate smells using his patented technology. And because Salt Athletic solely sells through a Shopify store, the entire customer experience can be curated to match the premium quality of its products.
A diverse background living in environments from Bolivia to Oklahoma, New York, and more recently Colorado, has shaped De la Vega’s global perspective on business and sustainability. He works tirelessly to ensure that his products are ethically sourced and sustainable. He cites worker exploitation and the use of too many petrochemicals as the largest issues in the athletic gear industry and he is constantly expanding his knowledge on recycled and bio-derived materials. Salt Athletic is on a path to show the industry that it’s possible to do a better job and provide a better end product without the need to employ unethical business practices.
Salt Athletic's commitment to quality, innovation, and sustainability sets a new standard in its industry, making it a brand to watch and an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere.
The Team
Rafael De La Vega
CEO & Founder of Salt Athletic
Eric Gilbert
CEO of Excel3PL
Get started with Excel3PL
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