Author: Evolution Fulfillment

Are you a brand that’s thinking of possibly partnering up with a 3PL company, but you’re not sure where to start exactly? Perhaps you’re looking for a 3PL ecommerce fulfillment partner? Not sure what fulfillment services you need? Evolution Fulfillment is here to answer all your 3PL questions and put your mind at ease!

By definition, a third-party logistics (3PL) company “is a service that allows you to outsource operational logistics from warehousing, all the way through to delivery, and ultimately enables you to focus on other parts of your business.” According to gminsights.com, the third-party logistics (3PL) market size in America exceeded USD 1 trillion in 2019 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9% between 2020 and 2026.

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A 3PL company can provide services such as transportation, warehousing, picking and packing, inventory forecasting, order fulfillment, packaging, freight forwarding, and much more.

We live in an era where many businesses have been forced to utilize online platforms more and outsourcing their logistics operations to a 3PL offers huge incentives.

Here are 5 advantages of using a 3PL company for your brand.

Advantages Of Using a 3PL Company

1. 3PL company is your one-shop for all your fulfillment needs

3PL | Evolution Fulfillment

Using a 3PL company allows you to use one partner for all your logistics that’s essentially an extension of your own brand. Evolution Fulfillment has created six turnkey fulfillment services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.

2. 3PL company helps minimize overhead costs

3PL | Evolution Fulfillment

By partnering with a 3PL company, you save lots of money by not investing in your own warehouse space, technology, transportation, and staff to carry out day-to-day operations. An outsourced fulfillment company frees you from these responsibilities and allow your leadership team to really focus on the creative side of your brand. Leave the product fulfillment to us!

3. 3PL provider offers industry expertise

3PL | Evolution Fulfillment

In today’s ever changing world, a 3PL company will provide knowledge and experience to keep your business trending in the right direction. They stay up-to-date with the latest in technology, manufacturing, and logistics. International brands looking to enter a new market will have a 3PL partner who understands the local economy and can guide them in the right direction for all their 3PL needs.

4. 3PL company lets you focus on key business areas

3PL | Evolution Fulfillment

As mentioned above, outsourced fulfillment allows your brand to focus on the key areas of your business. A 3PL gives you additional time to brainstorm new product/service ideas, implement new marketing strategies and plan for your brand’s future without being stuck doing large day-to-day logistical duties. Not deploying internal resources is a great benefit of partnering up with a 3PL company. For those with an online brand, our 3PL ecommerce fulfillment services are a perfect for your growing brand.

5. Scalability and Flexibility with a 3PL provider

3PL | Evolution Fulfillment

Using a third-party logistics provider (3pl) gives you flexibility and scalability to utilize supply and distribution resources based on current business needs. When your business is having a down period, you don’t have unutilized resources to worry about, and once things pick up again, your 3PL provider is ready to ramp up operations in a timely manner.

Evolution Fulfillment’s 3PL Services

With 135,000 square feet, three locations and a variety of specialized distribution services, Evolution Fulfillment helps brands reach the entire North American marketplace with a sound 3PL strategy. We specialize in integrations with various sales platforms accessing everyone from the end consumer to retail giants.

The 3PL industry continues to evolve with the advancement of e-commerce and 3PL providers will become increasingly important for your brand’s success. Whether it’s product fulfillment, global fulfillment services, or pick and pack logistics, Evolution has you covered.

If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.

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We’re now more than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic and the global shipping container shortage continues to be felt across the world.

According to visionproject.org, roughly 90% percent of the world’s goods are transported by sea with over 70% as containerized cargo. In addition, demand for shipping containers currently outweigh supply.

RELATED: Is your brand being weighed down by the distributor model?

Why are we in this position?

Dw.com highlights that one reason for the global shipping container shortage is that there are only two companies in the world that build and sell shipping containers — both are based in China. We must also keep in mind that all shipping containers leaving China are first loaded with goods in China and sent out to their destination. This results in time spent unloading the containers first and COVID-19 itself has caused huge bottlenecks at crowded ports.

Reasons For Global Shipping Container Shortage

1. Lack Of Available Containers

shipping containers | evolution fulfillment | global shipping container shortage

As mentioned above, the only two companies that build and sell shipping containers are based in China. This, coupled with disrupted trade flows, has led to a shortage. Once economies started to open up again, it took a while for containers to arrive at their right destination to unload/load with products.

This problem was made worse on March 23rd when the Ever Given ran aground in the Suez Canal. It took crews nearly a week to free the ship to allow trade to pass through. However, the damage has already been done and supply chains around the world are still working through the shipping backlog that’s been made worse. More than 10% of world trade passes through the Suez Canal. With congested ports and vessels behind on schedule, it’ll take a considerable amount of time to clear the backlog.

2. Crowded ports

shipping containers | evolution fulfillment | global shipping container shortage

To control the spread of COVID-19, many ports reduced their workforces, and this caused heavy vessel delays and cancelled shipments. Consumer demand has continued to pick up and supply chains simply can’t meet the demand. According to freightwaves.com, “Los Angeles handled 957,599 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in March, up 113% year on year — the highest March number in the port’s history.” Cities across the world are slowly relaxing lockdown measures, but backlogs will continue to exist for the foreseeable future.

3. Changing consumer behavior

shipping containers | evolution fulfillment | global shipping container shortage

Consumer’s buying behaviour has changed during COVID-19 and continues to be unpredictable. These changes have disrupted global trade and can be partially blamed for the global shipping container shortage. A report by mckinsey.com says that consumer behavior has shifted in 8 areas of our lives.

These areas are:

1. Work (Rise of unemployment, On-the-go consumption decline, Remote working)2. Learning (Spending on learning adjacencies, Remote learning)
3. Communications and information (In-person sampling decline, Shift in media consumption)
4. Travel and mobility (Reduction in tourist spend and travel retail, Increase in domestic tourism)
5. Shopping and consumption (Surge in e-commerce, Preference for trusted brands, Decline in discretionary spending, trading down, Larger basket, reduced shopping frequency, Shift to stores closer to home, Polarization of sustainability
6. Life at home (Nesting at home, Surge in online)
7. Play and entertainment (Preference for digital entertainment, Entertainment channel shift (eg, cinema to streaming), Additional play time)
8. Health and wellbeing (Focus on health and hygiene, Acceleration of organic, natural, fresh, Fitness on demand, E-pharmacy & e-doctor at scale)

Global Shipping Container Shortage Outlook For 2021

shipping containers | evolution fulfillment | global shipping container shortage

(Image credit: TSS Ltd.)

As we head further in 2021, there is reason for optimism.

Vaccines continue to be rolled out, which will allow for more economies to open up and for certain sectors to increase their output.

Need to get your distribution and supply chain in order? Evolution has created six turnkey fulfillment services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.

About Evolution Fulfillment

Evolution Fulfillment provides eight turnkey services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate, and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.

If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.

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Check out this beautiful Design Milk piece on Dutch designer Rem D. Koolhaas of United Nude. Evolution Fulfillment is proud to be United Nude’s north american warehouse partner in getting his avant garde shoe brand in the North American marketplace!

Credit: Renske Werner | Design Milk

Excerpt: “His Möbius shoe shot him to fame in 2003 and Rem D. Koolhaas became widely known as the designer of the first high heel that crossed over from fashion design to industrial design. He was a heartbroken architecture student when he first drew the shoe on a piece of paper a few years earlier. Whether the girl who left him was the inspiration for the feminine object or whether it was his childhood obsession with sneakers, his drawing did not come from a fascination with fashion, but from his interest in spatial design. And he knew immediately that he designed something radical.”

> READ FULL ARTICLE

About Evolution Fulfillment

Evolution Fulfillment provides eight turnkey services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate, and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.

If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.

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Evolution Fulfillment helps brands from all over the world get onto the shelves of Walmart, Costco, Hudson Bay, Macy’s, Nordstrom’s and even ecommerce giant Amazon. But what the owners and staff care most about is helping the local Ladner and Delta communities

Back in 2010, Ladner residents Ben Martin and Gwen Harrison detected a shift in the fulfillment industry: distributors were taking a step back. The result meant fewer options for brands to get their products into stores and to consumers. Armed with this insight, and with just 2 customers and a 2000 sq. ft warehouse, they founded Evolution Fulfillment. 10 years later, they provide local employment to 65 people and operate six warehouses totalling 100,000 sq. ft.

“Basically our customers just have to send the product to us and we take care of everything else [related to fulfillment] for them” said Mr. Martin, President, “This allows them to really focus on production, design, marketing; the things that they’re really good at.”

What the founders of Evolution Fulfillment find most rewarding, however, is making their part of the world a little bit better than they found it. This starts close to home with the company’s relationship with the employees who ultimately are driving its growth.

“When we created [Evolution Fulfillment], we created a set of fundamental pillars that the company was built upon and one of those things was relationships” said Ms. Harrison, “Building good relationships with our customers and our employees is baked right into the DNA of our company.”

“One of the most important things for me is creating a culture where people love coming to work every day” said Mr. Martin, “We like to celebrate the people that are here. Some of our staff have really taken on some really big goals in life like running marathons for the first time or singing the national anthem for the Vancouver Canucks or taking on their own small businesses. And as a company, we’ve found ways to really support their growth and to be a part of it as a team.”

Besides helping brands grow their business and employees grow personally, the company is very active in local charity work throughout BC. Close to the heart are causes that uplift the lives of kids, families and those who are less fortunate. Here are some highlights of the company’s philanthropic initiatives:

  • Evolution Fulfillment teamed up with fashion brand Molly Bracken and Richmond businesses Bayview Dental Centre and Grace Health to help the victims of the 2017 Ashcroft wildfire. Hygienic products, such as toothbrushes, were gathered and shipped to the Ashcroft River Inn; which opened its doors to residents fleeing the fires.
  • With a bold vision to ‘eradicate poverty in Nunavut’, Evolution Fulfillment teamed up with community group Helping Our Northern Neighbours. Together, they raised supplies in 2017 to help Nunavut families in need, where – due to high shipping rates – a basket of goods costs an estimated 241% more than for a family living in B.C.
  • Evolution Fulfillment has teamed up on numerous occasions with The Shoe Bank, whose mission is to ensure that every Canadian has access to a decent pair of shoes. The result has been tens of thousands of dollars raised through very creative ways. For instance, a fundraiser called My Canvas Has Laces was organized in which artists painted on blank sneakers that were then auctioned off. Shoes and clothing have also been provided directly to residents of the Downtown Eastside.
  • Back in 2015, the company started “Edible Homework“;’ a series of videos aimed at teaching families and “latchkey kids” how to cook healthy meals for under $3. 
  • Regular drives are held in support of Family Services of Greater Vancouver to help put presents under trees during Christmas and food in the pantry during Thanksgiving. The company also supports the Deltassist Family and Community Services Society; a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of the people of Delta, BC. Staff have also run “Bags for Kids”, an initiative to provide school backpacks and school supplies for Ladner and Tsawwassen families, and “Wigs for Kids”, in which staff members have cut their hair in order to donate to children undergoing cancer treatment.

“We want people in our community to know that we exist to help in every sense of the word” said Ben Martin, “Good fulfillment, good jobs or simply good deeds”.

Pictures from Evolution Fulfillment’s various philanthropic endeavours!

About Evolution Fulfillment

Evolution Fulfillment is a Canadian third party logistics (3PL) company with a main warehouse located in Delta, a city near Vancouver, BC, Canada. Evolution offers pick and pack order fulfillment services for fashion, apparel, cosmetic and jewelry brands that target the North American customer. Evolution pioneered the Brand Fulfillment Model; an alternative to the traditional distribution model that keeps control – and margins – in the brand’s hands.  

Locally owned businesses in Ladner, Delta and Tsawwassen are invited to try the company’s new local courier service called Ape Ship and hard workers looking for a supportive place to work are invited to apply for a job at Evolution Fulfillment.

If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.

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How ‘cross border domesticated shipping’ could chop your shipping costs in half

Amidst trade wars and margin-killing shipping costs, this supply chain hack could very well save your online store from failing. It’s a ‘secret’ that every Canadian e-tailer should know.

Interesting Times

“May you live in interesting times” goes the ancient Chinese curse.

Interesting times, indeed, for the thousands of Canadian companies who sell physical goods online to U.S. customers. The rise of social media and turnkey ecommerce platforms like Esty and Shopify have created new opportunities for savvy entrepreneurs who spot a gap. However, the economics of shipping one-off parcels, especially low value items, has never been great, particularly in Canada. The second largest country in the world boosts some of the world’s highest shipping costs. In the best case, these high shipping costs erode your margins. In the worst case, your store shuts down.

“In the best case, these high shipping costs erode your margins. In the worst case, your store shuts down.

Bitter Headwinds

Unfortunately, it’s getting worse.

For Canadian companies of all sizes, the trade winds have been blowing harsh lately. Headwinds, in the form of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Trump against goods manufactured in China, have hit Canadian e-tailers hard, increasing their shipping costs and reducing their price competitiveness. With a simple Google search, U.S. customers naturally find a cheaper way to get what they want. The end result is slower growth across the Canadian retail landscape in 2019. Arguably, there will be even greater uncertainty in 2020 with a Canadian election freshly completed and a U.S. elections due to take place.

Between trade wars and punishing Canada Post rates, the intrepid e-tailer does their best to navigate the choppy seas towards success. Imagine if one had the ability to simply inject parcels directly into the USPS; bypassing Canada Post completely and accessing USPS wholesale rates? It would improve your chances of getting through the storm.

“Imagine if you had the ability to simply inject your parcels directly into the USPS; bypassing Canada Post completely…”

 

Supply Chain Hack

Here’s the good news. There’s a ‘supply chain hack’ that savvy e-tailers have been quietly sharing amongst each other in the online forums and at meet ups. It’s called by many names: Cross border domesticated shipping. Consolidated shipping. USPS wholesale. Basically, the idea is that many smaller parcels get bundled by a capable 3PL (third-party logistics provider) and then shipped over a border as a single shipment under one manifest. After the parcels clear U.S. customs, they are then separated and injected directly into the domestic postal system (in this case, the United States Postal Service). Innovative and tech-enabled 3PLs like Evolution Fulfillment, a pick ‘n pack fulfillment company in Vancouver, has been offering this new type of service to established Western Canada e-tailers who ship across the Canada-US border.

How It Works

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Let’s assume you’re a Canadian e-tailer with light weight, low value parcels (the economics of this supply chain hack greatly favour those who ship a lot of small, low value parcels whose individual value is $800 or less) and let’s assume that you regularly ship to US customers. Here’s how you could ‘domesticate’ your shipments and get them directly into the USPS at wholesale rates using Evolution Fulfillment as your 3PL partner.

  1. Collection: Evolution Fulfillment will collect your US-bound packaged parcels (or you can drop them off at their fulfillment warehouse in Vancouver).
  2. Consolidation: Your parcels are consolidated with other parcels into one cross-border shipment with a single manifest. Evolution handles all the warehousing, freight, cross-border paperwork, systems integration and logistics.
  3. Injection: Your parcels – each one individually trackable – are then injected into the domestic shipping service via USPS, triggering savings up to 46% or more compared to Canada Post as well as faster delivery to your customers.

Canada Post vs USPS vs FedEx

Cost Comparison: Cheaper & Faster

Let’s assume you need to ship a 5 lb. parcel worth USD$300 from Evolution’s warehouse in Vancouver, BC, Canada to a customer in Meridian, Idaho, USA. Here’s a look at actual quoted rates*.

OPTION COST (CAD$)* DELIVERY TIME
Domesticated Shipping (via Evolution) $15.36 1 to 4 days
FedEx $23.88 2 to 7 days
Canada Post $28.38 5 to 10 days


* Rates and delivery times quoted as of November 2019 and are subject to change.

Shipping a small parcel via Canada Post from a city in Canada to a customer in America costs approximately CAD$29 and it takes 5 to 10 days to deliver. That same package, if sent directly through the United States Postal Service via Evolution Fulfillment, would only cost CAD$15 and would take just 1 to 4 days to get to your customer. That’s 46% lower cost on every single parcel compared to Canada Post. In this hyper competitive world, a difference that large completely hamstrings the growth ambitions of Canadian entrepreneurs. 

These are actual quoted rates and delivery times. Half the delivery time and half the cost? This is something that every Canadian shipper with any significant volume should know.

Should You Consider Cross Border Domesticated Shipping?

Cross border domesticated shipping works best for the Canadian e-tailer / entrepreneur with the following characteristics:

  • Is well established with gross revenue of greater than CAD$250K per year
  • Sells physical goods to U.S. customers
  • Goods are light weight and low value
  • Values detailed tracking data
  • Values fast delivery times
  • Optional: Uses ecommerce platforms like Shopify, Esty, etc.

“Half the delivery time and half the cost? This is something that every Canadian shipper with any significant volume should know”.

E-tailer Alert

If you fit the above profile, then this supply chain hack definitely deserves your attention. Right now, across Canada, Canada Post shipping labels are being printed and dollars are going down the drain. The good news for e-tailers is that something can be done about it. Consider connecting with a 3PL that provide cross border domesticated shipping service and start slashing your shipping costs. It could very well mean the difference between skyrocketing success and fizzling out on the launchpad.

About Evolution Fulfillment

Evolution Fulfillment provides eight turnkey services to advance your North American distribution strategy – which you can choose independently or combine for full effect – to ensure on-time, accurate, and efficient product delivery into all sales channels.

If you’re interested in learning more about our 3PL services in Canada and in the US, visit our website at www.evolvewithus.ca.

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