How fashion start-up Don't Tell Dad reduced delivery times by 80% with a UK fulfilment provider
80%
reduction in delivery times
5/5
rating of fulfilment.com
About
Launching a fashion brand from Dubai came with one big logistics problem for founder Victoria Chadwick: most of her customers are in the UK and EU, and shipping every order from Dubai could mean 10–12 day delivery times. Victoria wanted to offer something faster, but assumed outsourcing fulfilment would be too expensive. She also struggled to find 3PLs willing to work with a brand at the start of its journey. Fulfilment.com helped change that. By connecting Victoria with providers open to working with startups, it gave her a shortlist of relevant options without the legwork. She ultimately chose a Northern Ireland fulfilment partner offering around two-day UK delivery and discovered that outsourcing was far more affordable than she expected.
Industry
Share
"[fulfilment.com] took the research off my plate and made the whole process so much easier to manage."
Victoria Chadwick
,
Founder
Highlights
Dubai-based 3PL meant 10-12 day delivery to UK & EU customers
Previous outreach to UK-based 3PLs failed due to minimum volume requirements
fulfilment.com shortlisted 3PLs willing to work with a start-up
UK/EU orders now fulfilled from Northern Ireland
Achieved ~2-day delivery to UK
Separate UK and Dubai fulfilment operations
Shopify integration for orders and inventory
UK 3PL delivered lower fulfilment costs than expected
5/5 overall fulfilment.com experience
From Dubai to a faster UK delivery
Victoria moved to Dubai after spending a decade living and working in London. After leaving her corporate career, she decided to launch her own fashion brand despite having no previous experience running a business.
Don't Tell Dad's main customer base is in the UK and EU, creating an early logistics challenge; shipping products directly from Dubai would mean delivery times of around 10–12 days. Victoria felt that could put potential customers off, particularly when customers have become accustomed to fast delivery when shopping online.
“I know personally, when I lived in the UK, that would have put me off buying something because I think that instant ‘I want it there and then’ mentality is really important.” - Victoria Chadwick
Rather than relocate the entire business, Victoria created a dual-entity setup. The UK operation would serve UK and EU customers, while the Dubai business would handle Dubai, Australia and other international markets. That meant one thing had to be in place: a UK fulfilment partner.
Finding a 3PL willing to work with a startup
Finding a fulfilment partner in the UK proved more difficult than Victoria initially expected. Having already approached several fulfilment companies, she had struggled to get responses. Victoria later discovered that many larger 3PLs have minimum volume requirements, meaning they aren't interested in brands at the very beginning of their journey.
“I was trying to find a good, reputable, big fulfilment company, not realising that they also kind of have their tick list of who they want to work with.” - Victoria Chadwick
So it was back to the drawing board to find a 3PL that understood what Don't Tell Dad's growth plans were, and that's where fulfilment.com came in.
Rather than individually searching for and comparing fulfilment providers, Victoria was introduced to a selection of 3PLs that were open to working with a new brand with lower monthly order volumes.
“It was really helpful to have an understanding of how fulfilment companies work, and then to be given the option of a number of different fulfilment companies that would want to work with me.” - Victoria Chadwick
Fulfilment cost less than expected
Victoria had assumed outsourcing to a UK fulfilment provider would come with a significant price tag, but instead, she was pleasantly surprised by how affordable and straightforward it could be.
That changed the equation for the new fashion brand. Rather than waiting until order volumes were high enough to justify outsourcing, Victoria could put the infrastructure in place from the start, without taking on the daily work of storing stock, packing orders, arranging deliveries and managing inventory herself.
For Don't Tell Dad, outsourcing fulfilment was a practical way to build a professional operation without the cost Victoria had expected.
“I was quite shocked about how cheap a 3PL is to use, and just how quick and easy it is.”
Victoria Chadwick
,
Founder
The right partner mattered more than price
Victoria ultimately chose a 3PL in Northern Ireland. Price was part of the decision, but it wasn't the only factor. As a first-time founder, she was navigating everything from import duties and EORI codes, to getting products from Asia into the UK.
The 3PL owner, Doug, stood out for his willingness to help.
“He was really personable, and was really patient with me.” - Victoria Chadwick
That support gave Victoria confidence that she'd found a partner that understood the brand was at an early stage, and was prepared to grow with it.
“They want a brand that they can grow with as well, and they see the potential in it too which is really nice.” - Victoria Chadwick
Faster fulfilment, and a better customer experience
With the Northern Ireland 3PL in place, UK customers can now receive orders in around two days, while customers in Ireland benefit from next-day delivery.
The delivery times are a significant improvement on the 10–12 days customers could have faced if every order had shipped from Dubai. The overall experience also changed how Victoria thought about fulfilment.
“Now I think about the customer's mentality, and I didn't have that in my head when I was first looking at fulfilment. It was more about what my requirements were, rather than what the customer's requirements were.” - Victoria Chadwick
For a new fashion brand, faster delivery times and a smooth ordering experience are paramount, as they help to build confidence with customers who’re discovering the brand for the first time.
A more professional operation from day one
For Don’t Tell Dad, the benefits go well-beyond delivery speed, though.
The fashion brand’s Shopify store now integrates with 3PL's WMS, connecting orders and inventory with the fulfilment operation, reducing the amount of manual work for Victoria. This automation is also part of creating a more professional brand experience.
“It makes your brand look more professional. There are some brands where, if you want to place an order or arrange a return, you have to email them or contact them on Instagram. I don’t find that very professional.” - Victoria Chadwick
As the brand grows, Victoria also expects the system to save significant time.
“You don't have to worry about your human brain taking care of everything. It's kind of automated for you, which will save me masses of time.” - Victoria Chadwick
“The way my head works, I'm more of a logical, step-by-step person, but if it's not an easy step, I can struggle. If I can use [the fulfilment.com platform], anyone can use it.”
Victoria Chadwick
,
Founder
Ready to launch without the fulfilment headache
Don't Tell Dad is now preparing for launch, with Victoria travelling to Asia to inspect and sign off the brand's first bulk order. Once the stock arrives in Northern Ireland, the website will go live.
With the fulfilment operation now in place, Victoria can spend her time launching the brand properly, rather than figuring out how to process and ship orders once sales start coming in. For a first-time founder building a fashion business from overseas, this is invaluable.
Hours of searching for the right 3PL saved
For Victoria, fulfilment.com took one of the more complicated parts of launching a business and made it much easier to navigate. Instead of spending weeks contacting 3PLs that didn't take start-ups, she could compare relevant options and speak to providers that were actually interested in working with her.
Victoria rated the ease of finding a 3PL through fulfilment.com 5/5, as well as giving 5/5 for support. She also said she would “100%” use fulfilment.com again in the future.
Order fulfilment sorted ahead of launch
Don't Tell Dad needed a fulfilment partner that could offer fast UK delivery, work with a new brand and provide the flexibility to grow alongside it.
Through fulfilment.com, Victoria found that partner in Northern Ireland and discovered that outsourcing fulfilment could be far more affordable than she'd expected.
With UK and EU fulfilment taken care of, Victoria can focus on what matters next: launching Don't Tell Dad and scaling the brand across multiple markets.
