About Power WearHouse
Power WearHouse is a woman-owned company that launched in 2020. Based in Canada with retail partners across North America, Power WearHouse’s mission is:
“To amplify the benefits of any exercise without the user having to create or change their activity. Our customers wear their workout.”
Shelagh Stoneham is the founder and CEO of Power WearHouse. After more than two decades of shaping the North American retail industry as a senior executive and board member at several Fortune 500 companies, Shelagh was inspired to launch a performance-wear company.
When using weighted vests to accelerate calorie burn and build muscle tone during exercise routines, Shelagh was disappointed to find most available products ugly, bulky, and ill-fitting. So she decided to design and develop a weighted vest that beginners and pros alike would actually want to wear and use, and Power WearHouse was founded.
Problem
The first product in the Power WearHouse line was the Power Weighted Vest – and as its popularity grew with more people exercising at home under pandemic conditions, Shelagh added additional performance products.
All Power WearHouse products are weighted, so shipping amounts to a significant portion of the total landed cost. This makes secure, timely, and cost-effective global shipping vital to scalability.
Furthermore, while from the outset the company secured a significant distribution footprint and invested in shipping logistics, Power WearHouse was founded just as the supply chain crisis swept the globe. This meant contending with challenges including:
- Delays at ports and warehouses
- Higher shipping costs
- Gaps in inventory management
- Difficulties securing efficient fulfillment solutions
Solution
Before making the move to Freightos.com, Power WearHouse relied on an in-house supply chain manager to ship via multiple freight forwarders, but Shalagh found Freightos.com’s platform and thought it would be a good alternative: “So we thought we would give it a try. And it is!!”
“Freightos.com is saving us money (we love the multiple bids!) and gives us a range of delivery options all at the same time (air vs ocean, etc.), plus we feel more empowered in managing our supply chain with real-time updates that are always available on our Freightos.com dashboard.”
Freightos.com helps Power WearHouse find the best price and services from a range of providers all in one place instead of needing to wait on multiple providers for quotes.
Another benefit for Power WearHouse is the enhanced transparency that makes inventory management simpler and more efficient, thereby reducing the risk of stockouts and unnecessary storage fees.
Results
Since moving to Freightos.com to search, book, and manage international freight, Power WearHouse saved at least 20% on shipping costs.
The platform enables the comparison of multiple quotes in order to secure the best price and transit time. In addition, Freightos.com’s client dashboard and messaging functionality have ensured that they are able to easily communicate with logistics providers.
This transparency has proved invaluable in managing Power WearHouse’s retailer relationships.
“The pandemic has made supply chain management like a mini-golf course without the fun – it’s full of unexpected and challenging obstacles. But Freightos.com gives us the confidence that we are getting the best shipping options available while weighing time against cost. Switch to Freightos.com. You will save money as you are cutting out other middle-men in the process and you will have more visibility to your shipping progress.”
Growth Plan 2022
With Freightos.com, Shelagh has more time and money to focus on growing Power WearHouse. In addition, by streamlining international shipping processes, it is easier to validate new products, estimate total landed costs, and plan end-to-end supply chains with greater confidence and efficiency.
Here are the main growth initiatives for Power WearHouse in 2022:
- Delivering a robust new product pipeline
- Expansion into new manufacturing facilities and markets
- Retail expansion across the European market
Shelagh’s Top Supply Chain Tips for SMB Shippers
No one gets shipping better than small business owners. We asked Shelagh what advice she would give other entrepreneurs looking to import goods internationally.
Here are her tips:
- Test SKU price elasticity to defray higher shipping costs.
- Ship products from different manufacturers together to offset higher shipping costs.
- Add 6-8 weeks product delivery lead-time as a buffer with retailers.
- Insist on a sample before every production run to ensure product quality.
- Replenish inventory early to offset shipping delays.
- Use Freightos.com for better supply chain management.
