Not your mother’s vase
Established in 2018 and brought to market in 2020, Amaranth Vase Company puts a unique spin on traditional floral vases. After buying his wife an expensive bouquet, CEO and founder Mendel Schectman found it difficult to trim the stems and change the water due to the arrangement’s substantial size. Frustrated by the complex process, Schectman was inspired to develop an innovative, modern vase design that makes maintaining floral arrangements easier, quicker, and mess-free.
Thus, Amaranth Vase Company was born, allowing floral enthusiasts to keep bouquets fresh and vibrant in three easy steps: simply twist, drain, and trim.
(Video Source: YouTube)
When you’re a one-person show trying to find the sweet spot for profitable margins, cost-effective fulfillment, delighted customers, and time-saving logistics technology is an absolute requirement. Learn how Deliverr transformed Amaranth Vase Company’s eCommerce operations to increase profitability and drive repeat customers.
Struggles with complex fulfillment and expensive shipping costs
With a background in product development, Schectman understood the stipulations that came with executing against an end-to-end fulfillment process. From picking to packing and shipping out to customers, a lot of time, money, and space is needed to run an efficient operation.
Moreover, exorbitant quotes and shipping rates from popular carriers and previous warehouse partners were negatively impacting Amaranth Vase Company’s profit margins. Something needed to change.
Finding a hassle-free, cost-effective 3PL provider
The biggest headaches for Amaranth Vase Company when handling fulfillment in-house? High fulfillment costs and limited resources. They needed a cost-effective 3PL.
After conducting a cost comparison between major 3PL providers, the decision to partner with Deliverr came down to one key factor: a simple, transparent, and affordable pricing structure.
This strategic partnership means Amaranth Vase Company can fulfill orders with the click of a button at a fraction of the cost.
“If you’re a startup, you need time, money, and happy customers. You need Deliverr. I started using Deliverr for DTC fulfillment since launching my commerce business and have never considered switching to another 3PL provider. They’ve been able to help my business grow well into seven figures and have allowed me to focus on maintaining that growth rather than being involved in the daily grind.”
– Mendel Schectman, Founder and CEO
Since transitioning fulfillment operations to Deliverr, Amaranth Vase Company has seen a +300% growth in sales and a 2x increase in customer retention.
Nurturing a positive customer experience through ultra-fast shipping
Amaranth Vase Company lives by the motto “happy customers lead to repeat customers.” And nothing makes their customers happier than fast shipping at no additional cost (especially as more than 90% of U.S. shoppers now expect free 2- to 3-day shipping).
In early 2021, Amaranth Vase Co. enabled Shopify Fast Tags on product details pages to give customers free 2- to 3-day shipping (in calendar days) when they meet a low cart minimum.
This strategy proved lucrative during popular promotional periods (e.g., Valentine’s Day) as it allowed shoppers to buy up until the last minute. Amaranth Vase Company was able to deliver a fast shipping promise by having access to more than 50 Deliverr warehouses across the country.
“Since using Deliverr Fast Tags, my repeat customer rate has doubled. By Deliverr helping to reduce my fulfillment costs, it’s allowed me to lower my retail cost to customers, which has led to a significant uptick in demand. The ability to get an order to a customer in 2-3 calendar days has allowed promotions to run a lot longer and be a lot more profitable.”
– Mendel Schectman, Founder and CEO
How to bloom as a new Commerce business
We asked Schectman what advice he has for brands just getting started in the eCommerce space. Here are a few key rules Amaranth Vase Company lives by:
Rule #1: Stay flexible
“Don’t put yourself into a corner you can’t get out of. Keep an open mind when it comes to inventory, price points, etc. However much you think your product is worth, it’s likely worth less—that’s just the nature of business. Unless you’ve invented something never done before (like sliced bread back in the day), you can try to sell it at a premium. But for everything else, you need to be realistic and flexible in order to see a profit.”
Rule #2: Be patient:
“Being profitable from day one is a one in a million chance. Starting a business is a struggle if you’re not mentally, emotionally, and monetarily prepared for the possibilities of what could go wrong. Moreover, don’t compare yourself to others’ success. Learn by doing and take your own journey by trusting your instincts for what will work best for your business.”
What’s next for Amaranth Vase Company
With a seamless and cost-effective fulfillment experience now in place, Amaranth Vase Company is adding more SKUs to the Deliverr fulfillment network and is considering Deliverr Prep services for palletizing and to ensure inventory is sales-ready.
Find out how Amaranth Vase Company and other small- to medium-sized brands are growing their business with Deliverr’s Fulfillment and Logistics Services.
