By measuring the velocity of sales and customer feedback, and testing Magento’s ability to scale under high volume, we knew there would be much to discover.
A New Hot Sauce Line
In January 2020, a historic food brand took its first major leap forward with eCommerce with CPGIO as its fulfillment and customer support partner. The launch objective was to understand the appetite for the brand’s spicy innovation – hot sauce. “By measuring the velocity of sales and customer feedback, and testing Magento’s ability to scale under high volume, we knew there would be much to discover. It was all part of the plan.”
Key performance indicators were to be tracked and were established well ahead of the launch. A wide range of data points such as shopping cart and fulfillment speed, average customer service response time, customer satisfaction ratings, and more were tested and ready to go.
As with any project, dealing with the unexpected was also inevitable. Here’s a tale of the tape.
The Perfect Go-To-Market Strategy
Launching a new exclusive product online is a learning experience for all companies, both large and small. Calculating demand, appeasing fans, and working out the supply chain mechanics are all part of the process – hence the phrase: launch and learn!
At go-time, 800 units of the new product were reserved for the first campaign alongside a perfect storm of press releases, followed up by dozens of articles and videos on the web raving about the hot sauce and the limited supply.
On launch day, within minutes, thousands of customers flooded the website resulting in the Magento website temporarily crashing. Phone lines rang off the hook. Emails from die-hard fans came pouring in. And that’s when CPGIO stepped up.
“Our CSRs worked extra shifts to handle the aftermath. Consumers needed to address changes within a tight window. They needed help getting on the waitlist for the next batch. They wanted information about the product and to be consoled that they’d get their chance. More than 50,000 email addresses were gathered in two weeks after the launch. Thousands of tickets and phone calls were managed. We responded within 3 hours to every ticket. Customers who missed out felt the brand’s warmth by our service team.”
Within 48 hours, all 800 glass bottles and orders were shipped. The defect rate on mis-ships and broken glass was less than .01%. Having been through similar events, CPGIO advised the brand to keep 50 units extra aside to aid the support team’s effort to keep everyone happy.
“Overall, the project was a huge success and helped us gauge not only demand but the total effort involved in satisfying our customers.”
Lessons for the New Line
While the new launch exposed that the current shopping cart technology and server cluster could not meet the heavy traffic, the proof was in the pudding. Swift action was needed from CPGIO to migrate to Shopify and the cloud to prepare for a second, much larger offering.
Together, the brand and CPGIO went to work on the lift-and-shift. In the time crunch, we also found ways to improve the checkout and email communication process. Within 20 days the new platform was up and running, ready for the next wave.
“When the larger restock of 50,000 units arrived at our warehouse, CPG.IO was ready. We’ve since repeated the event and the second run was nearly flawless.
Simplifying the website along with the addition of a beautiful, user-friendly interface and enhanced product content also led to a much better experience and SEO-optimized site.
The Re-Launch
On the next run, 12,000 orders came in within 24 hours and we had no issues in handling the website traffic. Within a few days, all 50,000 bottles were sold and fulfilled. The defect rate improved and customer satisfaction reached prime levels. In total, there were less than .0003% damaged bottles due to our careful packing procedures, and any damages were re-shipped, no questions asked.
“Anticipating a large number of orders requiring fulfillment in a relatively short time, we were able to expedite the process through pre-packing and pooling resources together to get the orders out efficiently — including having an additional twenty employees packing hot sauce for a day.”
As always, we enjoyed working with the brand. The unanticipated issues we experienced in the initial launch were remedied in the second, resulting in a major win for the brand. To this day, our partnership remains fruitful, and we are always looking for ways to get better.
“Overall, we were extremely happy with the launch and its great success.” ~ The Brand
Coordinated Marketing & Fulfillment Services for Direct to Consumer Brands
CPG.IO is at the forefront of the world of direct-to-consumer shopping.
The hot sauce launch is just one example showcasing our experience in creating and running custom-built websites, managing fulfillment, and getting products to consumers in record times.
Omni-Channel Marketing Services
Located in Addison, IL, and founded in 2012, CPG.IO is rapidly growing. As a one-stop omnichannel, optimization, and fulfillment partner, CPG.IO specializes in working with our clients from website to warehouse, marketing to fulfillment.
In addition to being one of the top Amazon sellers in the world, we also work with websites such as Walmart.com and Targert.com to give our client’s a wide net. In total, we integrate with more than 30 channels.
With in-house marketing, web design teams, an experienced customer service department, and social media specialists, we pride ourselves on having a comprehensive scope in the world of consumer goods.
“CPG.IO does more than just fulfill.”
We optimize product campaigns, monitor growth, troubleshoot problems, and offer advanced marketing services. Contact us today for a free brand analysis.
