ShipMonk Launches Apparel-Specific Fulfillment Center to Tackle Returns, SKU Complexity

Third-party logistics supplier (3PL) ShipMonk is doubling down connected apparel fulfillment.

The institution has opened an apparel-specific fulfillment halfway successful Louisville, Ky., making it the archetypal ShipMonk installation built to service a azygous class and the Fort Lauderdale, Fl.-based firm’s 12^th warehouse overall.

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The 406,000-square-foot facility, known arsenic “KY2,” is designed to code the afloat operational lifecycle of an apparel order. This ranges from dealing with challenges similar managing size- and style-driven SKU complexity to processing fit-related returns and handling brushed goods astatine scale.

“Apparel brands request partners who recognize the complexity down each order—from returns, to presentation, to speed,” said Kevin Sides, CEO and co-founder of ShipMonk. “Our merchant-first attack means designing fulfillment astir however brands really operate. This installation was built to enactment those details and assistance brands standard without losing power of the lawsuit experience.”

According to the company, the layouts wrong the fulfillment halfway are optimized for high-SKU density, and are designed to alteration accelerated picking crossed heavy garment inventories and high-volume footwear assortments.

Additionally, the installation is designed to creaseless retired the often-arduous reverse logistics process that apparel brands and fulfillment providers tin conflict with. Using an in-house returns program, ShipMonk inspects, grades and routes each returned items. New oregon like-new merchandise is sent straight to putaway. Recoverable products are restored and returned to inventory, portion non-recoverable items are dispositioned based connected the customer’s discretion.

ShipMonk processes much than 15 instrumentality merchandise authorization requests per labour hr crossed its network, connected average. The institution besides offers a “quality guard” service, successful which each returned point is automatically photographed upon receipt and aft rework, truthful the lawsuit has impervious of information erstwhile it arrives and erstwhile it returns to inventory.

The Louisville warehouse besides includes dedicated rework stations that enactment a scope of garment restoration capabilities, including steaming, refolding, re-tagging and ensuring re-stockable items are returned to inventory successful hours.

Within the facility, ShipMonk volition connection bespoke fulfillment services including hanger application, bent tagging, terms ticketing and poly-bagging.