Blog Post
Do You Need a 3PL?
A Guide for Beauty Brands Looking to Scale
Reputation is everything. delivering your products quickly and reliably to customers is crucial. As your beauty brand grows, managing inventory, shipping, and fulfillment in-house can become overwhelming.
That’s where a third-party logistics provider (3PL) comes in. But how do you know if your brand needs a 3PL? In this post, we’ll explore the signs that indicate your beauty brand can benefit from partnering with a professional 3PL.
Signs Your Beauty Brand Needs a 3PL
You’re Struggling with Order Fulfillment Delays
Fast shipping is expected by customers, especially in the beauty industry. If you find yourself missing delivery deadlines or struggling to ship orders quickly, a 3PL can help optimize your fulfillment process and improve delivery speed.
Managing Inventory is Becoming a Nightmare
Handling inventory for multiple SKUs and sales channels can get complex fast. 3PLs use advanced inventory management systems to give you real-time visibility and reduce stockouts or overstock situations.
You Can’t Scale During Peak Demand
Holiday seasons, new product launches, and promotions create spikes in orders. If your current logistics setup can’t handle these surges, a 3PL offers scalable warehousing and staffing to manage peak periods efficiently.
Shipping Costs Are Eating Into Your Margins
Negotiating discounted shipping rates and optimizing packaging are areas where 3PLs excel. They have partnerships with carriers and expertise to help reduce your shipping expenses.
International Shipping Feels Overwhelming
Expanding your beauty brand globally means navigating customs, taxes, and regulations. A 3PL with international shipping experience can handle this complexity and ensure smooth cross-border deliveries.
Returns Are Difficult to Manage
Returns are inevitable in e-commerce, but they don’t have to be a headache. A 3PL can streamline the returns process, inspect and restock items, and help maintain positive customer experiences.
Benefits of Partnering with a 3PL
Focus on Your Core Business
Spend more time on product development, marketing, and customer engagement.
Improved Customer Satisfaction:
Faster, reliable shipping and easy returns lead to happy customers.
Scalability
Easily ramp up fulfillment capabilities during busy seasons or growth phases.
Cost Savings
Lower shipping rates and reduced overhead compared to managing logistics internally.
Expertise
Access to logistics professionals who understand the nuances of shipping beauty products.
Why Choose RedSkyEurope as Your 3PL Partner?
RedSkyEurope is built for beauty brands that want to grow without being held back by logistics. We provide end-to-end 3PL services from our centrally located, EU-based warehouse, giving you fast access to European markets with full control and visibility.
Our team understands the specific needs of cosmetic products, whether it’s custom engraved items, batch tracking, or custom kitting for promotional campaigns.
We integrate seamlessly with your e-commerce platform, automate order processing, and offer real-time inventory tracking so you’re never in the dark. Returns are handled quickly and professionally, preserving your brand reputation. During peak seasons, we scale with you, no delays, no excuses. And when it comes to international expansion, we manage VAT, customs, and compliance so you don’t have to.
Working with us means you can reduce shipping costs, cut delivery times, and free up your internal team to focus on product development, marketing, and customer experience.
If your logistics are holding you back, it’s time to partner with a 3PL that understands your industry, your goals, and your customers. Talk to RedSkyEurope today.
FAQ
What is a 3PL?
A 3PL, or Third-Party Logistics provider, is a company that receives your inventory, processes your backer orders, and ships your backer rewards.
It is important that your 3pl has experience with crowdfunded projects with supporting operations and technology. For any crowd funding project, fulfilling the commitment you made to your backers is of upmost importance
Do I need a 3PL to ship my crowdfunding rewards?
Yes, if you are shipping more than a hand full of units, you need an experienced company that can organise your inventory and fulfil your obligations to your backers.
A 3PL can save you time, money, and stress. We help creators ship to backers around the world without having to manage a warehouse or shipping operation
When should I start planning fulfilment?
The earlier you plan your fulfilment, the better your campaign outcome will be. Ideally, you should start thinking about logistics before your campaign ends, or even before it launches. Early planning helps you avoid delays, ensure smoother operations, and get a clear picture of your shipping costs. It also allows you to account for important factors like taxes, VAT, import timelines, and packaging expenses. These costs can add up quickly, so understanding them upfront means you can price your product appropriately and protect your profit margins.
Can Redsky ship globally?
Yes. Redsky Europe ships to backers in the UK, EU, US, and globally
How much does fulfilment cost?
Fulfilment costs vary based on your product size, order volume, and shipping destinations. We’ll work with you to create a custom quote that fits your campaign’s needs and budget.
As a rough guide, you can expect a 1kg order shipped from Redsky Europe to reach most European destinations in 3–5 days for around €8–€12
Can you handle special packaging or custom kits?
Absolutely, We provide tailored kitting solutions, including branded packaging, barcoding, and assembly of complex bundles. Whether you’re managing stretch goals, tiered reward levels, or unique add-ons, we ensure every backer gets exactly what they pledged for
Where is your warehouse located?
Our fulfilment centres are based in Ireland, which allows us to ship smoothly across the UK, EU, and beyond while managing VAT and customs compliance for your brand.
Can you also handle retail or ecommerce orders?
Yes. Once your campaign is fulfilled, we can continue to ship ongoing ecommerce orders and bulk shipments to retail partners, all from the same inventory.
Can I view my inventory and my order status?
Our online dashboard gives campaign owners full visibility and control in real time. Track inventory levels, monitor active orders, and make updates on the fly
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