Overview Sapphire is a contemporary fashion brand from Pakistan that began life as a small spinning mill in 1969. The company grew steadily, gaining a global reputation for its high-quality fabrics. In 2014 the company began a new chapter – producing premium clothing that was both fashionable and functional. And taking that a step further, Sapphire moved into the UK market in 2024 with a strategy to deliver its fashion directly to customers, and serve them from a bricks-and-mortar store. The requirement for success: a fulfilment company with the expertise and insight into helping international brands find a foothold in the UK, while sharing its values and understanding the needs of a fast-growing ecommerce business. An aligned approach to excellent fulfilment Fullers Fulfilment has built its reputation on serving the ecommerce sector, helping both UK and international brands in delivering exceptional fulfilment, customer satisfaction and supporting growth. As a result, we were the ideal fulfilment partner for Sapphire, using our powerful combination of expertise, technology and processes. More than that, our approach to sustainability aligns with Sapphire’s commitment to supporting local communities and making a positive impact on society – least of which includes reducing the use of plastic in their stores creating sustainable collections from recycled materials, running shops with solar energy, and advocating for fair pay and equal opportunities. We guided Sapphire through the process of entering the UK market, advising on all aspects related to fulfilment including changes to packaging, optimising parcels to cut down on packaging and costs. Strategic support from the start In the run up to its first UK store launching in Bradford, Sapphire ran a promotion that saw thousands of orders being despatched by the Fullers Fulfilment team in Slough. With figures exceeding initial expectations, all customers received their orders on time. We advised Sapphire on the best use of couriers during the spike, ensuring cost efficiency and customer satisfaction. To support the launch of Sapphire’s retail store, we worked closely with the fashion brand’s team in Pakistan to ensure all the stock required for the opening day was delivered on time. This was achieved despite delays in the goods arriving at our warehouse. We kept Sapphire apprised through transparent and regular communication and the dedication of our customer service team and warehouse team ensured the goods were delivered promptly, working over the weekend to make it happen. Scalable, flexible services Ecommerce is characterised by peaks and troughs which is where we are able to deliver maximum value to Sapphire by being flexible and proactive. In anticipation of future huge sales events, such as Black Friday and Christmas, we have designed a dedicated storage space in our Slough fulfilment centre that makes picking and packing more efficient and effective. 5,000 specially manufactured stackable boxes are configured in a dedicated storage area to ensure all products are easily accessible and can be quickly picked and packed, especially during peak times. Our strategy also includes ensuring we have the right staff on site during periods, with more shifts scheduled, as well as working with courier partners on extra collections. Excellent fulfilment services with a holistic view Our overall strategy in helping Sapphire evolve its own approach to ecommerce in the UK and fuel its growth plans, includes the range of fulfilment services, including: Expert pick & pack services Advice on optimisation of couriers Scalable solutions for retail peaks Dedicated storage area designed for efficiency of picking and packing, and cost optimisation Returns process – quality checks, steaming & repackaging, and carrying out small adjustments and repairs on items as needed Integration between our warehouse management solution (WMS) and Sapphire’s ecommerce platform for ease of reporting, inventory management and data analytics The result is a solid working relationship with Sapphire with the Fullers team supporting the fashion brand throughout their growth journey with quality fulfilment services and first-class consultation.