Coming from humble beginnings, NATPAT started around the dining table in 2019 after the founders spent a long summer outside with their children. The only hiccup in their picturesque summer? The persistent buzz of mosquitoes bringing with them the discomfort of bites and itchiness.
From those annoying mosquito bites emerged something unexpectedly positive: an idea. Their children's experimentation with citronella candle wax on their clothing led to the creation of their globally recognized mosquito repellent patch. That’s where the idea of developing naturally formulated patches for sleep, relaxation, focus, fevers, and allergy relief came to life.
Shipping Complexities
NATPAT faced a unique challenge with their product distribution. Their goods traveled via planes, destined for the USA, Australia, Canada, UK, and many other countries. By air-freighting pallets of products to each of these areas, NATPAT had to find new fulfillment operation partners in each country. They also faced lengthy wait times of 15-30 days, as well as duties, clearances, local freight and other costs and delays associated with traditional cargo shipping. This complex supply chain process posed a significant challenge for them, which was further amplified by the varied backend requirements used to handle fulfillment routing with each partner.
Further complicating matters, NATPAT was experiencing explosive growth, with their mosquito repellent patches flying off their website. They desperately needed a shipping solution that could streamline deliveries, accelerate the availability of inventory from manufacturing to customer availability, decrease bulk air freight costs and delays, simplify logistics by unifying SKUs, and support their international expansion and motto to reach every customer, regardless of location.
The Results
Partnering with Portless proved to be a game-changer for NATPAT. Their geographical distribution expanded to over 50 countries after moving inventory to Portless' state-of-the-art fulfillment center in Shenzhen. They stopped moving inventory back and forth between different countries and fulfillment centers, as well as the costs of air freight and associated duties. In order to ensure timely shipment to each country, they relaxed their advanced ordering requirements to have sufficient stock. This not only slashed operational costs but also provided greater control over inventory management by allowing them to fulfill globally from one shared inventory pool. NATPAT is no longer constrained by factory and shipping minimum order quantities, allowing them to produce inventory based on actual demand, rather than the quantity necessary to fill a pallet or container.
Moreover, NATPAT worked with Portless’s merchandising and operations teams to source eco-friendly packaging that complemented the natural essence of their products. The positive response from customers has been overwhelming!
Contact Us Today
At Portless, we understand the challenges of global expansion when relying on traditional cargo shipping methods. We can help you overcome issues such as factory and shipping MOQ's, cash flow constraints, and shipping delays. Contact us today!
