How BAKblade Grew 291% in Under 3 Years By Partnering With ShipBob for Fulfillment [Case Study]

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Learn how men’s body shaver, BAKblade, doubled in size every year and achieved $10 million in annual revenue by partnering with ShipBob for ecommerce fulfillment.

About BAKblade

BAKblade started out of a necessity and realization that men’s body hair grooming was broken. Matt Dryfhout used to spend lots of time using messy creams and booking appointments for treatments with expensive lasers and painful waxing, but there just wasn’t a good option out there.

He and his wife, Angel, a medical esthetician, invented BAKblade, the world’s best DIY back and body shaver.

They started the business in 2012 with just $5,000 and grew organically with lots of trial and error. They tweaked the blade technology, acquired intellectual property trademarks and patents, and then went viral.

Today, BAKblade is in Bed Bath & Beyond, has distribution in the US, Europe, and Latin America, and ended 2018 with $10 million in sales.

Expecting to double their sales again this year, we sat down with Founder and CEO, Matt Dryfhout to hear about BAKblade’s growth journey.

Key Metrics:

$1,409,989

Raised through crowdfunding.

291%

Growth since partnering with ShipBob in 2016.

5

ShipBob fulfillment centers used by BAKblade.

Finding a 3PL after crowdfunding success and a viral video

As told to ShipBob by Matt Dryfhout, Founder & CEO of BAKblade.

In 2016, we decided to test out crowdfunding for the release of the BAKblade 2.0 with a goal of raising between $50,000 and $100,000. Through ourKickstarter campaign we had 6,652 backers pledge $316,581, and we launched anIndiegogo campaign that raised $1,093,408.

We also created a video that went viral. Overnight, we had 35 million views, and it kept getting picked up by sites like Business insider, Yahoo, Mashable, and others for a collective 240 million views.

This was a game-changer, but in a very short time, we were going to have to ship out 20,000 – 30,000 units. This really drove us to look for a 3PL.

We were not set up to fulfill thousands of orders or prepared to manage the complexities of shipping. It just made a lot more sense for us to put our trust in somebody we knew that was number one in their game and would continue to get better and better. We chose ShipBob, who was in our backyard.

We never wanted to be a logistics company, so we found a really good partner in ShipBob to offer the fulfillment services, technology, and other tools needed to stay competitive. With everything that ShipBob does for us, we can focus on the brand itself, develop content, evolve our existing products, and expand our product lines.

We never wanted to be a logistics company, so we found a really good partner in ShipBob to offer the fulfillment services, technology, and other tools needed to stay competitive.

– Matt Dryfhout, Founder & CEO of BAKblade

Growing with ShipBob

We’ve had a long-term partnership with ShipBob, and we’ve seen the improvements and evolution of the technology over the last three years. If you bring them an idea, they will look into it. They are very cutting edge, always looking for the next angle to make their business better while keeping their customers happy.

ShipBob has made the entire process of plugging into the applications we use like ourShopify Plus site very easy. They are very tech-driven with a fantastic dashboard. We have access to live inventory management, knowing exactly how many units we have in Texas vs. Chicago vs. New York. It not only helps with our overall process in managing and making sure our inventory levels are balanced but also for tax purposes at the end of the year. ShipBob made that entire process very simplified for our accountants and us.

ShipBob also continues to expand its geographic footprint. We use all of their fulfillment centers across the United States. There is a cost benefit to being spread out, as orders can be shipped from warehouses that are closer to customers and delivered very quickly.

As we expand with B2B and B2C orders, ShipBob’s pricing structure remains simple without any add-on charges. With most 3PLs, you will see a lot of hidden fees when you do your homework. ShipBob doesn’t play games — the pricing is clear and easy to understand.

“After working with ShipBob and seeing the initial 20,000 – 30,000 units go out the door, it allowed me to sleep better at night. We felt the weight lifted off our chests. We weren’t having to spend a lot of our time processing those orders, and we were very relieved that we were being taken care of.”

– Matt Dryfhout, Founder & CEO of BAKblade

Meeting customer expectations

We’ve been doubling our growth year over year, and a major contributor has been fantastic delivery that increases satisfaction with the post-purchase experience. ShipBob also offers the option to customize packaging and tell a story through our products when shipping to our customers, giving us more control over our business and brand.

We can compete with platforms where customers are looking for 2-day shipping, great customer service, and a product that does what it’s expected to do. ShipBob helps us deliver on our customer expectations, and they are continually evolving and getting our products into our customers hands’ faster and faster.

“We’ve seen a spike in conversions since applying ShipBob’s 2-Day Express feature, which lets us stay ahead of the competition that offers similar products and is seen by our customers. Our job is to drive traffic to our website and ShipBob’s 2-Day Express shipping is certainly an option that a lot of our customers have taken advantage of and are very happy with.”

Matt Dryfhout, Founder & CEO of BAKblade

As we’ve grown internationally and in our general order volume, we’ve seen satisfaction go up. ShipBob was a key player and significant partner in helping manage what became unmanageable when we were shipping orders out ourselves.

There are always going to be unexpected problems or hiccups with any type of product you’re selling online. Having a dedicated account manager at ShipBob is definitely key. We have easy access to make sure the problem is managed and taken care of with a very respectable turnaround. They’re a partner with you.

Going global with ShipBob

As told to ShipBob by Marc Fontanetta, Director of Operations at BAKblade.

As we expand our online presence into Canada, both directly and selling through Walmart, we knew we needed a trusted fulfillment partner with a physical presence in Canada. We have seen that Canadian customers order more when they know the order ships from within Canada and they do not need to worry about additional taxes if the order comes from the US.

From our history through the years with ShipBob, it was a no-brainer to expand into other markets with them, knowing that they have done their due diligence to meet the ShipBob standard.

“From our history through the years with ShipBob, it was a no-brainer to expand into other markets with them. We know they have done their due diligence to meet the ShipBob standard.”

– Marc Fontanetta, Director of Operations at BAKblade

“We are glad we can trust a 3PL that has a fantastic track record. We’ve been very happy with ShipBob over the last few years, and we look forward to continuing to grow the partnership.”

-Matt Dryfhout, Founder & CEO of BAKblade

BAKblade’s team at ShipBob

Michael Harris

Michael is on our Merchant Success team, providing strategic guidance to our largest customers.

Jen Rogers

Jen is also on our Merchant Success team and worked closely with BAKblade to provide support and guidance.

John George

John is a Merchant Success Specialist and has been a huge help in supporting BAKblade.

Get in touch with ShipBob

Fill out the form below to learn how ShipBob’s ecommerce fulfillment services and technology can help your business, discover if we’re a mutual fit, and get a pricing quote.

Written By:

Kristina is the Sr. Director of Marketing Communications at ShipBob, where she writes various articles, case studies, and other resources to help ecommerce brands grow their business.

Read all posts written by Kristina Lopienski