Scaling Confidence-Boosting Swimwear with Operational Excellence

Confidence in swimwear starts with confidence in operations — here’s how ShipNetwork helped one leading brand scale without sacrificing quality.

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Overview

Founded in 2017, a fast-growing direct-to-consumer swimwear brand has become one of the most trusted names in its category by delivering confidence through thoughtful design and seamless operations. As the brand grew, so did the complexity.

With a rapidly expanding SKU catalog, wholesale partnerships, and rising customer expectations, the company needed a fulfillment partner who could scale with them — without sacrificing customer experience.

Since partnering with ShipNetwork, the swimwear brand has successfully navigated operational challenges, protected customer trust, and unlocked new growth channels across DTC and wholesale.

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The Challenge

Swimwear is a high-stakes category. Customers often purchase pieces for milestone events — honeymoons, vacations, weddings, and getaways — where timing and fit matter most. Late deliveries or fulfillment errors can erode trust instantly.

The brand faced several challenges, including:

• Managing monthly product drops and seasonal demand spikes.
• Expanding into wholesale while maintaining DTC accuracy and speed.
• Building resilience against volatile supply chain conditions and tariffs.
• Reducing transportation costs without sacrificing delivery performance.

As the COO put it:

“Most people shop swim for a reason. If we don’t get that order to her in time, we lose her trust.”

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The Solution

After raising their Series B, the brand rebuilt fulfillment from the ground up with ShipNetwork as their partner. Together, they created an operational foundation that safeguarded customer experience while scaling with precision.

ShipNetwork enabled the brand to achieve:

1. Fulfillment That Protects Brand Trust
   • Next-day fulfillment and consistent accuracy, even during seasonal peaks.
   • Wholesale compliance and EDI integrations without disrupting DTC workflows.
2. Returns as Product Intelligence
   • Manual inspection of every return to uphold strict hygiene and quality standards.
   • Using return data as a feedback loop to inform product design and reduce fit-related returns.
   • Turning operational rigor into customer confidence.
3. Xparcel Optimization
   • Leveraging ShipNetwork’s Xparcel service to algorithmically select the best carrier by region, price, and performance.
   • Reducing transportation costs while maintaining fast average transit times nationwide.
4. Supply Chain Resilience
   • Proactive planning and supplier relationships that helped absorb a sudden 145% tariff increase in 2025.
   • Avoided reactive price hikes and preserved customer experience despite market volatility.

Results

Since onboarding with ShipNetwork, the brand has achieved measurable operational improvements, including:

• Growth in monthly order volume while maintaining pick-pack accuracy.
• Faster nationwide transit times without added cost.
• Seamless wholesale expansion alongside a thriving DTC channel.
• A significant reduction in returns through data-driven design improvements.

As the COO explained:

“It’s not just about getting boxes out the door. It’s about protecting the brand every single day.”

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Looking Ahead

As the swimwear brand continues to expand its product assortment and strengthen its wholesale partnerships, ShipNetwork remains a trusted partner. The relationship is built on flexibility, intentional growth, and a shared dedication to customer trust.

“For young brands that are constantly evolving, flexibility is everything.”

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Key Takeaways

• Operations protect trust at scale.
• Returns are product intelligence.
• The right fulfillment partner adapts with you.

This brand’s story isn’t just about great products or clever marketing — it’s about operational excellence that builds customer confidence from the inside out. With ShipNetwork, scaling with intention isn’t just possible — it’s powerful.