What 3PL Does American Tall Use for Warehousing & Fulfillment?
American Tall uses ShipHero as their primary third-party logistics (3PL) and fulfillment partner.
Introduction to American Tall
American Tall is a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand specializing in high-quality, well-tailored men's clothing specifically designed for tall men between 6'3" and 7'1" with Medium to XXL tall build. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the company has positioned itself as a niche player in the apparel market by focusing exclusively on the underserved tall men's segment.
The brand has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years, with orders increasing by an impressive 400% in less than two years. This rapid expansion reflects both the strong market demand for their specialized products and the effectiveness of their business model in meeting the needs of tall men who struggle to find properly fitting clothing through traditional retail channels.
Why American Tall Needed to Optimize Fulfillment
As American Tall's business grew exponentially, their fulfillment operations faced several critical challenges:
- Manual processes became unmanageable - The team was spending hours each night writing thank-you cards and processing orders using basic spreadsheets.
- Inventory visibility issues - They frequently encountered situations where items were in stock but not available on shelves for pickers, creating fulfillment delays.
- Limited software capabilities - Their free batch picking software could only queue up 100 orders at a time, severely limiting throughput as order volume grew.
- Unusually large SKU count - With 3-4 times more SKUs than typical retailers, outsourcing to traditional 3PLs wasn't feasible.
- Poor inventory location tracking - They had no reliable way to determine how many items were available to pickers at any given time.
These fulfillment bottlenecks threatened to derail American Tall's growth trajectory and negatively impact customer satisfaction. A more sophisticated and scalable solution was clearly needed.
Partnership with ShipHero and Results
American Tall partnered with ShipHero, a leading warehouse management system (WMS) and fulfillment provider headquartered in Garnerville, New York. This strategic partnership yielded impressive results:
- Supported 400% business growth through scalable warehouse management systems
- Increased picking efficiency by 275% - from 80 orders per day to over 300 orders with the same staff
- Reduced mis-shipments by 50% through improved inventory tracking and barcode scanning
- Enhanced inventory visibility throughout their warehouse operations
- Significantly improved order accuracy via barcode scanning error detection
These quantifiable improvements demonstrate how the right third-party logistics (3PL) partner can transform an eCommerce operation's efficiency and scalability.
The ShipHero Solution
ShipHero implemented several key solutions to address American Tall's unique challenges:
- Efficient pick and pack workflows - Restructured the entire fulfillment process for optimal efficiency
- Individual item barcoding - Added barcodes to individual items, not just cartons, enabling precise tracking
- Detailed warehouse mapping - Created a comprehensive map with barcodes for each bay location
- Multi-Item Batch picking - Enabled simultaneous picking for multiple orders, dramatically increasing throughput
- Dynamic Slotting - Implemented advanced inventory tracking and management systems
These technical solutions were specifically tailored to American Tall's high-SKU environment and rapid growth needs. With fulfillment centers across the United States including locations in California, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and several other states, ShipHero provided the geographic coverage needed to efficiently serve American Tall's nationwide customer base.
Lessons for Other eCommerce Brands
The American Tall and ShipHero partnership offers valuable takeaways for other growing eCommerce brands:
- Scale-ready infrastructure is crucial - Implement systems that can grow with your business before you hit critical bottlenecks.
- Barcode everything - Individual item barcoding and location tracking dramatically improve accuracy and efficiency.
- Batch processing drives efficiency - Multi-item batch picking can multiply productivity without adding staff.
- Find partners who understand your unique needs - American Tall's high SKU count required a specialized solution that standard 3PLs couldn't provide.
Is ShipHero Right for Your Business?
When considering if ShipHero might be the right fulfillment partner for your eCommerce business, evaluate these factors:
- Growth trajectory - ShipHero is particularly well-suited for high-growth brands experiencing rapid scaling challenges.
- SKU complexity - Businesses with large or complex SKU assortments benefit from ShipHero's advanced inventory management capabilities.
- Integration needs - ShipHero integrates with major platforms like Shopify, Amazon, Walmart, and WooCommerce.
- Geography - With facilities in multiple regions including Los Angeles, CA and Philadelphia, PA, ShipHero can support nationwide fulfillment needs.
- Specialized requirements - ShipHero offers solutions for various niches including Apparel and other specialty markets.
For companies facing challenges similar to American Tall's—rapid growth, complex inventory, and the need for scalable systems—ShipHero's combination of warehouse management software and fulfillment services represents a compelling solution.
Final Thoughts
American Tall's partnership with ShipHero demonstrates how the right warehouse management system (WMS) and fulfillment approach can be transformative for a growing eCommerce business. By implementing sophisticated inventory management, optimized picking processes, and scalable systems, they were able to support 400% growth while improving operational efficiency.
For eCommerce brands experiencing similar growing pains, the lesson is clear: investing in the right fulfillment technology and partnerships is crucial to sustainable growth. Rather than waiting until fulfillment becomes a bottleneck, forward-thinking brands should proactively seek solutions that can scale with their business.
If you're looking to find the right 3PL partner for your specific business needs, consider using a matchmaking service to identify fulfillment providers that align with your unique requirements, growth trajectory, and product specifications.