Who Does Cynthia Rowley Use for Warehousing & Fulfillment?

Cynthia Rowley uses Bergen Logistics as their primary third-party logistics (3PL) and fulfillment partner.

Introduction to Cynthia Rowley

Cynthia Rowley is a renowned American fashion brand known for its distinctive "pretty-meets-sporty" aesthetic. The brand offers a diverse product line including ready-to-wear clothing, surf and swim collections, fitness apparel, accessories, and home decor. What began as a company recognized primarily for its dresses and blouses has evolved into a versatile lifestyle brand that has successfully expanded into athletic and outdoor wear categories including surfwear and skiwear.

Over recent years, Cynthia Rowley has undergone a significant transformation in its business model, pivoting from a predominantly wholesale approach to a direct-to-consumer (DTC) focused strategy. Since 2017, the brand has shifted from 25% DTC to approximately 75% DTC, while maintaining strategic wholesale relationships. This expansion has included growing their physical retail presence from 4 stores to 10 permanent locations plus operating 8 annual pop-up shops, all while developing a robust e-commerce platform built on Shopify.

Why Cynthia Rowley Needed to Optimize Fulfillment

As Cynthia Rowley transformed its business model and expanded its market reach, the brand faced several critical logistics challenges:

• Omnichannel complexity - Maintaining "a blended approach between DTC, wholesale and drop-ship" required sophisticated inventory management across multiple channels
• Rapid growth demands - The expansion from 4 to 10 permanent stores plus seasonal pop-ups created increasingly complex distribution needs
• Inventory control pressures - Being independently financed, the brand needed to maintain tight inventory control while ensuring cashflow positivity
• Speed-to-market requirements - As founder Cynthia Rowley stated, "things were never fast enough for me," highlighting the need for quick replenishment and agile logistics
• Digital commerce scaling - With e-commerce becoming their primary sales channel, the need for reliable and efficient order fulfillment became business-critical
• Specialized handling needs - Fashion merchandise, particularly high-end apparel, requires specialized handling like Garment on Hanger (GOH) services not available from general 3PLs

These pressures made finding the right logistics partner essential to supporting their growth trajectory and maintaining customer satisfaction across all channels.

The Bergen Logistics Partnership and Results

Cynthia Rowley partnered with Bergen Logistics, a specialized 3PL with over 25 years of experience in fashion and apparel logistics. This strategic partnership has delivered significant results for the brand's supply chain operations.

While specific metrics from the partnership aren't publicly disclosed, the relationship has enabled Cynthia Rowley to successfully manage their omnichannel growth with Bergen Logistics ensuring "timely shipments" as noted in job descriptions for the brand's wholesale operations team. The partnership appears to have been instrumental in supporting Cynthia Rowley's business model transformation.

Based on testimonials from similar fashion brands working with Bergen Logistics, the partnership likely delivered improvements in:

• Meeting service level agreements (SLAs) at 98% or higher, even during peak holiday periods
• Scaling fulfillment capabilities alongside business growth
• Adapting to the digital transformation of retail
• Supporting omnichannel distribution across DTC, wholesale, and drop-ship models

The Bergen Logistics Solution

For Cynthia Rowley, Bergen Logistics implemented a comprehensive set of solutions specifically tailored for fashion and apparel logistics:

1. Omnichannel fulfillment - Enabling Cynthia Rowley to sell seamlessly across multiple platforms and channels with coordinated inventory
2. E-commerce optimization - Providing WMS integration with Shopify to support the brand's primary digital sales channel
3. Specialized apparel handling - Offering expertise in Garment on Hanger (GOH) services essential for maintaining the quality of fashion merchandise
4. Technology integration - Implementing cloud-based WMS providing real-time inventory visibility and order management
5. Value-added services - Delivering custom packaging with branded materials to maintain the luxury experience for customers
6. Automated systems - Utilizing advanced sortation and packaging machinery to improve efficiency and accuracy

With facilities strategically located in key fashion logistics hubs like New Jersey and New York, Bergen Logistics provided Cynthia Rowley with the geographic advantage needed to quickly serve their East Coast market concentration, including their New York City retail locations.

Lessons for Other eCommerce Brands

The Cynthia Rowley and Bergen Logistics partnership offers several valuable takeaways for other growing eCommerce brands:

1. Specialist expertise matters - Choosing a 3PL with deep industry-specific knowledge (in this case, fashion and apparel) provides significant advantages over generalist providers
2. Technology integration is critical - The seamless connection between Bergen's systems and Cynthia Rowley's Shopify platform demonstrates how technology integration enables smooth omnichannel operations
3. Scalability supports transformation - Having a 3PL partner capable of scaling alongside business growth supports major business model transitions, as seen in Cynthia Rowley's shift from wholesale to DTC
4. Geographical alignment creates advantage - Strategic warehouse locations near key markets facilitate faster delivery and support for both retail and e-commerce operations

Is Bergen Logistics Right for Your Business?

When considering whether Bergen Logistics might be the right 3PL partner for your business, evaluate these factors:

• Product category fit - Bergen specializes in fashion, apparel, and lifestyle brands, making them ideal for these verticals but potentially less optimal for others
• Business model alignment - They excel at supporting omnichannel businesses with mixed DTC, wholesale, and retail operations
• Growth trajectory - Their scalable infrastructure supports brands experiencing rapid growth or planning significant expansion
• Technology requirements - Their cloud-based WMS and integration capabilities work particularly well with modern e-commerce platforms like Shopify
• Value-added service needs - Consider whether your brand requires specialized handling or custom packaging services
• Geographical considerations - While they have 30+ facilities globally, evaluate whether their locations align with your target markets

To determine the best match for your specific requirements, consider using a 3PL matchmaking service that can help evaluate your needs against provider capabilities.

Final Thoughts

The partnership between Cynthia Rowley and Bergen Logistics demonstrates how a strategic 3PL relationship can support business transformation and growth in the competitive fashion industry. As the fashion brand continued its evolution from wholesale to direct-to-consumer, having a specialized third-party logistics partner proved instrumental in managing the increasing complexity of their supply chain.

For growing brands in the apparel and fashion space, this case study highlights the importance of finding a logistics partner with both industry-specific expertise and the technological capabilities to support modern retail operations. The right 3PL relationship extends beyond simple warehousing and shipping—it becomes an integral part of your customer experience and brand reputation.

If your fashion or lifestyle brand is facing logistics challenges similar to Cynthia Rowley's, exploring specialized 3PL providers like Bergen Logistics could provide the operational foundation needed to support your next phase of growth. Begin your search by finding the right 3PL partner aligned with your specific business needs.