In the past, Merchadise relied on a combination of disconnected software systems and manual methods to keep track of leads and customer interactions. However, they soon recognized the need for a more streamlined approach and contacted Unlimited to help build a deeper integration between HubSpot and Shopify.
About Merchadise
Merchadise’s team of e-commerce and apparel experts have 40+ years of combined experience in the branded merchandise and fashion industry. Founded in 2021, Merchadise helps brands with product customization, online shop development, and fulfillment and delivery.
With its Print On Demand platform, brands can create and sell premium products unmatched in quality and design. Its custom merch ecosystem provides customer success, production, and order management services for brands that need merch and e-commerce support.
The company’s name is a mashup of the two things it brings together: “merch” and “paradise”.
- Industry: Branded Merchandise and Fashion
- Company Size: 11-50 employees
- Location: Portland, Oregon
- Software: Service, Operations
Disconnected Software and Manual Tasks Make Delivering and Selling Apparel, Tough
Selling apparel to the military and police is a multi-million dollar market–and like other growth-focused businesses, Merchadise knew they could deliver a better experience for their customers and teams.
But pursuing such a growth opportunity in an enormous marketplace took a lot of work.
“The objective was to make everything more streamlined and reportable, a more efficient process, a more transparent process for the team.”
Will Lench, Director of Technical Services at Unlimited
As the go-to apparel and e-commerce provider for police and sheriff departments, fire departments, and the U.S. military, the Merchadise team needed a clearer view of the project ecosystem and the ability to track deals, monitor pipelines, and ensure a customer-centric operation.
Outdated cross-team processes, loads of software to track a single sale, and a lack of transparent reporting was slowing Merchadise's continued success. Yet, they were determined to elevate their performance and recognized HubSpot's potential to create a central source of truth and unlock further growth.
Improving the Customer Journey and Cross-team Visibility
Merchadise needed a transparent and efficient process to enhance the delivery and sales of military apparel. They aimed to eliminate manual and cumbersome steps while minimizing the number of software applications involved. But in terms of how to do it, they knew they needed assistance.
Simplifying How Teams Work Together
Unlimited helped Merchadise optimize its customer journey and improve cross-team visibility. By implementing a customized Service Hub install, Unlimited enabled multiple Merchadise teams working on the same project simultaneously. Establishing a deal pipeline for sales and a ticket pipeline for designers, our custom-built ticketing system automatically updates the corresponding pipeline as the designers engage in their projects. Sales reps can track progress and monitor sales flows in real time, while designers focus on designing the products.
File Storage, Retrieval, and Sharing Made Easy
With artwork and design files required for every project, the Merchadise teams lost a lot of time hunting for the appropriate files. To address the issue, the Unlimited team built a new intake and project management process inside HubSpot Service Hub. When a customer uploads their artwork, it is saved in a designated cloud folder and connected to the corresponding HubSpot record and backed-up in their Google Drive.
Similarly, when the system generates a ticket for a designer, the required files are retrieved from the Deal Cloud folder, allowing the designer to begin their work promptly. No more endless searching for images or mockups!
HubSpot Automation To The Rescue
Next, as designers complete the artwork, an automated email can be sent to the customer via an automated workflow, prompting them to review the draft design project. Once approved, the system copies the necessary files back to the right place and the team can get to work finishing the apparel designs and building the custom Shopify store.
But the automation and streamlining doesn't stop there. Using the automatic association feature in HubSpot Operations Hub, the Merchadise team can generate powerful sales reports categorized by the military branch and even specific units or regiments. With a new tracking mechanism in place, Merchandise knows when to activate marketing workflows within HubSpot, enabling them to proactively respond to sales trends.
Merchadise Efficiently Processes and Delivers Apparel Orders with HubSpot
By building their growth stack on HubSpot, Merchadise enhanced operations and seamlessly integrated existing e-commerce tools with custom solutions built directly into their CRM. As a result, Merchadise can now process apparel orders efficiently, track progress in real-time, and generate comprehensive sales reports.
Today, Merchandise is meeting the evolving needs of the apparel market. The streamlined workflows, efficient order processing, real-time tracking, and comprehensive sales reporting provide a solid foundation for scaling operations and expanding their customer base.
Ready to unlock these transformative results with a customized CRM solution for your business? Take the next step by connecting with a specialist from the Unlimited team here.
