Arden Grange scales D2C by 2X in 5 months, all while keeping punctuality at 99% with Hive

British pet food brand Arden Grange has been a pioneer in pet nutrition for over 25 years. They provide nutrition without compromise, naturally hypoallergenic formulations for dogs and cats of all ages. 

Until 2023 the team at Arden Grange had focused their business model primarily on selling business-to-business (B2B) to specialist pet supply stores, Breeders and via Amazon. After a change in strategy, the team became interested in expanding the business to also sell direct-to-consumer (D2C).

“We decided to expand to D2C to diversify our sales channels, but we knew we would need an expert to support us along the way that had experience with picking and processing parcel shipments through multiple channels including Shopify and Amazon stores,” explains Andrew Avis, Team Lead Supply Chain at Arden Grange. That’s where Hive came in.

“As soon as we met the Hive team, we knew we were in good hands” – Andrew.

Arden Grange launches D2C with a Shopify store and Amazon FBM

In Jan 2023, Arden Grange opened their Shopify storefront and in doing so launched D2C selling. Soon the volumes were too big to do from the current warehouse so partnered with Hive in May 2023.

“The move to Hive went extremely smoothly. The Hive team was on hand to answer any questions and their efficient fulfillment made sure our customers got their orders in good time,” Andrew explains. 

Soon after, the team decided to launch an Amazon Seller offering to further support their D2C growth using the Fulfilled-By-Merchant (FBM) scheme. This is where brands can sell using the Amazon marketplace, but they must organize logistics themselves. This gives brands the flexibility to use their own packaging and save on the high Fulfilled-By-Amazon (FBA) fees.

For Arden Grange, this meant selling on Amazon and leaving the fulfillment, delivery, and returns up to Hive. With Hive’s efficient fulfillment, Arden Grange’s customers got the lightning-fast shipping they’d expect from Amazon, while the team saved money on Amazon’s FBA fulfillment fees.

1 day delivery leads to positive Amazon reviews

Selling via Amazon means customer expectations are high, expecting speedy delivery and easy returns. 

These expectations have been fulfilled: since working with Hive, Arden Grange has seen an average delivery time of 1.1 days across the UK. This has led to happy customers that leave positive reviews.

Here’s a selection of the feedback the team got in their first few months of Amazon selling:

“Excellent service from this seller; item immediately dispatched, properly and securely packed, and congrats on choosing a very good delivery company as well!”

“This came so quick I would 100% use this seller again”

“Very good, superfast delivery”

These positive reviews help drive further growth for Arden Grange as it provides a sense of trust for new customers. And the speedy shipping and excellent product keeps existing customers coming back for more.

“Partnering with Hive has provided a reliable, quality service our D2C customers can trust. This is evident when looking at our customers feedback across our website and Amazon”– Andrew.

99% punctuality remains despite over 2X growth in just 5 months

With this combination of Amazon and Shopify, Arden Grange managed to scale an impressive 2X in just 5 months.

But despite this rapid growth, the quality of fulfillment has remained high. The Hive team have consistently achieved a 99% punctuality for Arden Grange, supporting them in scaling even further.

A future together trialing Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP)

So what’s next for Hive and Arden Grange? After huge success with Amazon FBM, the team wants to trial Seller Fulfilled Prime (SFP). This is where Amazon sellers can get all the benefits of prime, while keeping their logistics in house. 

Expectations are high as it means Arden Grange needs to meet certain conditions set by Amazon, but both teams are confident in their future success.