understood what it takes to do each-level
picking and get those orders out to the con-
sumer. They also realize that they are the
touch point with our end consumer and that
the way they fill and package orders defi-
nitely impacts the perception of the Alice
brand in the marketplace.”
Packing the many types of products that
make up a typical Alice.com order does
require some special handling, says Nathan
Sanders, senior vice president at OHL.
“Most household goods are designed for
ease of use and not for direct-to-consumer
shipment,” he says. Liquid detergents, for
example, don’t have a sealed cap. “We had
to figure out how to secure the caps for
packing so there would be no leaks or spills
during transit,” he says. Another example is
dryer sheets, which are put in a plastic bag
so the strong scent does not overpower
another item in shipment.
OHL also packs with environmental
issues in mind, Sanders says. “We always
try to use the least amount of packaging
material possible while still protecting the
shipment.”
Alice.com uses dedicated warehouse
“We needed a partner to accommodate our
growth, without our having to pay for space
we were not using.”
— David Slayton of Alice.com
space at OHL’s large facility near Indianapolis
to receive and store its manufacturers’ inven-
tory of CPG goods. “It was important to us to
have a partner who could flex with us and
accommodate our growth, without our hav-
ing to pay for space we were not using,” Slay-
ton says. “The neat thing about OHL is that if
our order volume flexes up during a particu-
lar week by 20 percent, they can pull labor
from other accounts to help meet our needs.
They are able to provide us with a flexible
solution that keeps our costs down and that
allows us to expand as we grow.”
Alice.com likely will open a West Coast
distribution center as soon as volume war-
rants to be able to service its clients in that
region a little faster, Slayton says. “Currently,
we have a four-day delivery to the West
Coast. Our goal would be to open up some-
thing, probably at OHL’s campus in Sparks,
Nev., to bring those shipping times down to
one or two days via ground service. All
Alice.com orders ship via UPS ground.
OHL, www.ohl.com
Resource Link
SPOTLIGHT ON OIA GLOBAL LOGISTICS
‘They have excellent customer service and go above and
beyond on all levels to get us what we need in a timely manner.’
‘They are the one logistics provider I have used in the past
15 years that goes the extra mile domestically and
abroad to insure a smooth, timely supply chain.’
‘OIA has helped us consolidate our packaging efforts to yield better
quality, consistency and lower cost across our entire
corporate program. They’re responsive, engaged and
dedicated to finding solutions that work from factory through
transit, to warehouse and retail space.’
