Courtesy of Shipology
By Ann Donnelly
Shipology, a woman-owned fulfillment center, is making waves in the e-commerce industry by providing essential logistics services to small businesses.
Founded in 2020, Shipology offers a range of services, including warehousing, inventory management, and shipping, to help entrepreneurs streamline their operations and focus on growing their businesses.
The idea for Shipology was born from the founders’ own experiences running e-commerce businesses. Keri Wytrwal, who was working as a marketing professional, started Wetplants.com to sell high-quality aquatic plants online from her home. After encountering significant challenges with shipping time frames and costs, she reached out to friend Amanda Schermerhorn, who was working as a director of operations for an e-commerce company. According to Wytrwal, “I went to Amanda’s house in tears because over 40 percent of my orders one week arrived dead because they took over two weeks to ship to clients.”
Together, the women started a business that addressed the need for a more personalized and efficient solution. By leveraging their expertise and understanding of the industry, they created Shipology to address these pain points for other entrepreneurs.
The founders initially tested their idea for the business with members of the Saratoga-based Palette Community of female-owned businesses.
“The idea for Shipology came from our own experiences in e-commerce and difficulty with fulfillment, as well as talking with other women entrepreneurs with similar issues. We started helping them solve these issues and knew we needed to turn this into a business.”
In 2020, Wytrwal and Schermerhorn started working out of their garages and fondly remember their first milestone of shipping five packages in a day. The following year, they had outgrown their home base and moved into a warehouse in Menands, eventually taking on 8,000 square feet. They have just completed a move into a 40,000-square-foot space in Watervliet. They now ship an average of 500 to 1,000 packages daily.
Shipology’s unique selling points lie in its ability to store and inventory products for its clients and its efficient shipping process. When orders arrive, whether B2C or B2B, they ship them out using rates they have negotiated due to their overall volume and relationships with the shipping companies.
“We have the packaging here available to use. The idea is that we can be a cost savings hub. They don’t have to invest in employees for warehousing or the warehouse space itself,” says Wytrwal.
Like any business, Shipology has faced its share of challenges. However, through strategic planning, adaptability, and a focus on building a solid team, Shipology has successfully overcome these hurdles and experienced significant growth. This adaptability should reassure potential customers of Shipology’s ability to handle any challenges that may arise.
Shipology’s commitment to providing exceptional client service is a critical differentiator. The company’s founders emphasize the importance of building solid relationships with their clients and understanding their unique needs. By offering personalized support and tailored solutions, Shipology helps businesses of all sizes achieve their goals.
“Anytime someone new comes to us, we see it as a really fun challenge,” says Wytrwal. “How can we help this business grow and act as a partner for them? One of our clients got on the Today Show a couple of weeks ago, and thousands of orders were pouring in. Our team’s excited because it builds this extra sense of accomplishment around how to get all these orders out the door, but look at what our client just did!”
Because of their original connections and the number of referrals they receive from existing clients, about 80 percent of the brands they work with are female-founded, but their continued growth will likely change that demographic. About 20 percent of the businesses they work with are related to the Capital Region. Still, they started getting referrals to some New York City-based businesses, which led to more and then international clients.
Says Wytrwal, “Our international business is quite strong with companies established in Australia and the EU that need that US component to their fulfillment.”
“We’ve been very fortunate to choose who we work with,” says Wytrwal. “Because we want to make sure it will be a successful relationship. We could say ‘no’ when needed, and your gut’s telling you. I think this is an important business lesson. There have been prospects we’ve had to say no to because we don’t think they’re going to be the right culture fit or we’re not going to be able to meet their expectations. Making sure that we’re partnering with the right business is to set both companies up for success.”
There is no minimum or maximum size for a business to work with Shipology. “We work with some companies that ship five orders a week and have seen the growth and been able to be on that journey with them. Many other fulfillment centers require a minimum of 200 orders per day because they’re pumping out those super-high volumes. They don’t have that customized, individualized experience. For us, it’s about that relationship,” Wytrwal said.
Looking ahead, Schermerhorn and Wytrwal are ready for the continued expansion of Shipology by investing in its infrastructure, expanding its team, and developing strategic partnerships to serve their clients better. By staying ahead of industry trends and focusing on client satisfaction, Shipology is well-positioned to become a leading player in the fulfillment market.
To find out more about Shipology, visit their website shipologyus.com.