Who Does Barefaced Use for Warehousing & Fulfillment?

Barefaced uses ShipBob as their primary third-party logistics (3PL) and fulfillment partner.

Introduction to Barefaced

Founded in 2019 by Nurse Practitioner Jordan Harper, Barefaced is a rapidly growing skincare brand built on a "Less but Better" philosophy. The company was created to simplify skincare routines for consumers overwhelmed by the multitude of options in the market. Their approach focuses on effective, science-backed formulations that are easy to understand and incorporate into daily routines.

Barefaced has experienced remarkable growth since its founding, with monthly sales increasing from $1 million to $3 million, and reaching over 13,500 subscription customers with an impressive 97% retention rate. The brand has gained significant popularity through Jordan's influence as a skincare expert on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, where she educates consumers about skincare practices alongside promoting their products.

Why Barefaced Needed to Optimize Fulfillment

As Barefaced's popularity surged, the company quickly outgrew its initial fulfillment operation, which was being managed from a garage. The small team faced several critical challenges:

• Limited expertise in logistics and inventory management - As Callie Tivnan, E-commerce Manager at Barefaced explains, "Our area of expertise is not logistics or inventory management," highlighting a critical knowledge gap.
• Small team wearing multiple hats - With team members responsible for numerous functions across the business, logistics management was consuming valuable time and resources.
• Rapid growth outpacing internal capabilities - The brand's accelerating success made it impossible to continue self-fulfillment without significant expansion of personnel and infrastructure.
• Need for scalability - As subscription orders became a major part of their business model, they required automated systems that could handle recurring orders efficiently.

These challenges created a situation where fulfillment was becoming a bottleneck to further growth, prompting the search for a dedicated fulfillment partner.

Partnership with ShipBob and Results

Barefaced's partnership with ShipBob has proven transformational for their business operations and growth trajectory. The collaboration has delivered impressive results:

• Operational efficiency equivalent to 10+ employees - "In order for us to do what ShipBob does, we would have to hire 10 or more employees. It's crazy to think how much ShipBob does," notes Tivnan.
• Fully automated subscription fulfillment - Subscription orders are processed automatically at midnight, with orders packed and fulfilled before the team even starts their workday.
• Enhanced customer experience - Through ShipBob's Customization Suite, Barefaced can create branded first impressions with customized packaging and inserts.
• Multi-channel growth support - The partnership has facilitated expansion into new sales channels, including TikTok Shop and Amazon FBM, with plans to add Amazon FBA.
• High-performing subscription program - Their subscription customer base has grown to 13,500 with a remarkable 97% retention rate.

The partnership has been fundamental to their growth, with Barefaced explicitly stating that they "would not have been able to grow and scale as much as we have in last few years without ShipBob."

The ShipBob Solution

ShipBob implemented a comprehensive suite of services tailored to Barefaced's specific needs:

1. Integrated tech stack - ShipBob's platform integrates seamlessly with Barefaced's existing technology ecosystem including Attentive, Recharge, Loop, Klaviyo, and Gorgias, creating a connected data environment.
2. Subscription automation - ShipBob's system automatically processes recurring orders at prescribed intervals, eliminating manual intervention and ensuring timely delivery.
3. Sophisticated order tagging - Orders are tagged based on their sequence in the subscription journey (first through tenth order), enabling customized packaging and inserts for different customer relationship stages.
4. Customization Suite - Branded packaging options that allow Barefaced to maintain their brand experience through the unboxing process.
5. Inventory tracking and forecasting - Tools that provide visibility into stock levels and help predict future inventory needs.
6. Multi-channel fulfillment capabilities - Support for orders from various sales channels, including their website, TikTok Shop, and Amazon.
7. Dedicated account management - A Merchant Success Manager who serves as a point of contact and strategic advisor.

This comprehensive approach transformed logistics from a challenge into a strategic advantage for Barefaced, allowing them to focus on product development and marketing while ShipBob handled the operational complexities of fulfillment.

Lessons for Other eCommerce Brands

Barefaced's experience with ShipBob offers valuable insights for other growing eCommerce brands:

1. Focus on core competencies - Recognizing when to outsource specialized functions like logistics can free up internal resources to concentrate on areas where you add the most value.
2. Partner selection is critical - Finding a 3PL that aligns with your growth ambitions and views themselves as a "thought partner" rather than just a service provider can significantly impact your trajectory.
3. Automation drives scalability - Implementing automated processes for recurring tasks like subscription fulfillment removes growth bottlenecks and improves customer experience.
4. Integration capabilities matter - A 3PL's ability to integrate with your existing tech stack creates operational efficiencies and provides valuable data insights.

These lessons underscore the importance of strategic partnerships in scaling an eCommerce business efficiently.

Is ShipBob Right for Your Business?

When considering whether ShipBob might be the right fulfillment partner for your business, evaluate these factors:

• Business stage and growth trajectory - ShipBob is particularly well-suited for rapidly growing brands that have outgrown self-fulfillment but don't want to build their own logistics infrastructure.
• Product characteristics - Their services are especially valuable for brands in the beauty and cosmetics space, though they serve various product categories.
• Sales channel mix - If you sell through multiple channels or plan to expand to new platforms, ShipBob's multi-channel capabilities can streamline operations.
• Subscription model needs - For businesses with subscription offerings, ShipBob's robust subscription handling capabilities provide significant advantages.
• Geographic considerations - With fulfillment centers across the United States including in California, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, they can support nationwide fast shipping.

To determine if ShipBob is the ideal fit, consider leveraging a 3PL matchmaking service that can evaluate your specific requirements against their capabilities.

Final Thoughts

The partnership between Barefaced and ShipBob exemplifies how a strategic fulfillment relationship can be transformative for a growing eCommerce brand. By outsourcing logistics to a specialized provider, Barefaced was able to focus on their core strengths in product development and marketing while simultaneously enhancing their operational capabilities through ShipBob's expertise and technology.

For brands at a similar inflection point – outgrowing their current fulfillment solutions but not ready to invest in building an internal logistics operation – finding the right 3PL partner can be the key to unlocking their next phase of growth. The Barefaced case demonstrates that with the right fulfillment partner, a small team can achieve operational excellence that would otherwise require significant additional headcount and infrastructure.

As eCommerce continues to evolve, partnerships between innovative brands and specialized service providers like ShipBob will remain a critical strategy for delivering exceptional customer experiences while managing the complexities of rapid growth.