The Inspirational Journey: How The Inspiration Company Utilizes Shopify to Scale its Retail Success.

Table of Contents

1. Key Highlights:
2. Introduction
3. The Challenging Path to Growth
4. Embracing Shopify: The Comprehensive Solution
5. Driving Results: A Surge in Sales and Expansion
6. Building a Future of Endless Possibilities

Key Highlights:

• The Inspiration Company, founded in 2017, transformed from a small-scale venture to a major player in the retail jewelry space, achieving over $14 million in revenue in 2022.
• Moving from Wix and Square to Shopify allowed the company to efficiently manage inventory across 50+ stores, enhancing sales capabilities both online and in-person.
• The brand's innovative approach to multi-channel selling has led to a projected expansion of up to 80 pop-up locations across the United States in 2023.

Introduction

In the world of retail, the ability to innovate and adapt is crucial for success. The Inspiration Company, a jewelry brand that focuses on inspiring positivity through their products, has exemplified this principle since its inception. Founded by Doug and Ashley Waldbueser in 2017, the brand began as a modest endeavor to create inspirational message bracelets aimed at lifting spirits during challenging times. Today, it operates over 50 stores across the United States and has carved out a niche that blends e-commerce with brick-and-mortar presence.

What differentiates The Inspiration Company from other retailers is not just their product but their effective use of technology to facilitate growth, manage operations, and ensure customer satisfaction. Transitioning to Shopify has revolutionized how they operate, enabling seamless inventory management and a more efficient staff workflow. The story of The Inspiration Company serves as a compelling case study for businesses seeking to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The Challenging Path to Growth

The journey to success was not without obstacles. As The Inspiration Company experienced rapid growth, managing an expanding array of sales channels became increasingly complex. Initially relying on Wix for e-commerce and Square for in-person transactions, the company confronted significant operational challenges, primarily related to inventory management.

As sales surged, tracking product variants across both physical and digital platforms became cumbersome. The result was a system strained under the demands of growth, leading to inefficiencies that hampered productivity. The team found themselves spending more time troubleshooting operational hurdles than focusing on scaling the business.

Doug Waldbueser reflected on these struggles, stating, "There were a lot of roadblocks with our previous setup. Simply adding functions like inventory tracking or rewards was difficult and involved third-party support, which was super expensive."

Understanding the need for a more integrated solution, The Inspiration Company made a pivotal decision to consolidate their tech stack, choosing to run all operations through Shopify. This strategic pivot laid the foundation for a transformation that would streamline processes and unlock new avenues for growth.

Embracing Shopify: The Comprehensive Solution

By migrating to Shopify for e-commerce and integrating Shopify POS for their in-person sales, The Inspiration Company redefined its operational framework. This transition allowed for a unified backend system where all inventory could be managed centrally. The advantages were immediate and profound.

One of the critical benefits realized from this unified system was the ability to transfer products seamlessly between locations and proactively manage inventory levels. The Insight gained from Shopify’s reporting capabilities offered clarity on which products were performing well at specific stores, aiding in demand forecasting and effective restocking.

With more than 450 employees to manage, the utilization of Shopify’s roles and permissions system proved invaluable. Store managers can now monitor their team's performance through a host of metrics, including sales closure rates and average order values. This focus on performance data represents a paradigm shift for The Inspiration Company, enabling better decision-making at every level of the organization.

A store manager shared, "Having one system to manage our inventory and staff is a huge benefit for our brand." This sentiment encapsulates the dramatic improvements realized through the adoption of Shopify, transcending the operational headaches of their previous platform.

Driving Results: A Surge in Sales and Expansion

The results of these strategic changes were impressive. The Inspiration Company reported over a 700% increase in sales, with revenues surpassing $14 million in 2022. This meteoric rise demonstrates the effectiveness of a cohesive operational strategy tailored to multi-channel selling.

The improved efficiency not only enhanced sales figures but also played a critical role in expansion plans. With the ease of adding new point-of-sale locations thanks to Shopify, The Inspiration Company has begun exploring the launch of as many as 80 pop-ups across the United States in 2023. These pop-ups will serve as testing grounds for market viability, allowing the company to gauge customer interest without the considerable investment tied to permanent locations.

Doug Waldbueser emphasized the importance of certainty in strategic planning, stating, “Having certainty is something rare for a new business. For us, Shopify was a certainty: something that we know works to support our growth. That’s a huge benefit.” The blend of aggressive expansion and a solid technological foundation positions The Inspiration Company for enduring success.

Building a Future of Endless Possibilities

The Inspiration Company’s story illustrates the power of adaptation in the retail landscape. With the right tools, businesses can transform challenges into opportunities for growth. The choice to adopt Shopify as a centralized solution has proven to be an integral part of their strategy, facilitating improved operations and facilitating customer-centric experiences.

As the company prepares to navigate new retail landscapes with its upcoming pop-up locations, it stands at the forefront of a retail evolution that embraces both technology and purpose-driven branding. This multifaceted approach not only deepens customer loyalty but also sets the stage for enduring success in a competitive market.

FAQ

What inspired the founders to start The Inspiration Company? The founders, Doug and Ashley Waldbueser, began The Inspiration Company as a means to share positivity and inspiration through jewelry during challenging personal times.

How has The Inspiration Company scaled its operations? By transitioning to Shopify, The Inspiration Company consolidated its tech stack to manage both e-commerce and in-person sales efficiently. This transition enabled seamless inventory management across 50+ retail locations.

What were the initial challenges The Inspiration Company faced? The company struggled with operational inefficiencies due to using separate platforms for e-commerce and in-person sales, which made inventory management cumbersome and led to slowed business growth.

What role does technology play in The Inspiration Company's growth? Technology has been pivotal for the brand, from streamlining operations and inventory management to providing actionable insights through data analytics, allowing for rapid scaling and informed decision-making.

What are the future plans for The Inspiration Company? The brand aims to open up to 80 pop-up locations across the United States in 2023, testing market viability for future permanent stores while capitalizing on the efficiencies gained from their technological framework.