Cheers Through The Years

For Ted Fleming, creator of the non-alcoholic beer company Partake, necessity really is the mother of invention. After a beer-loving Ted was diagnosed with a medical condition that precluded him from drinking alcohol, he was left feeling like an outsider at social events like happy hours and hockey games. He needed a satisfying, non-alcoholic craft beer. However, the market’s offerings weren’t cutting it due to a lack of variety and poor taste. So, in 2017, Partake was born, and non-alcoholic beer lovers everywhere raised their collective glasses…and demanded seconds. 

Partake Brewing, based out of Calgary,  is now one of the leading craft non-alcoholic beer companies in North America. Their variety of craft non-alcoholic styles are available across Canada as well as through their online store. American customers can order these non-alcoholic brews online, and should be on the lookout for Partake’s products as they continue their rapid expansion into the US.

As Partake continues to climb, they have been challenged with changing trends. This includes adapting to new technologies. Partake wants to ensure that their ecommerce customers can enjoy every part of partaking in their craft non-alcoholic beers, from discovery to shipping through delivery to sipping. Thanks to Canada Post and ShipStation, Partake has been able to overcome common logistical shipping challenges and stay ahead of the curve.

Make it a double  

In March 2021, Partake experienced 100% growth in sales and shipments of their craft beer. The brand had seen immense growth already in 2020. They were even nominated for best online start-up nominee at the Canada Post ecommerce awards in 2019. This explosion of new customers led the company to seek out shipping solutions that could keep up with their new high-volume load. Partake decided to take a chance on ShipStation. 

After signing up for a trial, Partake was impressed with the software’s ease-of-use and integrations. Namely, Partake appreciated the ability to work seamlessly with Canada Post, Partake’s sole shipping carrier and the preferred delivery company amongst Canadian online shoppers.

Business is booming more than ever for Partake. Even so, the company was able to mitigate costly operational pitfalls with ShipStation. So, they decided to upgrade to the Gold Plan Level.

Connecting with Canada Post

Given Partake’s quickly-growing e-commerce sales, it’s been essential for the brand to expand its reach across Canada and into the US. “As a growing business, it is essential to have backing from a carrier that can facilitate our development and continuously satisfy customer expectations,” said Ted Fleming, founder and CEO of Partake. 

With an emphasis on ecommerce sales in recent years, Partake relies heavily on their carriers to deliver products effectively. Plus, working with responsive support staff is always a bonus.

Luckily, ShipStation and Canada Post offer just that. “We access Canada Post through integration with ShipStation. That allows us to manage order flow and shipping from one simple platform. First, orders are funneled through the ShipStation platform and allocated to the appropriate warehouse for fulfillment. From there, shipping labels are printed and packages are handed off to Canada Post for delivery.” 

Efficiency

As a growing company, Partake is always looking for ways to maximize efficiency. “ShipStation has played a huge role in saving time and resources. With the ShipStation software we are able to track progress in real-time, make sure we are fulfilling orders in a timely manner, and keeping our valued customers happy,” Fleming said. 

In developing their online store, Partake knew that they needed a solution that would allow them to streamline communication and fulfillment. So, in their search for a platform with such capabilities, they found ShipStation.

“The real-time tracking page allows us to maximize visibility on our outgoing orders and communicate with the warehouse seamlessly. In addition, printing packing slips, managing orders, and shipping in one centralized platform allows us to manage thousands of orders every month with great efficiency.” Partake also makes use of ShipStation’s automation rules and order tags to tailor the software to their exact shipping needs. 

Fleming learned tough lessons while launching his small-but-growing business. His best piece of advice for fellow business owners? “Find a simple and easy-to-use platform that can bridge communication between ecommerce staff and warehouse locations. It may take some learning and adapting upfront, but it will pay off in the long run.“