How Lore of the Sea increased dispatching speed by 1000% with ShipStation and Australia Post

Sustainable women’s surfwear brand Lore of the Sea is dedicated to creating ethically made, slow fashion surf wear.

The brand was founded by Laure Mayer in 2014 after she noticed a gap in the Australian market for functional surf wear. 

“After I finished uni, I wanted to create my own label that was focused on female surf wear. Being a surfer, I noticed that there were so many technical elements missing from the swimwear that was available on the market at the time for women,” said Laure.

Laure, who grew up in southern France, moved to the coastal town of Bryon Bay in 2012, where she learnt everything she needed to be able to create her own surf wear.

“It wasn’t just about making fashionable surfwear and surf suits but creating practical pieces. I didn’t have any experience in fashion or product development so, not really knowing where to start, I bought a sewing machine and learnt how to sew and make my own patterns.”

Lore of the Sea’s pieces are designed and produced “with the ocean in mind”. Fabrics are created from recycled industrial waste and the label’s packaging is fully biodegradable, with no toxic residues or micro-plastics. The range includes women’s surf suits, wetsuits, bikinis, rash tops, and surf earrings.

“Being sustainable is my ethos,” said Laure. “I try to use as little plastic as possible, minimise waste, as well as buy and support local. I try to apply my own personal ethos to my business as much as I can.”

The ShipStation Solution

Since the brand’s launch, Laure has continued to run the business on her own, from designing surfwear and swimsuits to picking and packing orders, it’s all Laure.

But like many solopreneurs, Laure began feeling overwhelmed managing all facets of the business. 

As demand increased, Laure needed an automated shipping solution that would help streamline her operations, maximise efficiencies, and increase productivity.

 She also wanted to automate the company’s manual processes and reduce her time spent on packing and shipping parcels.

The business selected ShipStation following a free one-month trial because it integrated with Shopify and MyPost Business and was quick and easy to implement.

“I chose ShipStation to save time. Picking and packing orders was taking up so much of my time so I was trying to find a more efficient solution,” Laure said.

Service Makes the Difference

“Working by myself, I didn’t really have anyone that could give me advice or support on how to do this, but the set-up support I received from ShipStation made the entire process really easy.

“My account manager Mascha was in contact right from the start. Knowing that I could call and chat with her made the process so much easier. She would solve my queries or just help me understand how it all worked.”

The ongoing local customer service and support from the ShipStation team has helped Lore of the Sea to set up a range of automation rules as well as easily troubleshoot any problems.

“It’s good knowing there is a local support team you can call. When I have needed to contact the team it has been really straightforward. I have been super happy with the customer service, that’s for sure!”

Since implementing ShipStation, Lore of the Sea has:

• Increased dispatching speed by 1000 per cent
• Decreased manual labour by 300 per cent
• Decreased manual errors by 50 per cent

Automation to Improve Efficiency and Accuracy

Automating tasks have helped Lore of the Sea significantly increase efficiency and accuracy.

ShipStation’s automation rules have not only simplified shipping operations for the surf wear brand but have also helped reduce costs. For example, the business has created shipping 

rules to select the most cost-effective delivery option based on customer location. 

“With ShipStation, the experience is now completely different. I just open one website, click, and print – everything is in one place.”

ShipStation also provides Lore of the Sea with reporting options and data insights – from shipping cost analysis to customer information – that has helped Laure gather more in-depth details on orders and shipments.

“ShipStation provides a lot of analytics about my business and products such as how many pieces I have sold the most of, which is really helpful and interesting to me,” said Laure.

Australia Post Integration

As an Australia Post ecommerce shipping partner, Laure has also been able to connect ShipStation with her MyPost Business account to streamline her shipping workflows.

“Before, I was literally handwriting orders and dropping each order off at the post office.”

ShipStation’s integration with MyPost Business provides automated shipping and tracking. From printing Australia Post labels in bulk, to tracking orders on the go, the ShipStation software streamlines shipping needs.

“I like that whenever I receive an order, I log onto ShipStation and the information is all there. I make sure the [product] dimensions are set up for orders and then all I need to do is click and print and it all goes back to my website.”

For Laure, one of the most impactful benefits of integrating MyPost Business and ShipStation has been scalability and being able to set up more shippers.

“Running my own business means that when I take time off, I need to have someone that can take over. Before, I was giving my credit card to a friend who would pay in-store [at Australia Post].

“Now, having MyPost Business linked to my bank account, as well as having all the shipping information through ShipStation, makes it easier for others to help.”

What’s next for Lore of the Sea

Lore of the Sea recently reported one of its busiest sale seasons to date and the label’s growth is showing no signs of slowing.

“People are shopping online more [since COVID]. They aren’t going out as much and they’re spending more time in front of screens and being exposed to so many more products,” said Laure.

Developing an efficient shipping process has allowed the business to focus on expansion and scalability. Laure is currently designing a new collection and plans to start building her own team of staff.

“Creating this business on my own has had its challenges but I’ve started putting systems in place to free up more of my time. I’m hoping to get more people involved in the business.”

So, what’s Laure’s top tip for those also running their own online business?

Don’t go it alone.

“As a small business owner, it’s important to feel supported, not overwhelmed.”  

Whether it’s through the use of technology, automation, or getting helpers picking and packing in the warehouse, Laure’s advice is to get the right support systems in place.

“You can’t do it all by yourself. My biggest piece of advice would be to get help. As the business owner there are so many other parts of the business you need to be focused on.” 

Discover Lore of the Sea on their Instagram or support them at lore-of-the-sea.com.