 is a nutritional science start-up that helps you understand how food affects your body. They do this by analysing gut, blood fat and blood sugar responses with an at-home test kit, followed by a detailed report four to six weeks later. ZOE then enables you to put together a nutritional programme tailored to your biology so you can improve your long-term health. To ensure a successful rebrand, ZOE worked with Sourceful to create a new, more sustainable, premium line of packaging.

Main KPIs

ZOE wanted to upgrade and improve the quality of their brand packaging whilst simultaneously expanding into the UK. Whilst they partnered with award-winning branding agency 

 to create a new design concept, ZOE still needed to find a partner with packaging expertise to bring the ideas to life in the most sustainable way.

They were also working on a tight timeline. ZOE needed to source, design and produce 16 new packaging components including inserts, boxes and sleeves in just four months, which no other supplier they contacted could deliver.

With Sourceful, ZOE found a packaging partner to work alongside Ragged Edge to create their new brand packaging. Using Ragged Edge’s designs, Sourceful provided structural design, material and sustainability advice for each packaging product. That way ZOE could better understand and 

 between price, function and sustainability for various packaging products.

Within four months, Sourceful developed 16 different packaging products — including 

 — and shipped them to ZOE’s US and UK warehouses. Each of the products was subject to 

 testing and went through multiple sampling rounds before being finalised for production. One of the most important packaging products was the rigid boxes, which housed ZOE’s modular test kits. Typically, rigid boxes use magnets for closure and can’t be flat packed, but Sourceful designed a non-magnetic and reusable closure to make the packaging 100% recyclable. And the new design could be flat packed, meaning no air is shipped, in turn helping to reduce material waste and keep costs down. A final win for ZOE was the cost. Rigid boxes are traditionally an expensive product, especially in the UK, so Sourceful mitigated this by sourcing the boxes from its network of 

 in China. The result was a 75% cost reduction compared to a UK-sourced counterpart.

ZOE successfully upgraded to more sustainable, 

 in both the US and the UK. Their at-home test kits now arrive in 100% recyclable packaging with new inner and outer artwork designs. And they now only use one single supplier for all their packaging SKUs.

They were thrilled with the new packaging and service provided by Sourceful. And, as a result, ZOE placed their next six month order soon after.

Operations Director at ZOE

Gor Zakaryan

To ensure a successful rebrand, ZOE worked with Sourceful to create a new, more sustainable, premium line of packaging within 4 months. Find out how.

Success Story: ZOE Nutritional Kit Packaging

Fenton is a certified B Corp that produces high-end, responsibly sourced engagement rings. Their mission: bring transparency and ethical practices to the luxury jewellery market. To ensure their values were reflected across every touchpoint, Fenton wanted to overhaul their packaging and find a truly sustainable, luxurious solution. They partnered with Sourceful to help them design, source and produce their new packaging.

Fenton knew they wanted and needed to redesign their packaging. They were sending customers the ring box, provenance documents and a brochure in one gift box, but they wanted to ensure all elements were presented in the same luxury feel. The unboxing experience needed to be more premium to be in line with their luxury brand. In addition, Fenton wanted to switch the materials used to meet their sustainability targets. Managing their packaging was also tricky. Different components were coming from different suppliers, which meant lead times and requirements varied, and delivery was fragmented. For Fenton, it was a complex, time-consuming process.

These same problems made it difficult to start the redesign. Any advice Fenton got was disjointed and impossible to act on. And inconsistent lead times made it even harder to move forward. Fenton needed a single source of guidance and help finding reliable suppliers that could deliver.

With Sourceful, Fenton found an end-to-end partner for their redesign. Sourceful helped with everything from sustainability advice, 

 and artwork to sampling, production and 

. Fenton was also able to access Sourceful's network of 

, removing the need to search themselves and allowing them to confidently move from concept to delivery.

After multiple iterations, a moulded pulp insert was created to bring together all the packaging components within a redesigned gift box. The ring box, documents and brochure were now presented as one luxurious package. And to replace the animal leather and suede in the original ring box, over 40 fabric samples were sourced and tested. The final material was vegan, and the colours and textures complemented the Fenton brand.

Fenton was able to align their packaging with their ethical and sustainable values. Their ring box is now 100% vegan leather and all paper-based components are FSC certified and 100% recyclable. Everything they ship arrives as a single unified package, dramatically improving the 

 for their customers. Leveraging Sourceful's 

 relationships, Fenton was finally able to execute their redesign and reduce packaging costs by 50%. Fenton is now working with Sourceful on new packaging for an upcoming product line.

Head of Design at Fenton

Emma Lee

COO at Fenton

Jerome Brustlein

With Sourceful, Fenton were able to switch to more sustainable packaging and reduce costs by 50%. Find out how.

Success Story: Fenton Jewellery Packaging

Whirli is a toy subscription company on a mission to make toy sharing the new normal. With Whirli, families gain access to a library of toys at a fixed monthly price. Parents choose the toys they want for their children, Whirli ships them and then parents send them back in exchange for new toys when they’re done. As a result, children learn the importance of sharing and parents are able to save money and reduce waste. To ensure their toys were being shipped in the most sustainable way, Whirli partnered with Sourceful to help them source, design and produce a wider range of custom packaging.

Whirli wanted to upgrade their packaging and find a more cost-effective solution. As part of their goal to reduce waste, Whirli encourages customers to return toys using the same branded box they arrive in. For this reason, they needed shipping boxes that were secure and durable enough to withstand two trips. They also wanted to improve the sustainability of their packaging.

At the same time, managing their packaging was tricky. Whirli sourced different components through different suppliers, which meant varied lead times and requirements. On top of this, the prices of their boxes were continuously rising – increasing twice in one day on one occasion – and they did not have much control over their order quantities. For Whirli, the entire process was complex, time-consuming, expensive, and not tailored to their needs. They needed help finding more reliable, trustworthy and flexible suppliers.

With Sourceful, Whirli found an end-to-end partner to improve their packaging and streamline their supply chain. Sourceful helped with everything from creating dielines and artwork to sourcing more sustainable packaging and simplifying their operations. Sourceful also used their network of vetted suppliers to find more durable shipping boxes, at the right price point for Whirli, allowing them to switch packaging with confidence.

Along with finding a better price point for their shipping boxes, Whirli was able to expand their packaging range too. In addition to their four original boxes, three new right-sized boxes were designed to the exact measurements requested by Whirli. They now have seven bespoke boxes available to better fit their toys, resulting in less material waste, reduced shipping costs and better protection. Another improvement was the sustainability of their packaging. First, they switched to FSC certified materials for their shipping boxes. And second, they swapped their plastic tape for gummed tape which is made from kraft paper, is 100% recyclable and is cheaper per metre.

In addition, Whirli was able to simplify their supply chain by reducing the number of packaging suppliers from six to two. Whirli can now buy boxes, tape, return labels, paper bubble wrap, envelopes, leaflets and booklets all through Sourceful's platform. This also means that for the first time, Whirli can go to one source and easily track their stock levels for each of the products in their warehouse. They then receive notifications for when stocks are running low and reminders for which products to re-order.

Using Sourceful's expert guidance, Whirli was able to upgrade their packaging and reduce their costs by 3.5%. Whirli now have three new custom shipping boxes, a more sustainable packaging tape and one platform to track all their inventory and place new orders.

Whirli are now working with Sourceful to improve the sustainability of their return labels and the fabric bags used to protect their toys inside the shipping boxes.

Head of Operations

Craig Simpson

Whirli were able to simplify their operations, save costs and reduce their carbon footprint by 33% using Sourceful. Find out how.

Success Story: Whirli Subscription Box Packaging

Floom is an online marketplace that connects people with hundreds of independent florists. Customers can discover and order unique bouquets through one seamless platform, and florists can manage their business, order supplies and tap into Floom's global audience. Sourceful helped Floom simplify their operations and create two bespoke boxes that saved on materials and costs.

Whilst Floom was growing fast, many workflows were still manual. One of them was sending branded cards and envelopes to florists which they then included with each bouquet. This was Floom's only brand touchpoint that arrived with the flowers. But Floom didn't have a viable management system in place. Everything was packed and sent by Founder Lana Elie and the team, and they had no data on usage, making it hard to know when a florist would run out. The process was time-consuming, and as Floom took on more florists, it became even more difficult to manage.

Floom also offered a box for shipping bouquets, but because they didn't meet the MOQs for more than one size, they had to settle for a one-size-fits-all solution. With only one large box, material costs were high and space was often wasted. The box also needed polypropylene tape to hold it together due to structural flaws.

Within a week of working together, Sourceful's in-house experts set up a dedicated shopify site for Floom. It was a single place for all Floom's branded products, which were then stored in Sourceful's warehouse. Florists could order on their terms, meaning Floom didn't have to try and predict when stocks were low. Now, instead of the Floom team fulfilling orders, Sourceful handled storage, fulfilment and distribution. The switch saved hundreds of hours and allowed Floom to focus on growth.

After a few months, enough data was gathered to integrate the store with 

, Sourceful's automated replenishment system. Every core stationery item could now be automatically replenished, increasing efficiency and saving time for Floom's florists. And, using predictive algorithms, Auto-Stock knew when stocks were running low for each and every florist. The right products were then sent to the right place at the right time.

 relationships to secure lower MOQs for their boxes. This meant they were able to create two new, flower bouquet boxes and break free from a one-size-fits-all solution. Sourceful's local team in China helped Floom source samples quickly from multiple suppliers and negotiate lower prices.

In London, Floom and Sourceful redesigned the new boxes together. They fixed old design flaws, replaced the need for tape with a durable self-adhesive strip and used soy-based inks. The result was two boxes that were more sustainable, easier to assemble and stronger to ship.

Floom achieved two major results that have had a profound impact on their business. First, an end-to-end inventory system that's allowed Lana and the team to focus on their core business. It's a simpler, more efficient operation, and Floom and their florists continue to benefit from Auto-Stock today. Second, Floom was able to create packaging that was tailored to their customers' needs. And with two boxes — one small, one large — they used 7% fewer materials and cut costs by 15%.

CEO & Founder

Lana Elie

Floom worked with Sourceful to simplify their operations and redesign their flower box packaging. They were able to cut costs by 15%. Find out how.

Success Story: Floom Bouquet Box

Blue Elvin is a functional training brand that produces sportswear to protect women during barbell training. Each product is thoughtfully designed and must adhere to their ethical baseline: is it built to last? Blue Elvin wanted their e-commerce packaging to reflect these values but couldn’t find a key component: a pioneering paper made from stone. They partnered with Sourceful to help source the missing piece and produce their new sustainable bag.

Blue Elvin was searching for sustainable materials that would last and reflect the strength of their products and customers. They were after a mailer made of stone paper and a reusable Tyvek pouch. Stone paper doesn’t use any water or chemicals in production and is infinitely recyclable. Tyvek is waterproof, durable and resistant to bacteria. Both materials were incredibly difficult to source for an early-stage start-up with limited funds and time constraints.

Speaking with multiple suppliers in the UK and throughout Europe, Blue Elvin was unable to find any guidance on where and how best to source these materials. They spent four months looking and were left with expensive, low-quality versions. Blue Elvin needed a partner with the expertise to acquire their desired materials and to help save time and reduce their workload.

Through Sourceful, Blue Elvin found an end-to-end solution for their mailer bag and pouch packaging requirements. Within six months, Sourceful secured a reliable supplier, ordered customised samples, negotiated lower MOQ's and initiated production, for Blue Elvin. Sourceful then delivered over 1000 stone paper mailer bags and Tyvek pouches to Blue Elvin all in time for their product launch.

Sourceful successfully delivered packaging to Blue Elvin in line with their ethical and sustainable values. Their sportswear now arrives in a 100% waterproof, chemical-resistant and reusable Tyvek pouch and a 100% recyclable stone paper mailer bag. Using Sourceful's expert guidance, Blue Elvin was also able to make a 33% cost saving on their stone mailer compared to their previous supplier. They now have the right environmentally friendly packaging to complement their groundbreaking sportswear.

Co-Founder

Lamorna Short

Tamara Short

Blue Elvin sourced their key packaging components – a stone paper mailer bag and a reusable Tyvek pouch – and made a 33% cost saving using Sourceful. Learn how.

Success Story: Blue Elvin Clothing Packaging

Stitched is a Pending B Corp that makes bespoke curtains and blinds using over 200 sustainable fabrics. Amongst them are hemp, upcycled silk and revive, an ingenious material made from recycled bottles. Customers use an intuitive 3D studio to visualise their fabric, compare prices and learn more about each material.

By pairing eco-friendly materials with modern tools, Stitched aims to make buying sustainable products simple. Sourceful helped Stitched automate their packaging replenishment system, saving days of manual work for the team every month.

Stitched's supply chain is complex. Instead of working with big overseas manufacturers, they work with a network of workshops, mills and curtain makers in the UK. This gives them control over quality, drives innovation and keeps their transport footprint low. But it does create a lot of moving parts. Each workshop needs different packaging at different times, and before Sourceful, Stitched had to manage everything.

First, workshops would request packaging. Stitched would then bulk-buy items before splitting them into each request. They had over 10 different logins for packaging suppliers. Finally, the team packed and shipped every order themselves — often from Founder Elinor Pitt's home. It was a taxing process for the team. And as Stitched grew and faced surges in demand, this heavily manual workflow became a burden and a distraction.

Stitched had to automate their replenishment system. So, they worked with Sourceful to connect every workshop with 

, Sourceful's inventory management system. Stitched didn't need to give any identifying data, just order types and volumes. Once connected, Auto-Stock used its predictive technology to track usage and alert Sourceful when a workshop was low on stock. Stitched stored all of their packaging in Sourceful's warehouse, and Sourceful would then fulfil every request. Packaging was replenished on time, every time, and with minimal input from Stitched.

Auto-Stock was the perfect solution for Stitched. Instead of the team fulfilling every request by hand, the entire process was outsourced and automated. They freed up space — both at their office and Elinor's home — and new workshops were connected seamlessly. Stitched no longer spent valuable time managing packaging, and now had more time to focus on their customers. Stitched later connected their sample pack orders with Auto-Stock, simplifying yet another operation.

With Sourceful, Stitched saves hundreds of hours every year which they now spend speaking to customers, developing new fabrics and building their business. And they have an automated replenishment system that scales as they grow. It saves the team 4 days of manual input every month. The workshops that are invaluable to Stitched benefit too, no longer having to make a request every time they need packaging. What was a manual, time-consuming task is now a streamlined process that Stitched doesn't have to think about.

Co-Founder 

Elinor Pitt

Sourceful helped Stitched automate their packaging replenishment system, saving days of manual work for the team every month. Find out how.

Success Story: Stitched Curtains Inventory

Kair is an e-commerce business that produces and sells premium laundry detergent. They offer all-natural, biodegradable detergents with no added chemicals to keep clothing clean, undamaged and long-lasting. Kair’s mission is to improve sustainability in fashion by helping customers extend the life of their clothing. That way they “Buy Less, Wear More”. From clothing wash to finishing sprays, all formulas are vegan, cruelty-free and eco-friendly. To ensure a successful brand launch, Kair partnered with Sourceful to source, design and produce custom sustainable packaging for their product line.

Kair wanted to create premium sustainable packaging to reflect the quality of their detergents ahead of their launch in June 2021. As a new brand, however, they needed help to understand what materials would work best for their core product packaging and which were the most sustainable. To support their mission for responsible consumption, their packaging needed to hit their sustainability targets but also stand out in a busy market.

They were also short on time. Kair required multiple packaging components including high-quality bottles for their formulas, custom labels and mailer boxes with inserts to protect products during shipping. And they only had six months to find, test, sample and produce all of this packaging. Kair had never sourced packaging before so the entire packaging supply chain was new to them. They needed guidance on where to begin and how to create the best packaging for their brand within a limited time frame.

With Sourceful, Kair found an end-to-end partner to source both their product packaging and e-commerce packaging. Sourceful’s experts provided Kair with detailed advice and data on everything from materials and design to pricing and production. Then, working together, they were able to create the best and most sustainable packaging solution for Kair’s products.

Within six months, Sourceful developed 19 different packaging products for Kair – all at the same time and all in time for launch. These included six different bottles, eight types of stickers, two boxes with inserts, one mesh bag, one bottle cap and one bottle sprayer. All the individual products had to be sourced, designed and tested for quality. Then, each product went through multiple sample rounds before being finalised for production. By partnering with Sourceful, Kair was able to create the packaging they wanted without the complexity of managing multiple suppliers and dealing with different lead times. They were able to better understand the packaging supply chain and move from concept to delivery with the confidence that all their packaging would be ready for launch.

Leveraging Sourceful's expert guidance, Kair was able to launch their product line with primary and secondary packaging that aligned with their ethical and sustainable values. Their formulas now arrive in frosted glass bottles which are responsibly sourced, refillable, reusable and endlessly recyclable. These are then delivered to customers in 100% recyclable mailer boxes. Kair is now working with Sourceful on their first replenishment order with a focus on further improving the packaging design. They’re also expanding their range with two further products.

Strategy & Operations at Kair

Jack Walker

Kair worked with Sourceful to launch their product line with primary and secondary packaging that aligned with their sustainable values. Find out how.

Success Story: Kair Refillable Packaging

Foundation is one of Manchester’s largest independent coffee shops serving the finest coffee, cakes, brunch and cocktails in design-led spaces. They believe in quality, consideration and constant refinement. Spread across three locations, they needed to find a way to streamline their stock purchasing process. Sourceful helped Foundation simplify their operations and upgrade to completely compostable packaging, whilst saving costs.

As Foundation rapidly expanded, their workflows became increasingly scattered. The three coffee shop sites were purchasing stock separately and it became too complex logistically to keep track of the inventory and to know when each location's stock was running low. What's more, Foundation was only able to buy bulk stock orders which they would pay for in advance and then receive four months later – a long and expensive wait for the team. This also required storage space for the excess stock at each location, which they were lacking.

Foundation also wanted to improve their packaging. Around 1% of their customers would bring a KeepCup and the rest would use takeaway cups which were thrown in the bin. They wanted to switch their branded coffee cups to be compostable and therefore better for the environment, but were unable to find these at an affordable price point and with a low MOQ.

Working together with Sourceful, Foundation was able to design and source the packaging they needed. Foundation is run by a design agency so the aesthetic of their products is key and they always create their designs before going to market for a supplier. Based on these needs, Sourceful secured a 

 packaging company that was able to source Foundation's exact designs. This included multiple compostable packaging products from cutlery to custom-printed takeaway cups, all with a focus on sustainability to match the ethos of their brand. Sourceful's team were also able to negotiate a lower price without compromising on quality.

To keep track of inventory, Foundation integrated their existing ordering system with 

, Sourceful's automated replenishment system. Foundation was able to customise this service to suit their multi-location needs and simplify their ordering process. Instead of ordering stock separately, they were now able to track the needs and usage of each location as well as the company's usage as a whole. Foundation was also able to meet higher MOQ's by storing their inventory in Sourceful's warehouse, freeing up space for their food and beverage products. The switch meant Foundation was able to save money and storage in their coffee shops.

Foundation Coffee House secured two big wins for their business using Sourceful. First, they achieved their sustainability target of ensuring all of their food and beverage packaging is 100% compostable. In the process, they were able to reduce costs by 15%. Second, Foundation was able to integrate with an automated inventory system to increase efficiency, streamline their stock process and store it with Sourceful. Still in use today, Foundation now has more time to focus on their business.

Owner

Dominic Beardwell

Foundation partnered with Sourceful to automate their inventory system and upgrade to 100% compostable packaging. They also cut costs by 15%. Learn how.

Success Story: Foundation Coffee House Packaging

The Sourceful team were incredibly responsive and flexible

Working with Sourceful made the process so easy

Sourceful helped us with a really efficient and scalable solution

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Success Stories

Floom: global florist platform

ZOE

Fenton

Whirli

Floom

Blue Elvin

Stitched

Kair

Foundation Coffee House

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