Bergen Logistics has earned a reputation as one of the top third-party logistics providers globally in the fashion and lifestyle industry, specialising in omnichannel distribution for both B2B and B2C order flows.
A deep understanding of the fashion and lifestyle industry has enabled the company to tailor its services to meet the unique needs of designers and brand and to provide custom solutions for fashion and lifestyle companies, such as warehousing, inventory management, order fulfilment, returns handling, and many more.
Today, Bergen Logistics has facilities around the globe in the US and Canada, the EU and UK, as well as in Asia and is focused on updating its systems and processes along with industry changes, consumer demands and tech advancements.
Global reach
Starting as a US business, and now part of the Swedish Elanders Group, the company continues its global expansion in line with its customers’ requirements. In 2020, the company opened its first European facility in the Netherlands, a move that has proved to exceed expectations, says Florian Beck, Head of Division Bergen Logistics Europe, who assumed his role in January 2023, following a longer than 20-year career in the 3PL industry.
Under his management, the company has achieved a tremendous year-on-year growth of over 40%. To sustain that growth, another facility in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, a cutting-edge fulfilment centre, was opened in May this year, doubling the company’s Netherlands operational footprint.
“This new facility fuels our strategic growth at a time when we are seeing greater demand for our services than ever before, and is a key new part of our global, omnichannel fulfilment network,” he says, noting that another facility is in the pipeline for the Netherlands in Q2 next year, as well as one in Germany and Sweden beginning of 2024.
Bergen Logistics has strategically located its facilities to provide easy access to major ports and transportation hubs, reducing transit times and costs. Mr Beck points out that the Netherlands has been well chosen as the European headquarters, as the country is a good trade and fulfilment hub well connected with other countries and widely recognised for its ease of doing international business.
Cutting-edge technology
One of Bergen’s key advantages is the ability to provide a consistent fulfilment experience across all channels, B2C and B2B, across all of its geographical locations worldwide. Mr Beck explains that the focus is on technology-driven solutions: Bergen Logistics has invested in technology that allows for real-time tracking of inventory and orders, as well as providing data and analytics to help clients make informed decisions about their supply chain.
All parts of the client’s physical fulfilment are handled by Bergen’s in-house developed CloudX, a mature, state-of-the-art WMS which is such a game-changer that it will be made available as a stand-alone product to third parties in the near future, he says.
“This will make it possible for clients to use CloudX for example in their own fulfilment centres in their home market, while turning to Bergen for fulfilment on a global scale.
A great advantage with CloudX is the ease and speed of integration with all major shop or ERP systems a brand may use, as well as key marketplaces or big global retailers,” he explains.
“Furthermore, we have a strong organizational set-up as well. Clients get a dedicated service team with a client service manager working as their eyes and ears on the shop floor and making sure that they get a 100% delivery on the customer experience. That experience must be excellent, both when it comes to service and to the speed of delivery,” he says.
Value-added offering
Making life super easy for its customers is one of the factors that pushes Bergen’s growth, says Beck. “We are not only offering the typical 3PL services. Clients can take advantage of a range of other value-added services like custom embroidery, customized branded packaging, relabelling, and many other services typical for the fashion and lifestyle industry.”
“Another type of service offering that may be interesting for global brands is our back-office or fiscal representation solutions. Brands with no presence of their own can rely on Bergen for support with back-office functions like product and order management, payment processing, VAT reporting, and customs handling.”
He explains that Bergen Logistics has the capability to scale its operations up or down quickly to accommodate fluctuations in demand. Customized solutions are offered based on the specific needs of each client, whether they are a small up-and-coming boutique label or a larger more mature brand.
The company is an expert in handling the complexity that comes from volume fluctuations, for example during the end-of-year peak seasons (Black Friday and the Christmas rush). “The number of orders can go from 3,000 one day to 15,000 the next. With huge, multi-client centres and a good mix of business-to-consumer and business-to-business volumes, we can balance these flows.”
Controlled growth
He admits that managing steep growth, clearly accentuated by the pandemic, is a tough task against an extremely tight labour market and skyrocketing prices.
“To keep up with the growth while making sure that we have a good solid team to flex with the volumes up and down, to be a reliable partner whatever the circumstances, is currently the biggest challenge.”
“At the same time, we are looking at our client base to make sure that it is solid and diverse, to avoid any vulnerability of the business and to sustain a very balanced portfolio,” he reflects, adding that investment in technologies will continue.
“Automation is something we’re looking into heavily right now. Not to replace jobs, but to support our people and to make their tasks more meaningful or less stressful and less tiring. I think RFID will play a bigger role in the fashion industry, and artificial intelligence is also something we are keeping an eye on.”
Being part of a Swedish group with a strong sustainability ethos, Bergen pursues a strong sense of environmental and social responsibility, focusing on providing a safe work environment and applying the best, greenest technologies to its facilities.
The plans for Bergen’s European operations are clear and can be summarised in a single word: expansion. That is also happening on a larger, global scale. “We have just opened a new facility in Newcastle, UK and a massive facility in Atlanta, USA, launched a Bergen Logistics operation in Shenzhen, China and we are looking into other options on how to expand our global presence as needed by our client base.”
