Vertical
Activewear & Fashion
Solution
Descartes Peoplevox (WMS)
Key Results
70%+ faster fulfilment, 99% error reduction, seasonal staff onboarded in <1 hour
Time-to-Value
Under 60 days
Introduction — From Spare Room to Scale-Up
Founded in 2022 by Alice Taya, Aver Active quickly captured attention in Australia’s booming activewear market. By 2023, what started as a side hustle had grown into a multi-7 figure brand, powered by monthly product drops and a fast-growing community.
But behind the glossy growth, fulfilment was breaking. Manual processes, paper pick slips, and “all-hands” packing sessions with family and friends created errors, delays, and rising costs. Alice knew that to protect her brand — and keep customers coming back — she needed a professional-grade warehouse management system.
Customer Background
- Founded: 2022
- HQ: Australia
- Model: Direct-to-consumer ecommerce activewear brand
- Platform: Shopify
- Fulfilment History: Garage → rented warehouse → dual warehouse setup
- Tech Stack: Descartes Peoplevox WMS, Shopify, Starshipit
The Challenge — Growth Without Control
By mid-2023, Aver Active had upgraded to a warehouse and hired its first full-time employee. But fulfilment broke down during sales spikes and product drops:
- Error-prone workflows: Paper slips, manual matching of orders and labels, eight steps where errors could occur.
- Seasonal staff inefficiency: Friends, family, and casuals struggled to learn SKUs, sizes, and colours.
- Scaling pain: 8–10 people working full days still couldn’t get through 1,000 orders.
- Customer experience impact: 30–50 mistakes per launch, leading to returns, refunds, and repeat errors for loyal buyers.
“There’s only so many times you can make a mistake with the same customer before you lose them.”
— Alice, CEO & Founder, Aver Active
The Solution — Descartes as the Fulfilment Backbone
Alice decided to invest early, trusting her gut that the best time to implement a WMS is when you’re small. After researching competitors’ behind-the-scenes TikToks and noticing Descartes Peoplevox in use at Australia’s biggest fashion brands, she knew she’d found the right solution.
Implementation Highlights:
- Go-live in under 60 days
- Dual-warehouse setup supported by Peoplevox location control
- Real-time inventory sync with Shopify
- Barcode scanning and mobile workflows to eliminate training overhead
The Results — Efficiency, Accuracy, and Confidence
| Metric | Before | After Peoplevox | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orders packed/day | 600 (8–10 staff) | 600 (3 staff) | 70% fewer staff needed |
| Seasonal staff onboarding | Days | <1 hour | Instant productivity |
| Error rate | Dozens per launch | <1% | 99% reduction |
| Time in warehouse (CEO) | Daily involvement | Rare, only for content | Full delegation |
“Now, I’m never in the warehouse — unless it’s to film TikToks. The system runs itself, and I can focus on growing the business.”
Alice, CEO & Founder, Aver Active
Why Descartes Peoplevox?
- Proven by leading fashion brands — comfort knowing market leaders rely on it.
- Practical, “no-fluff” system — scan, pick, pack, ship, with old-school reliability.
- Scalability from day one — implemented at ~50 SKUs, now supporting 500+ without breaking.
What’s Next?
Aver Active now operates across two warehouses with full Peoplevox visibility, enabling transfers and stock tracking between sites. The brand is planning:
- More consistent demand planning to keep best-sellers in stock.
- Pop-up retail trials within 12 months.
- Continuing to scale product drops with full customer confidence.
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