The Benefits of a 3PL for E-Commerce Retailers

Most brands brace for one peak season a year. The holidays hit, volume spikes and everyone holds their breath until January. SCOUT Bags does it four times. Yes, that's right, four times... For 22 years, the family-owned brand has built a loyal following with bold prints, practical totes and a sense of fun you can spot from across a parking lot. What you can't see from the outside is the operation it takes to keep those bags moving, especially when a new collection drops. Four Launches. Four Peaks. SCOUT releases four major seasonal collections every year. Each one is a full go-to-market event, with roughly 250 documented steps behind it across the organization. When a collection goes live, the warehouse has to ship more than 120,000 units in about two weeks. Then it settles back into everyday demand, until the next launch comes around. That rhythm creates challenges most brands never face:  Two seasons on the floor at once. The next collection arrives while the current one is still selling, so inventory for both has to be received, stored and picked side by side. Two demand patterns at once. More than half of SCOUT's DTC assortment is evergreen, while wholesale runs on the seasonal calendar. The operation has to serve both without either one slowing down. Peaks on a nontraditional calendar. Staffing can't just ramp up for Q4. It has to flex around SCOUT's launch dates. Many channels with different rules. SCOUT sells DTC, on Amazon, through 1,500+ retailers, to key accounts and through corporate gifting. Each channel has its own requirements. And SCOUT plans well past the next drop. The team updates a five-year plan every year and maps its supply chain 18 to 24 months out. They needed a fulfillment partner that could keep pace with where the brand is headed, not just where it is today. Built to Flex, Launch After Launch Barrett built SCOUT's omnichannel operation around one idea: the warehouse has to move as fast as the brand does. Multiple pick fronts and flexible staffing let the team scale labor and throughput for each launch window, then shift back for everyday orders. A Single-Line Single-Unit (SLSU) quick-ship solution keeps single-item orders moving fast. A Flex-Wall sorting system handles more complex, multi-line orders. Paccurate cartonization technology picks the right box and speeds up pack-out. In-house embroidery, monogramming and patch sewing support DTC personalization and SCOUT Select, the brand's corporate gifting and customization business. Location matters too. Barrett's operation sits near SCOUT's Washington, D.C. headquarters and the Port of Baltimore, keeping the teams close and inbound freight moving into Mid-Atlantic and Northeast markets. The Results Through every launch, SCOUT has maintained 99.6% DTC on-time shipping. That's while moving 120,000+ units in a two-week window and keeping the rest of the business running. With Barrett handling physical fulfillment, SCOUT's internal team spends less time troubleshooting orders and chargebacks and more time on customers. They've hit the customer service standards they set for themselves and continue to maintain them. They've also had room to sharpen NetSuite processes, automate manual work and open doors to B2B, drop ship and expanded EDI. Kate Hanlan Kegan , President of SCOUT Bags, put it simply: "The biggest impact has really been supporting scale. In the past, we would have had to turn opportunities down. Having the ability to say yes to more has been really advantageous for us." Hear It From SCOUT Kate sat down with Barrett Distribution Centers, Inc . ’s Partnerships and Product Marketing Manager, Katherine Wroth , to share what it took to find a partner who could handle seasonal chaos and scale with SCOUT for years ahead.

FRANKLIN, Mass., Aug. 11, 2026 — Barrett Distribution Centers , a leading third-party logistics provider specializing in eCommerce fulfillment, announced a new partnership with PAHI Footwear , an emerging footwear and wellness brand focused on balance, stability and confidence. Barrett is providing omnichannel warehousing, fulfillment and managed transportation services from its Memphis fulfillment campus to support PAHI's direct-to-consumer, independent retail and mass retail channels. "As a growing brand, choosing the right fulfillment partner was a big decision for us," said Luke Schapfel , logistics manager at PAHI. "From the beginning, Barrett took the time to understand our business and where we're headed. Their team was responsive, easy to work with and genuinely invested in helping us build the right foundation for growth. That gave us confidence we had the right partner." The implementation began in late 2025 with a phased rollout. Barrett first onboarded PAHI's direct-to-consumer (D2C) business before expanding support to independent retailers and national retail partners throughout the second and third quarters of 2026. "Barrett has a successful history working with emerging apparel and footwear brands and helping them scale across omnichannel programs," said Scott Hothem , senior vice president of customer solutions at Barrett. "We're excited to support PAHI as it builds its presence in the U.S. market from our Memphis fulfillment campus. We look forward to helping the brand grow across both direct-to-consumer and retail channels." Barrett currently supports approximately 500 SKUs of men's and women's footwear for PAHI across direct-to-consumer, independent retail and mass retail channels. The partnership provides PAHI with a scalable fulfillment foundation as the brand continues to grow across channels. About PAHI Footwear PAHI was born from a simple yet powerful vision: to create footwear that combines comfort, innovation, and stability. The brand was founded to meet the growing need for footwear that offers not only style but also balance and support, empowering people to move with confidence throughout their daily lives. Drawing inspiration from the 5000-year-old twin-hull boat technology, PAHI introduced the P.O.R.T. system, revolutionizing how shoes provide balance. About Barrett Distribution Centers Since 1941, Barrett has provided customized third-party logistics (3PL), direct-to-consumer (DTC) eCommerce fulfillment, omnichannel distribution, managed transportation solutions and retail compliance for clients across all industries, with a focus on apparel & footwear, health & beauty, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and education. Barrett continues to be a leading 3rd party logistics provider in North America, known for superior execution, customer engagement and direct access to senior leadership decision makers. As a member of Inc's fastest growing companies list 15+ times, Barrett is big enough to do the job and still small enough to deeply care about your business. Brands interested in a new 3PL partnership may contact Barrett directly here . Media Contact: Faith Artieda Marketing Content Specialist faith.artieda@barrettdistribution.com