DYMO Endicia

ZombieRunner

Specialty Running Shoe Retailer Stays Ahead of the Pack with Integrated Shipping Solution from DYMO™ Endicia®

Other World Computing Logo Client: ZombieRunner is a multichannel retailer specializing in shoes, apparel, nutrition and accessories to serve the needs of trail, ultra-marathon, and adventure runners.

Challenge: ZombieRunner’s old electronic postage provider couldn’t integrate with its order processing software so shipping orders became a timely cut-and-paste process, and shipment tracking was cumbersome.

Solution: DYMO Endicia Premium.

Key Results:

  • Significant reduction in time spent preparing shipments, so ZombieRunner can spend less time worrying about shipments and more time growing its business.
  • Reduced time handling customer inquiries, which enhanced customer satisfaction.
  • Better organized shipping and tracking records.
  • Simplified shipping to APO and international addresses.
  • Competitive, low-cost USPS® shipping options for customers.

Customer Background

Ultra-runners Don Lundell and Gillian Robinson founded ZombieRunner in 2003 as an online-only retail site to serve the needs of trail runners, adventure racers and outdoor enthusiasts. In the fall of 2008, Don and Gillian opened their first brick-and-mortar ZombieRunner retail store and café in Palo Alto, Calif., to complement their growing online business.

Don and Gillian’s passion for ultra and trail running was the inspiration for designing a specialty retail site selling shoes, apparel, and accessories specifically designed for trail runners. The name, ZombieRunner, came from the term used to describe the feeling experienced when runners reach the 85th mile of a 100 mile race.

When ZombieRunner first started, it was an entrepreneurial side project, and Don and Gillian’s first venture into online retail. Orders came in at a comfortable pace, and they were able to manage all of their shipments manually by making trips to the Post Office™.

“Being an online shoe retailer, shipping has been an extremely important part of our business from the very beginning,” says Gillian. “All of our products are shipped by us, and we add personalized touches to our shipments, like ginger chews and product samples, which our customers really enjoy.”

As ZombieRunner’s sales grew, Don and Gillian improved their online store and added back-end functionality to help manage their evolving shipping process. But, they started to notice some inefficiencies in their shipping technologies, which were costing them time, impacting customer satisfaction, and making it difficult to grow their business.

The Challenge

With hundreds of orders being shipped a day, ZombieRunner needed an electronic postage provider that could easily integrate with their existing order processing system, save time, and streamline shipping and tracking so they could focus on selling products and making customers happy.

“Our old electronic postage company wasn’t compatible with our other e-commerce software and couldn’t be integrated,.” says Don. “We wasted hours of time cutting and pasting shipping information. And, when customers called to ask about the status of their orders, we had to sift through email trails to try and find the right shipping information.”

Don and Gillian began researching, and discovered that another Palo Alto company, electronic postage provider DYMO Endicia, was the perfect solution for their shipping needs.

“I only wish we would have made the switch sooner,” says Gillian. “DYMO Endicia makes perfect sense for our business.”

The Solution and Key Results

Since upgrading their electronic postage to DYMO Endicia in 2010, ZombieRunner has been able to integrate its shipping and order processing, save significant time, enhance customer satisfaction, and focus on expanding its business.

DYMO Endicia can be integrated into more than 150 e-commerce applications, so ZombieRunner eliminated the need for duplicate information entry.

“Our shipping is much more efficient now that we have integrated DYMO Endicia with our order management software,” says Don. “What used to take hours of time in cutting and pasting is now completed in just a couple of clicks.”

DYMO Endicia’s streamlined shipment tracking makes it easy and fast to provide accurate information to customers inquiring about their online orders – no matter who answers the phone.

“Our customer satisfaction has improved and shipment records are much more organized, now that we can easily track and manage everything in one place,” says Gillian.

DYMO Endicia also enables ZombieRunner to take advantage of the convenience and savings that the U.S. Postal Service® provides without ever having to leave their store.

“In the shoe retail industry, shipping prices and promotions are very competitive. DYMO Endicia allows us to offer low-cost USPS shipping options to our customers, which has been important in building our company,” says Don.

Much like their running, Don and Gillian have no plans of stopping anytime soon when it comes to growing their business. “We are in a great position for growth and plan to have multiple stores and an expanded online presence in the future,” says Gillian.

As ZombieRunner continues to grow and dominate the ultra-runner retail market, DYMO Endicia’s customizable offerings will be able to grow with them to ensure happy trails for all of their customers.

Visit www.ZombieRunner.com to learn more about ZombieRunner and shop their selection of specialty running shoes and apparel.