Apolina x fulfilmentcrowd: Going global with drop-led growth

Since partnering with fulfilmentcrowd in 2019, childrenswear brand Apolina has grown into a truly global DTC business. Most importantly, they’ve done it without compromising the customer experience that’s vital to their ongoing success.

Built on a drop-led model that drives intense, time-sensitive demand, Apolina has seen order volumes climb by 470% while maintaining consistent service worldwide.

Behind the scenes, growth comes from a unique operational model – one that requires fulfilment to cope with sudden spikes in demand and manage preorders alongside live inventory.

The challenge: high demand, high complexity 

Apolina isn’t your typical childrenswear brand. Built around limited-edition ‘drops’ and a loyal global community, every collection launch creates a surge of demand that can see hourly order rates climb into the thousands.

It’s a business model that drums up excitement, but one that also requires a partner that’s prepared for bursts of high order volumes.

With collections combining in-stock items, preorders and made-to-order pieces, Apolina needed a fulfilment partner that could keep pace without compromising its customer experience.

Some initial challenges included:

• Spikes in order volumes during launch windows
• Managing preorders and back orders alongside live inventory
• Meeting delivery expectations for a global customer base
• Scaling without losing control or visibility

Put simply, Apolina needed flexibility and reliability under pressure from their chosen fulfilment provider.

The solution: fulfilment for drop-driven growth 

Since partnering with us in 2019, we’ve supported Apolina throughout several product drops.

Operating from our Martland Park facility in the UK, Apolina confidently manages high launch-day order volumes while maintaining consistent service levels worldwide.

Unique fulfilment for a unique model

To support Apolina’s hybrid inventory model, we’ve implemented several custom system enhancements, including:

• Split order functionality to separate preorders and back orders
• Dynamic fulfilment workflows aligned with staggered inventory availability
• Handling of made-to-order items without disrupting standard fulfilment workflows

With these measures in place, we can ensure orders are processed correctly and on time – no matter how complex the basket.

Global reach, local precision

Apolina’s main audiences span the UK, EU, US, and the Far East (most notably Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong). We help them fulfil this worldwide demand via:

• Multi-carrier strategy (4+ global carriers)
• Optimised shipping routes based on destination
• Expanded Royal Mail usage to support growing UK demand

The result here is consistent delivery rates across all corners of the globe.

The outcome: A reliable fulfilment strategy to eliminate growth barriers 

Apolina’s drop model has become its greatest strength. With fulfilmentcrowd, it stays that way.

By removing any barriers to fulfilling intense periods of demand, Apolina can:

• Launch confidently, knowing fulfilment can handle it
• Maintain a premium customer experience at scale worldwide
• Expand globally without adding extra complexity
• Focus on brand, product and community – not logistics

“Working with fulfilmentcrowd has allowed us to scale without compromising on the premium experience our customers expect. The way they’ve handled the intensity of our product launches – while also managing preorders and international delivery – has been critical to our growth over the last few years.”

Caroline Duckett, Founder, Apolina

Our take