International Inspirations: Door-to-Door Express Importing Improves Time to Market

An opportunity to streamline operations through express importing with fixed pricing and rapid customs clearance has been a great success.

A Growth Opportunity

International Inspirations is a family-owned custom fashion jewelry designer, manufacturer and wholesaler with key supplier relationships overseas and over 40 specialty jewelry retail customers across the U.S.

Constant shifts in fashion mean that success depends on the ability of factories in Asia to respond quickly and reliably to market demand in the U.S. But with time to market being a critical factor, sourcing finished product from factories in multiple locations across China is a considerable shipping challenge.

Growing Pains

When the company first began operations in 2005, International Inspirations was caught between managing the cost of transport and meeting customer expectations. Having factories spread across China required working with both a freight forwarder and a consolidator to ensure daily pickups from over 10 locations - often in remote areas.

The forwarder had a set twice-weekly schedule for shipments from China to the U.S. with minimum weight requirements. Calculating the optimum weight and timing for final customer delivery was an exercise in advanced mathematics. Finished goods were losing value as time passed in ocean transit, as shipments sat onboard vessels, at dock, or were delayed in Customs. And extra fees, often hidden or unpredictable, were digging into margins.

International Shipping Support

DHL Express provided International Inspirations with a true alternative to simplify a complex process by managing the majority of shipments through DHL IMPORT EXPRESS - an all-inclusive, door-to-door service for expediting imports to the United States.

International Inspirations received:

Fixed Price, Door-to-Door Delivery - allowing the company to plan and budget more effectively without hidden fees.
Flexible Shipping - with DHL IMPORT EXPRESS third-party billing, neither the factories in China nor International Inspirations' end customers needed to have a DHL account.
Minimal Restrictions - door-to-door express service for goods of nearly any size, weight, or value.
Fast Customs Clearance - a single integrated network featuring more in-house customs brokers and local experts worldwide than any other express company.

DHL now picks up at multiple locations daily across China without additional tracking, waiting, dock delivery or other hidden fees; and prices remain consistent throughout the year. Staff at DHL's New York Gateway and at its central hub facility also proactively monitor all International Inspirations shipments until final delivery, ensuring a smooth customs clearance process.

Where competing fashion design and production businesses can offer only a 60-day delivery window, International Inspirations now offers delivery within 30 to 45 days and often sooner.

Visit the International Inspirations website

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