“Grip has been an incredible partner — one that I believe is a make or break for our company. The kind, smart, and proactive team coupled with their killer tech and ops execution are what sets them apart from other companies in their space.”

Arti Mala, Founder, First Seed

The customer

First Seed produces plant-based vegan, gluten-free Indian meals with exceptionally clean ingredients without any oil, butter, or ghee. First Seed was founded by Arti Mala in 2021.

The problem

First Seed developed such a big following that by 2023, Arti needed support with nationwide shipping and fulfillment. 

High operational costs are a major pain point for DTC brands looking to scale efficiently. Smaller teams cannot afford to build their own software solutions and struggle to negotiate preferential rates with carriers and find temperature-controlled facilities.

Arti’s brand started to gain traction, so a partner with multiple nationwide fulfillment centers made the most sense for First Seed. They also started offering subscriptions, which meant inventory management became crucial for the brand.

The solution

Grip’s four state-of-the-art temperature controlled facilities provide DTC brands with nationwide fulfillment coverage and increases their ability to deliver packages to customers within 24 hours. 

In fact, 60% of packages sent through Grip’s fulfillment network arrive within one day, while the remaining 40% arrive within 48 hours.

By partnering with Grip, First Seed was able to move into multiple fulfillment centers and offer free nationwide shipping – allowing Arti to spend more time on higher leverage tasks including marketing and perfecting new recipes. 

Sustainability is also important to First Seed. Grip shares those values, which is why our packaging is all curbside recyclable, allowing DTC brands to reduce their impact on the environment.

Grip’s powerful shipping engine leverages over 25 million data points and analyzes factors such as temperature, major weather events and carrier performance to provide package-by-package shipping recommendations. This level of insight was not previously available for most DTC brands operating on smaller budgets.

Grip’s platform saves our partners up to 30% in shipping costs by recommending the correct packaging and shipping based on real-time conditions and the most cost effective carriers. Businesses also reduce spoilage rates by up to 25% after onboarding with Grip.

“Grip has been an incredible partner — one that I believe is a make or break for our company,” says Arti. “The kind, smart, and proactive team coupled with their killer tech and ops execution are what sets them apart from other companies in their space.”

Our dashboard streamlines operations for businesses in the perishable DTC space by providing visibility and reducing the high costs and many challenges associated with logistics. 

The amount of dry ice and number of gel packs in each First Seed box is personalized and calculated based on each customer zip code’s distance from the closest Grip fulfillment center.

This not only ensures higher quality deliveries and predictable shipping for enhanced customer satisfaction and lifetime value, but takes the stress and guesswork out of logistics for founders and entrepreneurs like Arti, allowing her to scale with ease.