Building scalable D2C and retail operations for a fast-growing cosmetics brand.

nkm's challenge.

Fast growth made existing fulfillment processes difficult to scale.

For a long time, nkm managed logistics internally with its own small logistics operation the company had built to handle picking, packing and shipping. This setup worked well for the first years while order volume, product range and operational complexity remained manageable at a smaller scaler.

As the company grew, the situation changed.

The challenges were not limited to one isolated process, but appeared across the entire operational supply chain: manual workflows, multiple Excel files, system breaks, fragmented technical tools, limited warehouse space, missing real-time visibility and increasing shipping requirements.

nkm described its previous setup as highly manual, with information distributed across different lists and systems. This made it difficult to create a clear operational picture and slowed down decision-making across all departments.

Fulfillment became especially critical. The internal warehouse reached its limits whenever order volumes fluctuated or peak periods hit. During Black Friday, employees from the office team, including the founders, had to help pack parcels in the warehouse. 

Situations like this made the operational bottleneck visible: growth did not only mean more revenue, but also meant more picks, more parcels, more returns, more support cases and more complex coordination.

For nkm, it became clear that the existing setup was no longer the right structure for the next stage of growth.

The decision.

Make or buy: Why nkm decided against expanding its in-house logistics.

Before switching to everstox, nkm faced a fundamental decision: continue building its own logistics infrastructure or work with an external fulfillment partner.

Expanding the in-house setup would have required significant further investment in space, technology, systems and people. At the same time, nkm would have remained responsible for peak capacity, operational firefighting and the technical development of its fulfillment processes.

For Teja Staats, COO of nkm, this “make-or-buy” decision was closely tied to the question of where the company’s core competence lies.

nkm is a cosmetics company, not a logistics company. 

Therefore, the question was not whether nkm could somehow continue to handle order fulfillment in-house, but whether it makes sense continuing to invest resources in inventory management, manual coordination and fulfillment during peak periods, rather than in the development of the brand, its products, and its distribution channels.

For nkm, the answer became clear: fulfillment needed to be professionalized externally.

Continuing in-house would have meant building more fixed capacity for a function that was no longer part of the company’s core focus. Outsourcing, on the other hand, offered a way to gain operational depth, scalable warehouse capacity and stronger technical visibility without turning logistics into an internal growth bottleneck.

The requirements for a fulfillment partner were clear: nkm needed a future-proof and scalable setup that could reliably handle D2C fulfillment, absorb peaks such as Black Friday, support special processes such as its reusable packaging system, provide real-time data and support future B2B and retail requirements.

nkm chose everstox.

Mainly because everstox does not only provide access to a single fulfillment provider, but offers an integrated setup combining warehouse capacity, technology, shipping management and operational support.

The solution.

An integrated fulfillment setup instead of fragmented individual processes.

With everstox, nkm moved into a more professional fulfillment setup. Its goods are now stored in a modern, automated warehouse environment designed for higher process reliability, speed, and scalability.

For nkm, the decisive factor was not only warehouse performance, but the combination of operational capacity and centralized control.

Through everstox, nkm now has one operational platform for core fulfillment processes: order intake, inventory, shipping status, tracking information, returns and reporting. 

This removed many of the previous system breaks. Instead of manually consolidating information from different sources, the team can now see in real time which orders have been picked and packed, which shipping data is available and where operations stand.

A key part of the solution is the reliable data foundation. Before the switch, nkm relied heavily on Excel files and manual inventory overviews. 

This data fragmentation created inaccuracies: sometimes half a pallet was missing, sometimes it reappeared a week later. For operations teams, this is not a minor issue. Inaccurate inventory data directly affects purchasing, customer service, fulfillment planning, and the company’s ability to scale.

With everstox, nkm gained a more reliable basis for operational decisions:

• Real-time transparency across orders and inventory
• Automated availability of tracking data
• Structured returns management through a dedicated portal
• Carrier management and support with shipping rates
• One setup that supports D2C and future retail requirements
• Operational peak capacity without building additional internal warehouse resources

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“We actually managed to complete the move within two months, and it went really well — without friction. It was a truly seamless onboarding and go-live, unlike anything I had experienced before.” - Teja Staats, COO @ nkm - Naturkosmetik München.

The smooth transition – both the transfer of goods to the new warehouse and the technical implementation itself – was a key factor in the decision to choose everstox; the warehouse move was completed within two months.

Customer satisfaction impact.

Faster delivery, clearer communication and less friction after purchase.

For nkm, order fulfillment is an integral part of the brand experience. 

The customer journey doesn't end at the checkout; what matters is whether the right product arrives in full, on time and with clear pre- and post-purchase communication.

Shipping time

With the new structure, nkm was able to significantly improve the post-purchase customer experience. Orders received before 1pm typically leave the warehouse the same day and usually arrive within 24 to 48 hours. For nkm, this was a significant improvement over the previous, more manual fulfillment process.

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Communication

Communication has also become more direct and transparent. Since shipping data is now automatically available, customers can be better kept informed about the status of their orders. Shipping notifications, delivery information and tracking updates ensure clearer expectations. This reduces uncertainty among customers and minimizes the manual support workload for the team.

Returns‍

Returns are another key lever with everstox. In the past, return management at nkm was largely manual which lled to delays and added workload for customer service.

Today, the process is automated: Customers can initiate returns more easily, receive shipping labels and process returns in a structured manner. The warehouse can also identify in advance which returns are coming in and prepare for them operationally.nkm reports that customer feedback has improved significantly since the changeover. In particular, faster delivery, transparency in shipping, and easier returns have contributed to a better shopping experience.

Operational impact.

Less firefighting, more operational control.

The biggest internal effect for nkm is the reduction of operational pressure in day-to-day work.

Before the switch, fulfillment regularly required attention, manual intervention, and short-term support from other teams. During peaks, nkm had to shift internal capacity into the warehouse to keep up with orders. This tied up resources, created stress, and distracted teams from their core work.

With everstox, nkm was able to change this dynamic. Backlogs were significantly reduced, and orders can now be shipped out on time.

Process quality also improved. Through double scans and a more professional warehouse setup, nkm increased picking accuracy to almost 99%. This reduces errors such as incorrect or missing products and lowers the downstream workload in customer service.

At the same time, nkm now has greater visibility across operational processes. The team can see in real time which orders are open, which have been processed, where inventory stands and which tracking data is available.

This transparency is not only relevant for fulfillment, but also improves upstream supply chain processes because purchasing and planning can work with more reliable inventory data.

Another operational advantage is scalability. nkm can now absorb peaks without building additional internal warehouse teams or asking employees from other departments to support warehouse work. The brand benefits from shared fulfillment capacity: resources can be adjusted according to volume without nkm carrying permanent fixed costs for additional people, space and technology.

This is especially relevant for nkm’s next growth phase as the company is preparing for broader entry into retail.

Retail and B2B fulfullment brings different operational requirements: handling units instead of single-item picking, pallet building, delivery windows, master data quality, and structured processes for stationary retail. The new fulfillment setup is designed to support these requirements from the same operational structure.

Conclusion.

Professionalization starts when growth is translated into operational reality.

The nkm case shows why fulfillment is not a side topic for growing D2C and multi-channel brands.

Growth does not only show up in revenue. It shows up in parcels, picks, returns, support cases, warehouse space, shipping costs, data requirements and peak-period risks. As long as this operational reality is not visible and controllable, growth quickly becomes additional pressure on teams and processes.

nkm made the decision to stop treating fulfillment as an internal side function and instead manage it as a professional operational core process. The decision to work with everstox was not only an outsourcing decision.

It was a structural decision: away from manual coordination, fragmented data, and internal peak-period firefighting; toward real-time visibility, higher process reliability and scalable execution across D2C and retail.

For nkm, this means less operational friction in daily work, a better post-purchase customer experience, and a setup that can support future growth with greater control.

Or, in the words of our masterclass theme from October 2025: from chaos to clarity.