The fitness market was new and growing, but Lululemon's packaging systems were old and growing unfit - PAC ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
25 Tiburon St. San Rafael, CA 94901 • (415) 454-4868 • www.pacmachinery.com
The PAC Machinery companies: Packaging Aids • Vertrod • Clamco • Rollbag Systems • Converting Technology
...
...
......
...
...CU Cu STO
stom e r s SspSePak
MER EAK
The fitness market was new and growing, but Lululemon’s
packaging systems were old and growing unfit.
Founded in 1998, Vancouver, Canada-based Lululemon was initially known for its
fashionable line of women’s yoga apparel and activewear. By 2019, the company had
grown significantly due to adjusting its product line and marketing strategies and exe-
cuting on plans to increase brand awareness among men. Key to the company’s success
was how they leverage social media marketing, which is designed to make customers
feel that they are part of a larger community by wearing the brand. The company’s initial
public offering was completed in July 2007, and they raised $327.6 million through the
sale of more than 18 million shares. In June 2020, Lululemon announced a $500 million
deal to purchase a home fitness product named Mirror. The deal would capitalize on a
RollbagTM R3200 Fulfillment
growing trend of people conducting virtual workouts at home instead of going to a gym due Automatic Bagger
to the COVID-19 pandemic. The success of the brand was growing steadily, – especially in
The Rollbag R3200 Fulfillment is the
the “activewear” sector.
ultimate automatic poly mailer bag-
Fast forward to mid-summer 2020. Two things were happening simultaneously ging system. This versatile bagging
at Lululemon: 1) their existing automatic baggers were experiencing growing periods of machine can operate at a rate of
over 500 packs/hr when using poly
crippling downtime, and the OEM was not very responsive to their needs. And 2) business
mailers. It features a compact design
was booming, and the company needed to gear up for an anticipated holiday onslaught
and is assembled with high quality
of orders. It was time to purchase new automatic baggers for several distribution locations. off-the-shelf components.
Or, perhaps the appropriate time to do so was
three months earlier.
Lululemon turned to their packaging materials
distributor for a recommendation on a batch
of new automatic baggers – but they needed
them fast. Real fast. They needed the machines
purchased, delivered, and up and running for the
pre-holiday shopping phenomenon called “Black
Friday,” which is the day after Thanksgiving.
“machines
Having worked with PAC Machinery for several
years, Lululemon’s packaging materials distributor Lululemon needed the
came to Greg Berguig, VP Sales and Marketing at PAC, with the challenge. And what a purchased,
challenge it was. Berguig needed to recommend and configure the right machine model, delivered, and up and
build the baggers, test them, deliver them, and have them operational in approximately running for the pre-holiday
six weeks. Standard delivery was twice that long, under ideal circumstances. And with shopping phenomenon
supply chains interrupted as a result of COVID-19, the conditions for a smooth process
were far from perfect.
called Black Friday.
”
...
...
......
...
...CUCus tom
STO e r s SspSePak
MER EAK - co ntinued
Identifying the need
The first step was to debrief the folks at Lululemon and ascertain what they required.
With so many PAC automatic baggers in use around the globe, Greg Berguig had the
experience to make the right call; he knew right away which bagger would meet his
customer’s needs now, as well as into the future. His recommendation was the Rollbag
R3200 Automatic Bagger. The versatile Rollbag R3200 is the ultimate automatic poly
bagger for reliable, high-speed performance. It can cycle at a rate of over 500 packs/hr in
a poly mailer shipping application. At that speed, the
bagger could outpace the operator filling the bag -
meaning packaging speed would not be limited by The Rollbag R3200 bagger can be
the bagger. With the ability to run bags as large as equipped with a range of options,
printers, and feeding devices to
16” x 32”, the standard R3200 bagger offered the
maximize and automate virtually any
extra flexibility and multi-shift dependability Lulu-
packaging process.
lemon required (PAC also offers the larger R3200XL
for bags up to 22″x 36″).
The bag printer was also a consideration.
“requirements
The existing machines were set up to print directly
At Lululemon they believe that some- on the bag – and the results created lots of down- We discussed Lululemon’s
times, basics are best. This is why they time. Greg suggested that Lululemon order the new very carefully...
offer naturally breathable activewear machines with label printer applicators. The results but I was quite sure from
that is fashionable from workout to
would be far better, as long-term, the system would the start that I knew the
hang out. With the looming 2020 holi-
be more robust and more dependable. Using the machines they needed -
”
day shopping season on the horizon,
label printer applicators, Lululemon could maintain now and into the future.
the company sought packaging solutions
as advanced as their products. the same materials supplier with whom they had
been doing business for some time. Additionally, the
Greg Berguig
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
printer on the R3200 would interface easily with the Lululemon warehouse management
PAC Machinery
software.
Greg reduced anxiety by explaining that the printing and label application process
would deliver plug and play simplicity. Another plus for the Rollbag R3200 was the user
interface. The HMI was very intuitive; operators could be up and running in a very short Watch the Rollbag R3200
Automatic Bagger in action >>
time with minimal retraining, and new hires for the holiday rush could learn to run the
machines quickly. Any delays during the peak shopping season would be a big problem https://www.pacmachinery.com/
that Lululemon needed to avoid at all costs. clamcopackaging/product/roll-
Start the clock bag-r3200-fulfillment-bagger-ap-
Lululemon decided to place the multi-machine order with PAC, and the delicate plicator
ballet between engineering, supply chain performance, and manufacturing began with
no time to waste. Greg Berguig could imagine the entire process unfolding on time, providing
everything worked out as planned and without undue delay. The PAC team met to discuss
the project, including the challenges, the timeframe, and the high stakes for Lululemon. If
...
...
......
...
...CUCus tom
STO e r s SspSePak
MER EAK - co ntinued
the machines arrived even two weeks late, the value of the effort would be significantly
reduced. Everyone understood, and everyone jumped into the project with great enthusiasm.
Across the finish line
Sometimes the stars align in such a way that miracles can happen. Sometimes
a design and manufacturing team works in such flawless accord that the results seem
nearly miraculous. Such was the case with the Lululemon machine order. The Rollbag
R3200 automatic baggers were built, tested and delivered in time for the holiday crush.
Operators benefited from on-site training by skilled PAC Machinery instructors. The
machines were set up, plugged in and within just a few hours, operators were bagging
the soft and stretchy gear that so many fitness seekers enjoy. In the final analysis, the
packaging operations at several Lululemon distribution centers are running smoother, With the ability to run bags as small
and with new efficiencies. It’s not a stretch to say the return on investment was a goal as 2” x 3” to as large as 16” x 32”,
that was easy to achieve.v the standard R3200 bagger offers
the extreme flexibility Lululemon
sought. Looking to the future, the
larger R3200XL can make bags
up to 22″x 36″. Equipped with the
optional bag maker assembly, the
Rollbag R3200 bagger can utilize
poly tubing, and make the bag to
the desired length.
You can also read
