Reading time: 3 minutes. Handy for when you're waiting.
You've ordered. The confirmation is in your inbox. And then it goes quiet for a few days.
That waiting is frustrating, and you deserve to know what happens during those days. So: this is what goes on behind the scenes, and why it sometimes takes a bit longer than you'd like.
We don't have one warehouse, we have nine
Most online shops work like this: one warehouse, everything in stock, done. That's fast, but it also means your choice is limited to what fits in that one warehouse.
We do it differently. Alongside our own stock in Groningen, we work directly with the warehouses of Venum, Hayabusa, Leone, Booster, adidas, Super Pro, Phantom Athletics and Sportief. Nine locations in total.
That means you can order a Thai shin guard, a pair of Japanese gloves and an Italian BJJ gi all in one go. That's the advantage.
The downside: those items aren't all on the same shelf.
Your order leaves as one package
This is the heart of the story.
If you order three items from three different warehouses, we wait until everything arrives and send it to you in one go. One package, one tracking code, one delivery moment.
That means your order is only as fast as the slowest item in it. Like in a team: you're only as strong as your weakest link, and you don't start the round until both gloves are on.
We could also send everything separately as soon as it arrives. Then you'd get three packages on three days, have to be home three times, and pay three times for shipping. We don't think that's an improvement for anyone.
What we do during those days
We don't just wait around, that's for sure.
Every working day we send an order to the warehouses where something from your order is stored. When it arrives, it's checked, logged and placed with the rest of your order that same day. As soon as the last item is there, the package goes out with the courier that same day.
If an item unexpectedly turns out to be unavailable, we don't wait for you to find out. You'll get a message with an alternative or the choice to drop that one item.
Why you already saw that delivery time
Every product on our site shows the delivery time. Not hidden away in the terms and conditions, but right on the product page, in your shopping cart, at checkout and in your order confirmation.
If it says 2 to 6 working days, that's because the item comes from a supplier warehouse and not from our own shelf. If it says In stock, it's in Groningen and goes out today.
That delivery time is a promise in working days, not calendar days. An order placed on Friday afternoon starts counting on Monday. Weekends and public holidays don't count, because nobody's packing or delivering then.
And if it takes too long anyway?
Then you'll hear from us, not the other way around.
Two working days before the last day of your delivery time is in sight, we'll send you a message if your order hasn't shipped yet. Not because something's wrong, but because waiting without information is more frustrating than waiting with it.
If the last day arrives and your package still isn't here, you'll hear about that too. Including a discount on your next order, because then we've broken a promise we made ourselves.
In the meantime
Waiting for new gloves? This is a great time to air out your old pair, wash your hand wraps and give your bag a good check.
And while you're at it: most people wrap their hand wraps too loosely around the knuckles and too tightly around the wrist. Exactly the opposite, in fact. Try it at your next training session.
See you soon in the gym.
Team The Fight Company
MAKE EVERY ROUND COUNT.