From Venice Beach to UK Market Success: How SSD Logistix Helped Helfen Scale Seamlessly Through Amazon and Shopify Fulfilment  

Client overview 

Business Name: Helfen 

Founder Location: Venice Beach, California, USA 

Product Range: 763+ premium watch straps, leather wallets, boxed leather gloves 

Sales Channels: Amazon FBA (UK), Shopify (D2C) 

Helfen is a California-based brand known for quality leather accessories and a huge range of premium watch straps. When they decided to expand into the UK, they needed a fulfilment partner they could rely on, especially because they’d be managing everything from the other side of the world. 

Services SSD Logistix provided 

• Inbound logistics and careful stock processing 
• Amazon FBA prep and dispatch 
• Shopify integration and daily D2C order fulfilment 
• Returns handling and restocking 
• Full visibility through Mintsoft 
• Ongoing day-to-day operational support 

What Helfen needed 

Expanding into the UK meant finding a partner who could:  

• Receive, store, prep, and despatch bulk inventory into Amazon FBA 
• Manage a very high number of SKUs without errors 
• Communicate quickly across time zones 
• Eventually support multi-channel fulfilment with Shopify 

Basically, they needed a team who could act as the UK arm of their business, without needing to be physically onsite. 

The challenges

1. Remote onboarding with no in-person visits

The entire relationship started online, so there was no warehouse tour and no in-person meetings. Helfen had to trust that SSD could deliver great service, quick communication, and reliable fulfilment simply based on first impressions through emails and calls.

2. Extremely high SKU complexity 

The first inbound shipment was… intense. Thousands of tiny watch strap boxes, each with long and unique SKU codes, mixed together inside bulk cartons. Traditional barcode scanning wasn’t going to cut it. 

3. Amazon-level accuracy from day one

Selling on Amazon leaves no room for errors. If stock counts or SKUs are wrong, listings get flagged, shipments get rejected, and seller performance takes a hit. Helfen needed near-perfect accuracy straight away.

4. Rapid expansion without warning

New products and new SKUs were being introduced regularly. SSD had to be ready to receive new stock with little notice, process it quickly, and get it live the same day. 

How SSD Logistix solved it

1. A Custom fulfilment process built for tiny. complex SKUS’s

SSD created a manual sorting and SKU-matching system specifically for Helfen: 

• Bulk cartons opened and sorted into labelled trays 
• Every SKU checked against Helfen’s database 
• All items added into Mintsoft for full traceability 
• Staff trained to identify similar-looking products and long SKU strings

This process ensured consistent 99.9% accuracy, which kept Amazon happy and the client confident. 

2. Full Amazon FBA prep and back-office management

SSD stepped in to handle all Amazon-related tasks:  

• Orders received automatically or via email 
• FBA labels, boxing, and delivery completed using Helfen’s UPS account 
• Daily UPS collections to keep inventory flowing

Most shipments reached Amazon within 24 hours, keeping stock levels maintained and listings active. 

3. Returns that build trust, not stress

SSD’s returns process included: 

• Receiving Amazon/D2C returns 
• Inspecting and assessing resale condition 
• Communicating issues immediately 
• Restocking approved items the same day 

Over time, Helfen trusted SSD so completely that they no longer needed confirmation emails.  

4. Fast Shopify integration for growing D2C demand 

Six months in, Helfen launched their UK Shopify store and asked SSD to support it. Within minutes, Shopify was connected to Mintsoft, and orders began flowing in almost immediately. 

SSD quickly scaled to fulfil 30–40 individual orders per day, including new items like wallets and gloves, all under the same workflow.  

The results 

• 763+ SKUs managed accurately 
• Amazon FBA + Shopify fulfilled from one warehouse 
• 30–40 D2C orders shipped daily 
• 99.9% accuracy maintained 
• Real-time visibility for a client based 5,500 miles away 
• 3+ years of continued partnership with zero disruptions 

Client testimonial 

SSD have been fast and reliable at everything we have asked of them. Their pricing is fair and works for our products and business. Our products are quite small and there are many SKUs (most of which look quite similar in the packaging) so they can be a challenge to deal with and not all 3PLs can work with them, but we have not had any real issues with SSD. I would definitely recommend SSD to others.  

A real example from day-to-day operations 

When Helfen added wallets and gloves to their product range, the entire onboarding happened through a single email. SSD replied within 10 minutes, and once the stock landed, it was processed, sorted, and showing in Mintsoft within hours.  

Returns also became an important area of collaboration. When one product line started seeing higher returns due to sizing confusion, SSD flagged it immediately and worked with Helfen to refine their product descriptions and sizing guidance. Returns dropped noticeably in the following quarter.  

Lessons for eCommerce brands 

You can absolutely run UK fulfilment remotely 

Helfen never stepped inside SSD’s warehouse, and they never needed to. 

Tailored processes often beat automation 

SSD customised its workflow around Helfen’s highly detailed SKUs. 

Quick replies matter more than people realise 

Fast communication prevents missed shipments, delays, and headaches. 

Scalability comes from flexibility 

SSD adapted instantly as Helfen added new lines and new channels.  

Returns are part of the brand experience 

Handled well, they reduce backlogs and build customer confidence. 

Ready to become the next success story? Talk to our friendly team today.