Scaling Sustainably Shouldn’t Feel This Hard

David Chen Didn’t Launch Urban Eco Goods to Become a Shipping Expert

He started with a simple but bold belief: that sustainable living should be easier, more affordable, and part of everyday life. What began as a passion project—offering refillable household essentials in reusable packaging—quickly found a devoted customer base.

People didn’t just want eco-friendly. They wanted better. Simpler. Ethical. Beautiful. And they wanted it shipped to their doors.

“The demand was there. The product was dialed in. But the backend? The backend was where we started to lose sleep.”

When Your Mission Is Bigger Than Your Software

As orders poured in, so did the friction. Urban Eco Goods used custom packaging, biodegradable insulation, refill pouches—everything designed to reduce waste.

But the moment David plugged his values into traditional shipping tools, everything broke:

• Orders were flagged for "unrecognized packaging"
• Refill pouches were marked as “unshippable”
• International shipments were denied or delayed due to labeling mismatches
• Support tickets were often met with copy-paste responses or silence

“It felt like the more we tried to do the right thing, the more we were punished for it.”

The final straw came when a major influencer partnership failed due to customs confusion. An entire week’s worth of orders—delayed, some lost, others returned.

“I sat on the floor of the warehouse that night, looking at our boxes, and just thought: this can’t be the way.”

The Invisible Cost of Being 'Too Different'

David didn’t need bells and whistles. He needed basics that worked—for his business. He needed a shipping platform that understood:

• Subscription workflows with eco products
• Materials outside the "default" templates
• International compliance for regulated categories
• The fact that good shipping is more than just getting a box out the door

“Every time we scaled, our shipping tools slowed us down. It was like trying to run a marathon with sandbags tied to your ankles.”

David was exhausted. And the team was stretched thin. Until a logistics consultant referred him to a platform she said was “built for brands who don’t fit in the box.” That platform was Proglo.

The Day Everything Changed

Within 72 hours of onboarding with Proglo Shipping, everything felt different.

“It was like moving from a motel into a house built exactly for you.”

A Smarter, Simpler Workflow

• Real-time shipping rules based on product type, region, and carrier
• Eco-packaging templates that didn’t require workarounds
• Carrier optimization that factored in packaging weight and carbon footprint
• Subscription support with refill tracking and auto-labeling

And the biggest win? Actual people on support who got it.

“They didn’t ask me to explain my mission 12 times. They asked how they could support it.”

Real Results from a Brand Built on Purpose

David didn’t just switch platforms—he reclaimed his growth strategy. Within 3 months:

• Shipping costs decreased by 22%
• Subscription growth doubled (from 1,800 to 3,600 recurring customers)
• Fulfillment time dropped by 50%
• Support inquiries around tracking and delivery dropped by 61%
• Employee stress levels noticeably decreased

“It sounds dramatic, but Proglo didn’t just fix our logistics. It gave us back the space to think big again.”

The Bigger Picture: When Values and Operations Align

With Proglo in place, Urban Eco Goods launched new SKUs with full confidence in shipping capabilities.

Their new loyalty bundles were automated through smart tagging. Customs for international deliveries were pre-filled and error-proof. Carriers were now matched to their sustainability ethos—not just cost.

“We always said we wanted to be a modern brand that stood for something. But now, every touchpoint reflects that. Even the way we ship.”

The team is currently expanding into Canada, partnering with micro-influencers in the clean-living space, and exploring retail distribution—knowing their backend is solid.

David’s Message to Founders Like Him

“If you’re building something meaningful, something a little different—you need partners who see that and say ‘We’re in.’ That’s what Proglo did.”

For brands that have been told:

• “You’re too niche.”
• “That product’s hard to ship.”
• “We can’t support that packaging or material.”

Proglo is the place where those conversations end—and solutions begin.

Ready to Ship Without Compromising Your Mission?

Proglo helps bold brands grow without trading ethics for efficiency. Whether you're shipping sensitive materials, refill kits, or sustainably packaged goods—we help you ship better, faster, and with fewer headaches.