In this episode of The New Warehouse Podcast, Kevin chats with Tom Schmitt, the new CEO of Radial, about the evolution of fulfillment, the challenges for mid-market brands, and the launch of Radial’s Fast Track program. With decades of leadership experience at FedEx, DB Schenker, and McKinsey, Schmitt brings a deep perspective on how fulfillment has become inseparable from customer experience. As he explains, “Fulfillment is the customer experience.”
From E-Commerce Fulfillment Pioneer to Industry Leader
Radial’s story began when Michael Rubin founded GSI Commerce in the mid-90s, introducing the then-novel idea of building web stores for major brands. Schmitt recounted how the model bundled online storefronts with warehousing, shipping, payments, and returns—a formula that set the stage for today’s fulfillment industry.
As he noted, “This is how, in essence, the e-commerce fulfillment business got pioneered… we are still the largest of the consumer fulfillment companies in North America.” This pioneering spirit remains central to Radial’s mission today, even as customer expectations have shifted toward real-time updates, precise delivery windows, and seamless returns.
Meeting Mid-Market Brands Where They Are
Schmitt emphasized the critical point at which growing brands must decide whether to keep fulfillment in-house or outsource. Many begin shipping orders from garages or small warehouses, but quickly hit a breaking point. “Statistically, what you see is the breaking point is… somewhere in the $50 million revenue space,” he explained, where companies recognize that logistics is no longer core to their identity and turn to professional fulfillment partners.
He stressed that outsourcing can feel like “handing over your baby,” but the trade-off is critical to scaling. By allowing Radial to manage fulfillment, brands can stay focused on product design, marketing, and customer engagement while ensuring operational excellence in logistics.
Fast Track: Radial Made Easy
To simplify this transition, Radial recently launched Fast Track, a plug-and-play solution designed for speed and flexibility. Schmitt described it as “Radial made easy.” Unlike the months-long onboarding of the past, Fast Track allows companies to sign a contract and go live in as little as one week.
Order accuracy is at the heart of the program—Radial’s systems are currently running at 99.9%. Schmitt highlighted the benefit of standardized modules, likening it to ordering from a menu: brands can choose fulfillment, payments, fraud protection, or returns, individually or bundled, with guaranteed compatibility. “It’s so easy you can have any of these things—or all of them—sign a contract with us and you can go live a week or two later.”
Already, six companies have gone live with Fast Track, with 15 more in negotiation. Brands like Whitefox have embraced the model, using Radial to scale quickly into new markets.
Key Takeaways: E-Commerce Fulfillment
- Radial pioneered e-commerce fulfillment through GSI Commerce and remains one of the largest fulfillment companies in North America.
- Mid-market brands often hit a breaking point around $50M in revenue, when outsourcing fulfillment becomes critical to growth.
- Fast Track simplifies fulfillment outsourcing with plug-and-play onboarding, cutting setup time from months to as little as one week.
- Radial’s operational accuracy sits at 99.9%, reflecting a commitment to a near-perfect customer experience.
- Standardized modules in Fast Track allow for easier updates, scalability, and long-term efficiency.
Episode 627: Fast Track E-Commerce fulfillment with Radial
