Building a scalable workforce for warehouse expansion

CHALLENGE

In 2023, a rapidly growing high-end retail manufacturer operating out of a single Southern California warehouse began experiencing a sharp increase in orders as the company prepared to expand into a larger facility.

As inventory volumes grew, the company’s small warehouse team was responsible for hanging, tagging and preparing clothing for distribution, while also inspecting returned merchandise, entering it into the system and restocking it for resale. These detailed tasks placed increasing operational pressure on the team.

What started as a request for 5-10 warehouse workers quickly revealed a broader workforce need. The work required detail-oriented associates capable of handling high-end clothing while maintaining pace with fluctuating weekly demand.

With limited warehouse space and expansion plans underway, the customer needed more than short-term help. They needed a reliable workforce partner that could quickly provide qualified workers and scale support as operations and the company’s footprint continued to evolve.

SOLUTION

PeopleReady mobilized quickly, deploying an initial group of associates within days and conducting an on-site visit to better understand workflow, quality standards and production needs.

The team implemented several strategies to support evolving operations:

• Recruited detail-oriented associates experienced in retail-style fulfillment
• Expanded recruiting through PeopleReady’s national sourcing resources
• Implemented a resume pre-approval process to better align with the customer’s requirements
• Added administrative associate support for returns and inventory tracking

As the customer’s operations expanded from one facility to three different Southern California locations, PeopleReady scaled workforce levels to match fluctuating demand while maintaining consistent coverage.

Through regular communication and on-site engagement, PeopleReady built a collaborative working relationship with the customers’ team.

RESULTS

PeopleReady’s flexible staffing model stabilized operations during a critical growth period, providing the dependable workforce support needed to keep fulfillment moving as demand fluctuated.

Since the partnership began in 2023, PeopleReady has:

• Deployed 125 associates to support warehouse operations
• Filled 839 shifts across multiple facilities
• Scale workforce levels during peak from 6-8 daily workers to 11-15
• Converted 4 associates to full-time employees

What began as a short-term request for warehouse support has evolved into an ongoing workforce partnership. Today, PeopleReady continues to support operations across multiple Southern California facilities as the customer prepares for full consolidation into one expanded distribution center.