Case Study Muddy Puddles
Who are Yoto?
Founded in 2017 by Ben and Filip, Yoto was created to give children a safe, screen-free way to enjoy audio. Designed with families in mind, their audio players allow kids to listen, learn and play independently, without the distractions of connected devices.
At the heart of Yoto’s approach is a simple idea: children should experience storytelling on their own terms. This has driven the development of intuitive, screen-free products that are easy for the whole family to use.
The Yoto Player launched in 2020 and quickly became a popular feature in homes, from bedrooms to family spaces. The range has since expanded with the portable Yoto Mini, introduced in 2021, and the latest third-generation Yoto Player, continuing to evolve the experience.
Yoto’s product development is guided by three key principles:
- Make everyday routines like bedtime easier
- Create joyful moments for families
- Ensure simplicity and ease of use for all ages
Yoto's Fulfilment Challenge:
Yoto has been successful for many years, with offices in London and New York and a team in France. Their sales doubled every year, and their Yoto Player was ranked among Time Magazine's Top 100 inventions in 2020. As Yoto's volume increased, they needed a reliable logistics partner to respond to their growing demands. To scale and innovate, Yoto required access to various carriers and postal services.
Whistl's Fulfilment Solution:
Since taking over Yoto’s UK fulfilment in late 2022, Whistl has responded with a flexible, dynamic solution through almost daily improvements and innovation. Whistl Fulfilment Solutions provides storage, pick, pack, and distribution to Yoto. We receive their stock directly from manufacturers, store it, manage inventory, and ship it to consumers, retailers, and wholesalers; we hold approximately 1 million units of stock.
Fulfilment Client Testimonial
Alex Lainé, the Operations Director at Yoto
Alex Lainé plays a key role as Operations Director, supervising the entire process from the factory gate to the customer. He is responsible for running logistics, sales operations, and systems, and for supporting customer satisfaction teams. Alex Lainé's expertise ensures that the Yoto’s business continues to function smoothly.
Like most tech start-ups, fulfilment was handled in-house until the volumes began to ramp up. We switched to Whistl at a particularly challenging time of year, with the peak sales period nearly upon us, for the size and scope it could offer. We needed scale and innovation, access to post as well as carriers, and economies of scale. There were cheaper 3PL companies out there, but their offerings weren’t as robust or didn’t have the scope of Whistl’s solution.
Alex Lainé, Operations Director Yoto
Whistl got us through peak with an interim solution, then put in place a more permanent racking/binning arrangement once they understood our inventory and requirements.
Alex Lainé, Operations Director Yoto
Whistl's approach to any issues we may have is great, and we are now engaged in what I call ‘unheralded’ work to try and be even more efficient: more compact packaging to minimise cardboard, trying to improve picking times, switching to sea freight rather than air. They totally buy into the process of ‘establish, improve, evaluate.
Alex Lainé, Operations Director Yoto
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