Home › Case Studies › How Chayah(Loka) Transitioned Seamlessly From Crowdfunding to Global On-Demand Retail

Scaling from Backer to Buyer

Hand pours liquid from a metal kettle into three cups on a carved wooden stump table, with a bare branch upright nearby (split-screen hero).

The Client:

 

Brand logo reading LOKA in bold blue letters on white background

Chayah / Loka (Lifestyle & Smart Tea Brewing Tech)

Website:

https://weareloka.com/

Description:

Transitioning from a highly successful Kickstarter campaign to a sustainable, global on-demand (OD) retail model without skyrocketing shipping costs or delayed delivery timelines.

The Challenge

After smashing their Kickstarter goals for the Loka Chai Maker, Chayah faced the classic post-crowdfunding hurdle: how to move away from a centralized, single-warehouse shipping model into a mature, globally distributed direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand. Initially, fulfillment was centralized in Hong Kong, which was perfect for the initial campaign but inefficient for ongoing, rapid-delivery retail demands in Western markets.

Background

After smashing their Kickstarter goals for the Loka Chai Maker, Chayah faced the classic post-crowdfunding hurdle: how to move away from a centralized, single-warehouse shipping model into a mature, globally distributed direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand. Initially, fulfillment was centralized in Hong Kong, which was perfect for the initial campaign but inefficient for ongoing, rapid-delivery retail demands in Western markets.

The Floship Solution

Floship implemented an Agile Multi-Warehouse Fulfillment Structure that adapted in real-time to Loka’s evolving post-campaign order volume and backer demographics.

  • Phase 1 (Crowdfunding Hub):
    Utilized Floship’s central Hong Kong warehouse to handle the initial wave of global crowdfunding backer rewards directly from manufacturing.
  • Phase 2 (Decentralized On-Demand Scaling):
    As data revealed dense clusters of repeat customers in the US and UK, Floship seamlessly transitioned Loka to a decentralized model.
  • Multi-Region Split:
    We integrated their inventory into domestic US and UK fulfillment hubs to minimize local delivery times and slash shipping costs, while keeping the HK hub open to cost-effectively service the rest of the world (RoW).

The Results

By partnering with Floship, Loka successfully transformed from a one-time crowdfunding project into a nimble, multi-warehouse global lifestyle brand. The agile optimization allowed them to scale footprint dynamically based on regional volume, resulting in lower per-unit shipping costs, vastly accelerated local delivery times, and a highly resilient global supply chain.

About Loka (Chaya)

Loka is a London-based lifestyle and homeware brand best known for creating the Loka Chai Maker. Founded by Anish Shonpal and Nikhil Shah, the brand aims to elevate South Asian culture and design by simplifying the authentic masala chai-making process.

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