How OAK + FORT Sells More with Purple Dot

Supercharge sales by implementing a pre-order strategy that extends the selling window by launching early, improves demand forecasting, and maximizes GMV.

A woman-founded and led company, OAK + FORT is known for thoughtfully designing and curating with an aesthetic vision that radiates throughout their collections of womenswear, menswear, accessories, jewelry and homeware.

In the past, OAK + FORT had frustrating experiences with pre-order campaigns. The burden fell on their internal team and patched-together tools that created frustration for their staff and customers. On top of that, their team was struggling to accurately anticipate demand. Bestsellers would sell out too soon, leading to understocking issues and missed sales opportunities. 

OAK + FORT needed a better way to bridge supply chain gaps, properly manage stock, and capture every sale, all while maintaining customer confidence. 

OAK + FORT’s e-commerce products fall into two main categories: exclusive capsule collections, and everyday essentials – both of which achieved more sales from adopting a solid pre-order strategy with Purple Dot. 

Demand-led selling to maximize sales and reduce overstock

For their limited capsule collections, OAK + FORT used to buy conservatively — without knowing true demand until it was too late. Within just a few days, the available online inventory would sell out, leaving potential sales on the table. At first, this seemed worth the trade-off of avoiding the risk of dreaded overstock. 

Now, with early sales data from Purple Dot, OAK + FORT instead can read early demand signals, order with precision without the fear of overstock, and convert demand spikes fully to capitalize on every surge in customer interest. Instead of guessing how much to buy, they build demand into their buying plan to never miss a sale.

Launch Despite Delays: Selling essentials before they land

For seasonal staples, supply chain delays once meant missing peak buying windows and resorting to discounting. For example, most customers purchase autumn outerwear and sweaters in late summer as they prepare for the chillier months ahead. If supply chain issues delayed that stock, OAK + FORT may have lost a large portion of sales, or been forced to sell these essentials at a steep discount.

With Purple Dot, OAK + FORT could sell these items before they arrived in the warehouse — keeping revenue flowing without having to lift a finger. Purple Dot’s easy integration and dedicated customer success team made the pre-order process straightforward and reliable.

OAK + FORT initially expected pre-orders to make up just 5–10% of total e-commerce sales. The reality: Approximately 25% of all online sales now come from pre-orders, with high customer conversion on lead times anywhere from 2 weeks to 3 months. The approach has become a core part of their growth strategy. 

In their regular planning meetings, OAK + FORT’s e-commerce and marketing teams now use Purple Dot data to:

• Identify trending products
• Forecast buying quantities with confidence
• Build compelling marketing campaigns

The outcome: top-line growth without increasing inventory risk. Instead of guesswork and waiting for stock to arrive, OAK + FORT is now selling earlier and smarter, achieving a 20-25% increase in sales from Purple Dot compared to the same period last year.

Selling earlier can transform your business. A pre-order strategy gives brands the selling flexibility they need to accelerate sales, never truly go out of stock, and optimize costs. We’re here to partner with you to help make your pre-order operations a strategic pillar towards your growth. Reach out to hello@getpurpledot.com