From disposable to reusable: how INGA handles four peak seasons a year and flash sales that bring in thousands of orders in a single day

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INGA was founded in 2022 on a simple observation: household cleaning is one of the last strongholds of single-use products. The brand sells washable sponges, and its mission hasn't changed since day one: to get as many people as possible to switch from disposable to reusable. Today, INGA leads its market and is ranked No. 1 for cleaning performance. It started out online-only and is now also stocked in supermarkets and specialist retailers. Its e-commerce channels alone ship more than 110,000 orders a year.

Since 2023, Bigblue has fulfilled every order from INGA's Shopify store and its flash sale campaigns. That means handling some serious swings in demand: four major promotional periods a year, 24-hour sales, product launches, and flash sale campaigns that bring in thousands of orders in a single day. Order volume can jump fivefold from one week to the next. Even so, delivery performance and customer communication stay the same: 97% of orders arrive on time, and buyer satisfaction is 94%.

Making a sponge something people want to show off

Christophe Terrin co-founded INGA with Benjamin Birr and is now the brand's Digital Director.

“Our mission with INGA was to get as many people as possible to switch from disposable to reusable. To do that, you need a product that's durable, of course, but also effective, practical, affordable and hygienic. A genuinely good product, not just an eco-friendly one.”Christophe Terrin, co-founder and Digital Director, INGA

The rest comes down to the brand identity: bold colours, a playful, offbeat tone of voice, leopard-print sponges that fly off the shelves, and an autumn/winter collection in terracotta and khaki. It's a way of making an everyday product desirable for the first time, without ever narrowing the audience. INGA is unapologetic about its mass-market ambition: a product “that can appeal to everyone”.

“It also means making a product you're proud to leave out in your kitchen, when a sponge is usually something you'd rather hide.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

INGA started online-only. The founders saw this as the best way to test the market and build awareness before chasing volume in physical retail. Three years on, online is still central to the business. It's where INGA launches products, controls its messaging and talks directly to its customers. It's also what makes demand so unpredictable: every launch, test and peak moment immediately creates a spike in orders.

Why Bigblue: e-commerce expertise and a relationship that lasts

When INGA went looking for a new e-commerce logistics partner, it wanted more than a warehouse. It needed a partner that could keep up with a brand whose activity is concentrated in a handful of peak moments, and that could help build a delivery experience to match the brand's promise.

“What we particularly liked about Bigblue was its real e-commerce expertise, with features like delivery estimates and pickup point selection right at checkout.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

The other deciding factor was the relationship. Other providers had felt “a bit rigid”, whereas the team found Bigblue far more flexible and responsive day to day. That matters even more when a single campaign can multiply volumes overnight. Three years on, the relationship is why INGA has stayed.

“What I really value is that whenever we have a problem, there's a solution. That flexibility, and the quality of our relationship with the different account managers, makes all the difference.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

From fulfilment to carrier choice: all e-commerce operations in one place

Bigblue handles orders from INGA's website as well as from flash sale platforms. Some days, that means thousands of orders.

All of these channels draw on a single pool of stock in one Bigblue warehouse. Website and flash sale orders are picked, shipped and tracked in the same place. Because of this, INGA can take on a flash sale campaign without juggling stock between channels or ring-fencing it ahead of a peak.

INGA and Bigblue also worked together on the brand's shipping strategy. The aim was to steer more deliveries towards pickup points by testing how delivery options are displayed on the website and in the Bigblue app.

“One project we ran together was shifting our delivery mix from 30% pickup points to 70%, using A/B tests on the site and in the Bigblue app. It was a real shipping strategy project, with a direct impact on our margins. Today we're at 60 to 70%. We've completely flipped the mix.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

A single stock pool, centralised operations and a deliberate shipping strategy now let the brand deliver 97% of orders within the promised timeframe. The average time from order to delivery is 2.3 days, whether it's a quiet week or the middle of a major promotion.

Four peak seasons a year, and order volumes that can jump fivefold in a week

INGA runs four major promotional periods a year and launches several new products annually. It also regularly runs flash campaigns on platforms such as Choose. These peaks are built into the brand's growth model. Each one can multiply weekly order volume by five, sometimes with most of it landing on a single day.

“That's where a solid logistics partner really pays off. We can say: this week we'll do 1,000 orders, next week 5,000, and we don't want any delays in processing. That's when you need a partner who's flexible and organised enough to absorb those swings.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

These peaks account for a significant share of annual revenue. This year, the brand is going further for the festive season with an expanded Christmas range that includes dedicated sponges and gift sets. It's also planning Black Friday forecasts and stock levels in advance with Bigblue.

A post-purchase experience that reassures customers and cuts returns

After checkout, INGA's priority is clear: keep customers informed until their order arrives, even on days when several thousand parcels go out at once.

“The most important thing for me is that the customer knows when their product will arrive, and whether it has arrived, whatever the channel.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

Every step of the post-purchase journey is covered, with a specific tool for each need. First, customers choose their pickup point at checkout, powered by Maple. Tracking emails and a tracking page then keep them updated, so they never need to contact the brand. Only 0.8% of orders lead to a customer service request, compared with an e-commerce average of around 2%. An FAQ built into the tracking page answers the most common questions and saves nearly 40 hours of ticket handling every month. And for customers who rarely check their inbox, WAX powers WhatsApp tracking.

“The reminder emails that prompt customers to collect their parcel from the pickup point really make a difference. They help us avoid carrier returns, which are very expensive.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

Those reminders alone prevent more than 1,100 carrier returns every month. The Bigblue app also connects to the brand's other tools. Order status feeds into Klaviyo, so the product instruction email is sent when the customer receives their parcel rather than when they buy. Gorgias handles customer support, and a custom weekly report of sales by channel feeds into forecasting.

“Plan for the next stage”: Christophe's advice to growing brands

Logistics is rarely top of mind for founders at the start. When asked what to look for in a provider, Christophe doesn't mention price or current performance. Instead, he points to the ability to keep up over time:

“Above all, I'd recommend planning for the next stage. A provider can be perfect at one point, say when you're shipping 30 orders a day, and then be unable to keep up once the brand starts growing. Switching 3PL is painful, so it's better to choose the right partner from the start.”Christophe Terrin, INGA

His second criterion is one people rarely mention: the partner's financial stability, so you're never left dealing with them going under mid-season. For INGA, the road ahead is clear: more launches, more promotions, more flash sales, and logistics that can keep up with that pace.

“Our biggest challenge over the coming months is getting our launches right. Bigblue has a real role to play there: the right stock levels and the right forecasts.”Christophe Terrin, INGA