The story of IFGlobal: Founder frustrations to global growth partner for ecommerce brands

Back in 2002, James Bartlett was running his own ecommerce brands out of a warehouse in Dorset.

Like many founders, he was juggling everything. From product development, marketing, sales and fulfilment. He quickly realised that fulfilment, something many ecommerce brands overlook, was holding his growth back.

Starting from the ground up

The more the businesses grew, the harder it became to keep everything running smoothly. “I quickly realised that this wasn’t just my problem. Many brands hit the same roadblocks when scaling,” James says. Out of that need, I-Fulfilment was born.

Building a better way

Instead of settling for subpar solutions, James decided to build his own.

What started as warehouse space for his brands evolved into a fulfilment service offering to others; a trusted partner focused on solving the real operational challenges growing brands face. “We weren’t just storing products; we were solving problems,” James explains. “We didn’t start with a business plan. We started with a problem. Then, we designed flexible services that could scale, with accuracy and reliability at their core.”

Fulfilment software that works

Recognising the limits of off-the-shelf fulfilment software, James and his team developed BladePRO, proprietary warehouse management system. Built to provide real-time inventory management and visibility, batch tracking, and seamless ecommerce platform integration, BladePRO gives brands the control they need to scale efficiently.

“BladePRO was designed for founders who want to move past spreadsheets and manual processes, without the complexity or cost of enterprise systems,” James says.

Built in 2005, BladePRO has rapidly matured into a fulfilment software that rivals enterprise platforms, with impressive inventory accuracy, batch and expiry controls, and deep integrations with ecommerce platforms like Shopify and Amazon. Its success is measurable in partner retention rates and operational efficiency.

Over two decades of learning by doing

For over 23 years, I-Fulfilment grew organically, one customer, one warehouse, one integration at a time. The company worked closely with scale-up brands that were facing the exact same pain points James once did.

Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all model, I-Fulfilment focused on building tailored logistics solutions backed by real operational experience. It became known for combining flexibility with rigour, delivering where others fell short.

In 2024, I‑Fulfilment was shortlisted at the 2024 UK Warehousing Association Awards (UKWA) for excellence in value-added services, showcasing our commitment to innovative solutions like custom kitting, bundling, and packaging excellence.

James and his team weren’t content to be just another logistics provider. They wanted to create a partner that helped brands scale without compromise. “Fulfilment should never be a barrier to growth. We saw too many businesses held back by inefficient processes and clunky systems. So we built something different.”

Over the years, I‑Fulfilment has achieved and maintained several ISO certifications that underscore its commitment to quality, data security and operational consistency, core to the success of any scaling ecommerce brand.

“We’ve embedded operational excellence into every layer of our business, validated by internationally recognised standards and certifications that matter to fast-growing brands.”

A new chapter as IFGlobal

In 2025, I-Fulfilment became IFGlobal, a name that reflects both where the business is now, and where it’s going. “We didn’t change who we are. We evolved to meet what the market and our clients need now,” James explains.

IFGlobal is still founder-led and problem-focused. But the scope has grown; international fulfilment, deeper tech integration, and a breadth of value-added services designed around brand experience; from batch control and custom packaging to Amazon marketplace growth through its in-house agency, Amplifi.

Built for ecommerce founders, backed by experience

What makes IFGlobal different today is what made I-Fulfilment different 20 years ago. We’ve lived the ecommerce founder journey. We understand what’s at stake when your fulfilment partner drops the ball. We know the operational challenges that come with 5x growth. And we’ve seen how poor visibility can grind momentum to a halt.

That’s why IFGlobal isn’t just a 3PL. It’s a strategic partner for scaling brands, offering the infrastructure, tech, and expertise to grow confidently. “Everything we’ve built, from our tech stack to our service model, is designed to make your next phase of growth smoother, smarter, and more sustainable.”

That vision led to IFGlobal’s pioneering adaptive fulfilment model. Flexible, transparent, and designed to evolve alongside ecommerce brands, no matter how complex their needs.

IFGlobal now stands as an international fulfilment powerhouse, supporting over 200 brands with fulfilment centres in the UK, Europe, and the United States.

If you’re an ecommerce founder, this isn’t just our story, it could be yours. From surviving to systems, from reactive to strategic. With IFGlobal by your side, your brand is unstoppable.

Where we’re heading next

Our mission has always been simple, to help ambitious ecommerce brands grow, without compromising on experience, for the end customer or the founder.

As the ecommerce landscape evolves, so do we. We’re investing in new technologies, expanding into new markets, and constantly refining our model to meet the needs of today’s high-growth brands.

• Deeper automation and visibility across the entire fulfilment lifecycle
• Sustainability initiatives that align with your values and those of your customers
• Specialist support for categories like health, beauty, and wellness
• Scalable solutions for Amazon-first and multi-channel strategies

Most importantly, we’re doing it with the same founder-led, problem-focused, and customer-obsessed mindset we had back in 2002. Whether you're shipping 2,000 orders a month or scaling to 20,000, IFGlobal is built to grow with you, not just serve you.

This isn’t the end of the I-Fulfilment story. It’s the next chapter, and we’d love you to be part of it.