Freestyle's EDI Upgrade with Crstl Delivers 20% Cost Savings and Lightning-Fast Onboarding

Modern parenting meets smart commerce at Freestyle, where non-toxic, ultra-soft diapers and wipes align with contemporary values. CEO and Co-founder Russ Wallace leads a brand that speaks directly to young families through products made with 88% plant-based, biodegradable materials and backed by Hyper Absorbent BambooTek™ technology.

"Freestyle is created for the new generation of parents, with products that focus on performance, style, and lifestyle innovations—factors that we think speak to today’s young parents," says Wallace.

Starting from a fresh vision of parenthood that went beyond white picket fences and suburban lifestyles, Freestyle rapidly expanded to over 1,300 locations across the United States. With Gen Z and younger demographics representing over 25% of current parents, the brand struck a chord with its contemporary approach to baby care.

Challenge: Manual Processes and Legacy EDI Hurdles

Freestyle’s early growth brought operational challenges, particularly regarding Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) management. The company started with a legacy EDI provider, but found the experience restrictive and expensive.

"It was frustrating and expensive. The processes were long. [The legacy EDI provider] is a very big company, used to working with very big partners. And for startups like us, it was not a great relationship," Wallace recalls.

The company faced several operational bottlenecks:

• Manual order entry through PDFs
• Extended processing times for partner integrations
• Delayed payment terms due to slow EDI setup
• Poor customer support response times

"Working with them was like dealing with the DMV," Wallace notes, highlighting the bureaucratic nature of their previous EDI provider.

Solution: Streamlined Operations with Crstl

A prior connection between Wallace and Crstl’s CEO, Dipti, led to a timely discovery of Crstl’s EDI capabilities just as Freestyle needed integration with UNFI.

"As a startup, our biggest advantage is speed of execution. Having a partner, like Crstl, who shares that same advantage and acts quickly was incredibly valuable, especially when it allowed us to get EDI set up with UNFI sooner, which in turn allowed us to secure better payment terms," Wallace explains.

Crstl delivered several advantages:

• Rapid partner integration within days
• Direct Slack integration for real-time support
• Automated order processing
• QuickBooks Online integration automate invoicing
• ShipHero WMS integration to automate fulfillment workflows and generate compliant GS1-128 shipping labels and packing slips
• Cost-effective pricing structure
• No long-term contract requirements

"The pricing was great—a fraction of the cost of [the legacy provider]. Dipti also assured me at the time they’d be able to scale with us, which Crstl continues to do so," Wallace shares.

Impact: Measurable Growth and Operational Excellence

Moving to Crstl created immediate positive changes for Freestyle. The brand saw substantial improvements across multiple operational areas.

"I don’t have to go through some crazy customer support process whenever I need something, and I generally get responses within minutes on Slack, which is amazing! With Crstl, it’s a much more efficient operation from a speed and cost standpoint compared to our previous EDI provider," Wallace states.

The implementation of automated processes freed the team from manual data entry, allowing greater focus on expansion and customer relationships. "The interface is great and simple, easy to train anybody on, and then it’s also integrated into QuickBooks, which our accountant obviously appreciates," notes Wallace.

Numbers: Quantifiable Success

Key metrics from Freestyle’s Crstl implementation:

• 20% reduction in EDI-related costs
• Integration time reduced from months to under one week
• Expansion to 1,300+ retail locations
• Real-time order visibility across teams

The partnership between Freestyle and Crstl continues to support the brand’s growth, recently facilitating expansion to major retailers while maintaining operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

Ready to modernize your EDI operations? Book a demo with Crstl to learn how your brand too can reduce costs by 20% and complete integrations within days. Crstl's platform works seamlessly with major retailers, 3PLs, and ERPs, offering straightforward, predictable pricing.