Alder Creek Gift Baskets Spreads the Cheer With Help From C2FO

About Alder Creek Gift Baskets

America’s largest retailers depend on Alder Creek Gift Baskets to make the holidays bright for their shoppers. The Temecula, California-based company produces fun and fashionable gift baskets for practically every kind of special occasion. 

And the company’s reach isn’t limited to the US. Through its online store — and its placements in retail shops on military bases around the world — Alder Creek Gift Baskets helps loved ones spread holiday cheer no matter how far away they are.  

Challenge

As a thriving business, Alder Creek Gift Baskets needed an affordable, reliable source of working capital to fill its gift baskets with fresh inventory and fund future growth.

Why Alder Creek Gift Baskets chose C2FO

Alder Creek uses C2FO to request early payment from its biggest customers, in exchange for giving them a small discount on their invoices.

Some of the world’s largest retailers — including six of Alder Creek’s customers — use C2FO’s platform to pay early and support their suppliers’ financial health.

Instead of borrowing money at high interest rates, Alder Creek is tapping into sales they have already made. Owners Andrea and Greg Stringer have the power to choose which invoices, if any, they want to accelerate, whenever they choose.

After researching C2FO, they decided to use it with all of the customers who were on the platform. They simply set a “recurring offer” that is automatically applied to any new invoices.

“We accelerate (payments) from all,” said Greg Stringer, who serves as CFO. “And basically what we do is we just set it up and then just let it run. And so it’s constantly accelerating (invoices) if they’re available.”

Even better, two of their customers have special programs through C2FO where they will pay their diverse- and women-owned suppliers on preferred terms, as a way to further support those businesses. Andrea Stringer, Alder Creek’s CEO, said it makes early payment even more affordable for their company.

Because they have multiple customers on C2FO’s platform, Alder Creek has multiple streams of accelerated cash flow. It’s a powerful network effect.

How C2FO helped Alder Creek Gift Baskets

Increased buying power and more discounts

The Stringers say that C2FO’s early payment program has been one of the keys to their success. Customer payments arrive in days, not months.

“What it allows us to do is pay our suppliers on time and take advantage of early payment discounts, so it increases our margin on all of our gifts,” Andrea Stringer said. “We’re able to get better pricing from our vendors.”

Affordable access to working capital

Unlike other financing options, C2FO doesn’t charge excessive fees — an important differentiator for the Stringers.

“We felt a little leery because most companies that offer this type of program have exorbitant fees. It’s really not what they’re portraying,” Greg Stringer said. “But we found with C2FO, it’s exactly how they are portraying it.”

Greater visibility into cash flow

The Stringers use Invoice Central, a section of C2FO’s platform, to monitor which invoices have been approved and when payment will arrive. It’s proven invaluable for managing cash flow.

“With C2FO, you know that when you’re submitting the invoice, you know what the deductions are going to be and that you’re going to get paid within 10 days or less,” Andrea Stringer said. “No surprises.”

The results

The Stringers have big plans for Alder Creek Gift Baskets, including a retail shop in California’s Temecula Valley wine country and a distribution center on the East Coast. They know that pursuing those goals will be easier with a partner like C2FO on their side.

“I would highly recommend C2FO to any small business,” Andrea Stringer said. “This is a program that does not take advantage of us, that is actually here to help us, to help us be financially sound and help us compete with the larger companies that are out there.”

Experience C2FO’s network effect

Having one customer on C2FO is powerful. But when most or all of your biggest customers are willing to speed up payment? It can be a game-changer for your company’s ability to invest in growth. Talk to the C2FO team to learn more.

This article originally published May 2022, and was updated February 2023.