Stord Acquires Penny Black to Power Hyper-Personalized Unboxing Experiences and Drive Consumer Retention

Stord Acquires Penny Black to Power Hyper-Personalized Unboxing Experiences and Drive Consumer Retention

In a strategic move to deepen its Consumer Experience suite, Stord has announced the acquisition of Penny Black, a UK-based SaaS platform specializing in hyper-personalized post-purchase inserts. The acquisition aims to help brands boost average order value, retention, and revenue by transforming unboxing into a powerful marketing moment.

Personalization at Scale Meets Fulfillment Power

While brands have long been able to personalize digital ads and emails, the ability to deliver customized experiences during order fulfillment has remained limited. With Penny Black, brands can now produce unique print inserts—such as gift messages, QR-linked videos, coupon codes, and product recommendations—tailored to individual shoppers based on CRM or CDP data. These are printed on-demand at pack stations, giving each order a one-to-one personalization experience.

According to Stord CEO Sean Henry, this acquisition “provides our brands a tangible way to truly influence the consumer experience and improve bottom line revenue.” Penny Black customers have seen up to a 25% increase in average order value (AOV) and a 300% ROI in the first three months of implementation.

Advancing the Consumer Experience Platform

This acquisition builds on Stord’s rapid expansion as “The Consumer Experience Company,” with a fulfillment infrastructure that spans North America, the UK, and the EU. The company recently acquired Ware2Go and earlier absorbed Pitney Bowes' e-commerce business, ProPack, and Fulfillment Works. It also raised a $200 million funding round that pushed its valuation to $1.6 billion.

Stord’s ecosystem now includes SaaS and AI tools like shipment protection, post-purchase notifications, and expiration management, in addition to traditional warehouse and order management systems. The integration of Penny Black adds a new layer to the post-purchase stack, allowing brands to create highly targeted, real-world touchpoints that match the sophistication of digital campaigns—something Craig Stewart, SVP of Product & Engineering at Stord, calls “a 100% open rate during unboxing.”

Elevating DTC Brand Performance

As more consumers expect tailored experiences—71% expecting personalized communication, per McKinsey—Stord’s latest acquisition equips DTC brands to meet those expectations across physical and digital touchpoints. Whether it’s a first-time buyer getting a welcome offer or a high-spender receiving a loyalty incentive, personalization is no longer limited to screens.

This move reinforces Stord’s vision of creating parity with platforms like Amazon Prime by giving brands of all sizes the tools to compete on fulfillment speed, operational excellence, and now, unboxing delight.