Sersana: Generating Wellness, Transforming Lives
Estimated reading time: 7 Min
Betzabet Alvarez, eCommerce manager at Sersana, has seen the transformative power of the Sersana Method firsthand: it was a source of hope and encouragement for families, couples, and individuals across Mexico during the pandemic, and it is daily a positive force in the lives of countless Mexicans who enjoy classes created by Leticia Román and Ana Jimena, both virtually and at Sersana studios.
But beyond being an example of successful fitness entrepreneurship, Sersana is also an eCommerce and a wellness brand—an innovative concept that found in Cubbo its logistics partner and operational arm. This is their story!
Let's start at the beginning—how and where was Sersana born?
Betzabet: Sersana was founded eight years ago. The founders are Leticia Román and Ana Jimena Ramirez. Leti Román comes from New York—she is a professional dancer and worked with stars such as Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin, among others.
Leticia developed her own training method. She then met Ana Jimena and they decided to offer private classes with this new method, which had nothing similar in Mexico, and they called it SBM: Sersana Body Method.
What makes Sersana so different?
Betzabet: What's particular about it is that previously in Mexico what you saw were aerobics and weight classes. With this method they brought a way of training that combines exercises designed to create a workout function very different from what was normally done with aerobics.
Literally, this method moves muscles you didn't even know you had and makes places hurt that you didn't know you had. They are truly comprehensive exercises that help you lose weight and at the same time tone your entire body, because they reach all muscle groups.
That sounds great—I imagine the classes are very lively too?
Betzabet: They really are, because Leti Román has incredible energy and is someone who makes you feel super, super good. The boom was so big here in Mexico with all the people who wanted private classes that they reached a point where they couldn't keep up and decided to open a studio in Polanco.
And as public support and interest grew, we kept expanding with more class models, more training formats, and more specialized routines.
How many studios do you currently have?
Betzabet: Polanco, Arcos, and Pedregal—outside Mexico City we have studios in Monterrey, Guadalajara, and Valle de Bravo, which is the most recent.
And if I want to take a Sersana class, do I have to go to the studio?
Betzabet: No. In fact, we can proudly say that when the pandemic started we were among the first studios to offer online classes. And Sersana was the first studio to offer the first online class on Instagram during the pandemic. Then, when it became clear the pandemic would last, we moved to having our trainers give classes via Zoom.
People liked it so much that we created a platform called Sersana Home, which is what we use today. There we upload the videos our trainers prepare each week. This is ideal for people who don't feel confident enough to come take a class at the studio—they can try it from home.
I imagine this was very successful during the pandemic
Betzabet: Very much so. In fact, it often happened that the mother or father was doing the exercise routine on Zoom and the daughter or son would start imitating them—it was very fun. People would get together to do their Sersana and motivate each other. I remember a couple of grandparents who did their session together every day at 10:00 in the morning. It was very beautiful.
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But I understand you also have a traditional eCommerce?
Betzabet: Of course. When we started to see what was happening with the pandemic and that people needed to take classes at home, we thought they would need training equipment—and that it should be as similar as possible to what we use in the studio, so the class experience would be as close as possible to what classes are like here.
For example, at the studio we work with special wooden boxes used to perform the exercises—these boxes are called Sersana Box and have specific specifications and measurements.
We also use weights, weighted balls, ankle weights, and more. So what we started doing was offering that product to customers who were taking online classes. That way they had materials to train with a greater variety of exercises, and at the same time we could run classes the way we give them in the studio: working with boxes, balls, and ankle weights.
And when we started selling the products, we realized people loved consuming them because that way they felt like they were in class—they could do it with the same equipment as if they were here.
That's when we had to learn to build an eCommerce—connecting with suppliers, managing orders, the warehouse, and sales. And today you can buy everything on the Sersana eCommerce and set up your home as if you were in the studio.
And was Sersana Home something you had planned or something born from the pandemic?
Betzabet: It was really something we already had planned, but it's true the pandemic gave it the push to accelerate and launch faster. It pushed us to give shape to the idea.
Overwhelmed by success
The reason Sersana came to Cubbo is the perfect definition of a happy problem: their online sales increased so much that they could not keep up logistically or with shipping.
At that point, Sersana sought help—a partner that would not only help them catch up but go a step further and serve as a guide, advisor, and ally in the world of eCommerce, where they were just getting started. They found that partner in Cubbo.
And how did you find Cubbo?
Betzabet: When we started to realize we could no longer keep up with shipping because it was a huge volume of shipments and we couldn't pack, load, and package everything, someone from Cubbo contacted us and that person explained what Cubbo could offer us.
At that moment we had no eCommerce experience at all. And it was during the interview with Cubbo when they told us what it was and what they could do for us that we decided to have them as partners, because they were exactly what we needed.
And what exactly did Cubbo solve for you?
Betzabet: They handled the packaging for us, they helped us ship everything correctly, because we often couldn't get the packaging to look as nice and professional as it should, and we felt like everything was chaos. With Cubbo that ended: they simplified our entire delivery and inventory process enormously, they took care of logistics and all management. And that was a relief.
And do you sell only in Mexico?
Betzabet: No. Precisely with Cubbo we were able to start selling in Mexico—all of Mexico—and also in the United States. That was another great thing about Cubbo.
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Was there anything exceptional you asked Cubbo for?
Betzabet: Well, at first we knew so little about eCommerce that we didn't even know how to generate barcodes. At Cubbo they would talk to me about SKUs and I didn't even know what they were talking about. I would tell them, "Hey Marco, I have no idea what a SKU is." Marco is the person who helps us at Cubbo, and he always responded: "Don't worry, I'll help you"—and he really has helped us with that to this day. We send them products without SKUs and they set them up and manage them.
Marco, I have to say, always responds right away. Cubbo has always worked very well for us—I think we only had problems with a few sliders a couple of times and they resolved it the same day. We also send all customers a questionnaire afterward to see how order delivery went, and they always speak very highly of Cubbo. So we hope to keep counting on them with this same quality of service.
What's coming in the next few months?
Betzabet: From the beginning, the Sersana concept is to generate a comprehensive method to tone your body. And now we are preparing proteins, probiotics, and supplements—everything your body needs so the Sersana Body Method helps you tone up and transform your life through exercise, nutrition, and awareness to establish healthy habits.
This method is designed to work with the body intelligently, effectively, comprehensively, and enjoyably to prevent injuries. Sersana is literally that—changing your life completely, learning to love yourself as you are, but living a healthy life through exercise and having fun.
Looking for a partner to boost your delivery process, fulfillment, and customer satisfaction? Don't hesitate to contact us—we are the best fulfillment center for eCommerce in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil—just click here.
During 2021 at Cubbo:
* Our clients recorded 21% savings in operating costs
* 97.1% of products received were processed and ready to sell within 24 hours.
* We achieved 99.7% on-time shipping fulfillment
* We recorded 99.9875% order preparation accuracy—that is, 1 error every 8,000 shipments.
* 60% of our deliveries in Mexico City were made the same day
* We completed nationwide deliveries in an average of 1.3 days
