How Sleeper unlocked 25% of its catalogue and grew a blocked market by +168%

Sleeper is a Ukrainian-founded mid-luxury brand with a philosophy as distinctive as its aesthetic: blur the line between day and night, comfort and occasion, the everyday and the extraordinary. Known globally for their signature party pyjamas, feather-trimmed robes, and resort dresses, Sleeper has built a devoted international following — a brand that dresses women for celebrations, big and small, without asking them to sacrifice comfort.

With collections spanning pyjamas and sets, bridal edits, vacation dressing, and occasion wear, Sleeper sells direct-to-consumer across more than 100 countries worldwide. That global footprint is central to the brand’s identity — and it’s precisely what their previous provider was limiting.

The challenge

A provider that blocked 25% of their catalogue, and moved at the pace of 2003.

Sleeper’s previous international provider created two fundamental problems. The first was structural: because they weren’t acting as Merchant of Record, a significant portion of Sleeper’s catalogue simply could not be shipped to certain markets. Customers wanted to order; Sleeper wanted to sell. The provider said no. A full 25% of the catalogue was effectively invisible to international shoppers.

The second problem was operational. Payouts came weekly rather than in real time, making cash flow planning unnecessarily difficult. And when it came to returns, the dashboard was bare — no policy settings, no flexibility, no ability for the team to configure anything themselves. A simple request to exclude “final sale” tagged items from returns took the previous provider over a week to implement. For a globally ambitious brand, it felt like being held back by technology built for a different era.

• Not the Merchant of Record — The previous provider’s non-MoR status meant 25% of Sleeper’s catalogue couldn’t be shipped to key international markets — a direct cap on global revenue.
• Weekly payouts, not real-time cash flow — Revenue was locked behind weekly payout cycles, creating unnecessary friction for financial planning and limiting operational agility.
• Returns dashboard with no settings — The internal returns dashboard offered virtually no configuration options — the team had zero ability to manage policies, tags, or rules without raising requests.
• Painfully slow to implement changes — Even minor configuration changes, like excluding final sale items from returns, took the previous provider over a week to action — a process that should take minutes.

The Solution

Merchant of Record. Real-time. Built for this era.

Swap stepped in as Merchant of Record — the single change that immediately unlocked 25% of Sleeper’s catalogue for international shipping. Markets that had been completely off-limits were now open. Customers who had previously hit a wall at checkout could finally complete their orders.

The integration itself was described by Marina as “almost seamless” — and what time the onboarding did take was largely down to Sleeper’s own internal setup, not the Swap team, who were described as “lightning-fast and professional.” Beyond unlocking global markets, Swap replaced the frozen returns dashboard with a fully configurable portal, delivered real-time cash flow in place of weekly payouts, and brought a modern internal experience that the team had simply never had before.

1. Merchant of Record — unlocking the full catalogue globally

   As Merchant of Record, Swap takes on the compliance and tax obligations that previously prevented Sleeper from shipping 25% of their products internationally. Every item in the catalogue is now available to every market.
2. Real-time cash flow, replacing weekly payouts

   Swap provides immediate access to revenue rather than holding it behind weekly payout cycles — giving Sleeper the financial visibility and flexibility a global brand requires.
3. A fully configurable returns dashboard

   The bare, inflexible returns dashboard of the previous provider was replaced by a modern portal with full policy control — tags, periods, fees, and exceptions all manageable in real time by the team themselves.
4. A seamless customer returns experience

   Customers now experience a clean, transparent returns journey — a meaningful upgrade for a mid-luxury brand where the post-purchase experience is as important as the purchase itself.
5. A team that felt like an extension of Sleeper’s own

   The Swap team’s speed and professionalism during onboarding stood out. Rather than a vendor relationship, it felt like a genuine collaboration — a team invested in Sleeper’s success.

The Results

+168% in a market they couldn’t previously reach.

• +168% Sales growth in a previously blocked market. Sales into a market the previous provider wouldn’t ship to grew 168% from January to February after switching to Swap — immediate, measurable impact from simply being able to serve demand that already existed.
• 25% of catalogue unblocked. A quarter of Sleeper’s product catalogue was previously inaccessible to international customers. Swap’s Merchant of Record model made every product available in every market — from day one.
• Real-time cash flow restored. Weekly payout delays replaced with immediate revenue access — giving the finance team real-time visibility and the operational agility a fast-growing global brand needs.

The 168% sales increase in a single month is the number that stands out — but the story behind it is simply that demand already existed. Customers in that market wanted Sleeper products. The previous provider just wouldn’t let the brand reach them. Swap removed that restriction, and the market responded immediately.

The broader impact spans the entire operation. A catalogue that is now fully available globally. A returns experience that reflects the quality of the brand. A team that can manage policy in real time rather than waiting a week for a vendor to act. And cash flow that moves at the pace of the business, not the pace of a weekly payout cycle. Marina’s verdict was unambiguous: “Look no further — you found it.”