Allbirds scales global retail operations with Cisco Meraki

Allbirds, the New Zealand-American footwear brand known for sustainable materials and minimalist design, has redefined comfort with its eco-conscious products. But its commitment to sustainability extends far beyond the materials in its shoes—it’s deeply embedded in its IT philosophy. Operating with a lean team of just three professionals, Allbirds supports a global workforce of 1,000 employees and a rapidly growing network of 59 retail locations across North America, Europe, and Asia.

To meet the demands of global retail expansion without compromising its environmental values or operational efficiency, Allbirds turned to a scalable and cloud-first technology foundation: Cisco Meraki.

With a mission to “leave a light footprint,” Allbirds needed an IT infrastructure that could scale quickly, reduce physical presence, and uphold the brand’s sustainability goals. As new retail locations launched across continents, the team needed:

• A consistent, cloud-based network architecture
• Remote setup and management capabilities
• Centralized mobile device management (MDM)
• Strong security controls for customer data and retail operations
• Reduced need for on-site IT involvement

Traditional networking approaches—reliant on servers and physical intervention—were incompatible with Allbirds’ agile business model and environmental commitments.

Since 2018, Allbirds has relied entirely on Cisco Meraki to deploy and manage its global retail infrastructure. The company implemented a fully cloud-managed platform for networking, security, and device management.

Using Meraki’s centralized dashboard, Allbirds' IT infrastructure manager can configure and replicate store networks remotely in minutes—without ever stepping foot on-site. Local installers follow standardized guides, while the central IT team ensures seamless rollout and compliance.

Through Meraki Systems Manager, the IT team remotely controls all point-of-sale devices and customer-facing tablets, pushing updates, marketing content, and security policies from a single interface. These capabilities not only enhance operational security but also contribute to an elevated customer experience.

Rapid store deployment

New retail locations are configured remotely in under five minutes, dramatically reducing launch times.

Sustainability at scale

Remote management eliminates unnecessary travel, aligning with Allbirds’ commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.

Security & compliance

Retail devices are locked down, separated from other networks, and centrally managed to ensure data protection and regulatory compliance.

Brand consistency

Marketing updates and device content are synchronized globally, maintaining a unified brand presence.