Bringing parcels to customers is far too expensive, Blokker owner Michiel Witteveen believes. The retail group is therefore considering stopping home delivery. In Belgium, the margin has already improved significantly as a result.
Witteveen states this in an interview with RetailTrends. The entrepreneur has owned Blokker since April, appointed to help the loss-making group get back on its feet.
This summer, Blokker announced it would stop home deliveries in Belgium. Online ordering is still possible, but parcels must be collected in the shop. "On every street corner there is a Blokker. Then I say: pick up your order comfortably," Witteveen said in the November issue of RetailTrends.
Now that the margin in Belgium has improved, the Blokker boss says he is considering a similar step in the Netherlands too. "Bringing parcels to the customer is far too expensive. Below a hundred euros in order value, you just have to stop doing that at some point."
Omnichannel DC in Geldermalsen
Meanwhile, the opening of Blokker's omnichannel distribution centre in Geldermalsen is approaching. By merging the logistics operation for offline and online sales, Blokker stated in 2018 that it actually wanted to serve online customers faster and better. Currently, Blokker is in the final phase of the thorough redesign in Geldermalsen. When the distribution centre is fully operational, the e-commerce DC in Gouda will close its doors.
