With its portfolio of customer-oriented services, Fulfilmentcrowd aims to profit from the growing e-commerce market in Germany. The UK's leading fulfilment provider opened its first German location in Bocholt this summer. Business will be conducted by partner company FairPack GmbH. In an interview, Sales & Marketing Director Lee Thompson talks about the launch in Germany and plans for the future.
- What services does your portfolio contain and which ones do you offer specifically in North Rhine-Westphalia?
Fulfilmentcrowd is a fast-growing company headquartered in the UK. We provide fulfilment services and software technology for e-commerce companies – from startups to multinationals. Our proposition is based on a 6-point promise. This includes, for example, no long-term contracts, no minimum fees, simple and consistent pricing and first-class customer service. Our first location in Bocholt serves customers around the world and gives them access to the fast-developing e-commerce market in Germany, which is already the second largest in Europe. Whether a client is processing two or 2,000 orders per day, we have the right logistics and shipping solution.
- What are your plans for the German market?
We officially started in July this year with the launch of our German website www.fulfilmentcrowd.de. We have thoroughly researched the German e-commerce market and believe that our unique proposition will appeal to a new generation of entrepreneurs looking to operate a lean, cost-effective and outsourced online business.
- Why did you choose Bocholt and NRW as a location?
We are fortunate to be working with a fantastic partner in Germany called FairPack GmbH. The company is based in Bocholt and after assessing transport links, warehouse capacity, access to labor and costs, we were convinced that NRW was the place to start our German adventure.
- How did NRW.INVEST support you in the decision-making process?
We attended a NRW seminar in the UK and learned that the region offers a lot of potential in the area of e-commerce and logistics. Our relationship with NRW.INVEST is still young, but we plan to work together as partners in the future and access their expertise and contacts as necessary.
- What will be future milestones in Germany?
Our first 12 months will be spent exploring the German market, refining our marketing program and working with 'early adopter' clients. The first three clients went live on 2nd August. We expect to close up to 25 new contracts by next summer, shipping over 250 parcels per day from Bocholt. Beyond that, we are hoping for year-on-year revenue growth in the range of 30-40% up to 2023.
