For years, Wibra only focused on the physical stores, 210 of which were in the Netherlands. Until they had to close due to the corona pandemic. In order to help consumers still find their favorite Wibra products, the discounter set up a webshop. Commercial director Wim Smit: 'We did that in no time, thanks to the quick help and useful advice from DHL.'
Webshop live in ten days
On January 10, 2021, Wibra decided: if our regular customers can't go to the store, we'll come to them – online. 'That had to be done quickly, because our products were really missed', says Wim. 'Especially the Dasty cleaning products: they are not available anywhere else and for many people the reason to come to Wibra. What the smoked sausage is for HEMA, Dasty is for us.' On January 21, the emergency webshop went live. A major achievement: 'We didn't have anything yet. From the product photos and article descriptions to the order picking and shipping: we started from scratch.'
Welcome reinforcement
In order to get the orders to customers quickly and safely, Wibra had to look for a logistics partner. Wim: 'That was very difficult at the time, because all the services were very full. Fortunately, we already had a line with DHL. If they could also make our business deliveries, they would be happy to help us. And that – fortunately – immediately went much further than just picking up and delivering packages.'
"DHL eCommerce's Business Development Manager Nino Versfeld was extremely involved and active from the start. He brought us into contact with the right parties, advised us on the webshop and thought along with us about the entire logistics process. They are truly our partner. Thanks to DHL, we finished the webshop in a week and a half: for a large organization, they are very fast and flexible. But above all, I value personal contact. That is ultimately what makes our collaboration so good.'
Quietly building the future
'We started our webshop with Dasty, that's what our customers were most likely to wait for. But of course we had no idea what exactly it would bring us. As it turned out, we already received about 2,000 orders per day during the first period! Once we got used to that, we continued to expand our online range. Customers also started asking for our other products.'
The webshop is running and the shops are open again, so it's time to take stock. Wim: 'We decided to keep the webshop. The emergency solution that we have now put in place gives us the space to quietly work on a more structural version. We are convinced that it will continue to be a valuable addition to our physical stores and can help us grow – which DHL will fortunately continue to support us in doing."