Power Retail Sparks | Weekly Global News Round Up | 22.03.21

VidaXL Opens Fulfilment Centres in Netherlands and Poland

VidaXL is planning to build two new FC in Europe. The Netherlands-basd retailer will be opening a new fulfilment centre in The Netherlands, as well as opening another in Poland. The retailer has plans to expand its product offering and maintain healthy stock levels of in-demand products sold worldwide. The locations of the FCs will also help speed up delivery times across Central and Eastern Europe.

The retailer also has plans to create an FC in Australia. “These new fulfilment centers are a very important step in our growth journey,” explained Kijo Oudshoorn, the CCO of VidaXL. “In the past year, we have searched extensively for suitable locations and we’re excited to start building this year.”

Belgian E-Commerce Decreases by Ten Percent in 2020 Despite Sales Growth

The e-commerce market in Belgium was valued at €10.6 billion in 2020, a report from E-Commerce News has stated. This is a decrease of 10 percent compared to the same period the year before. While the number of products ordered online was significantly higher than 2019, the population of Belgium bought ‘far fewer’ services using online retailers.

Interestingly, despite the number of online orders increasing, the AOV has dropped – this can be as a result of the pandemic and the government’s strict regulations throughout the pandemic. Over 2020, there was notable growth in consumer electronics (up 93 percent), household electronics (up 92 percent) and computer accessories (up 66 percent).

Walmart Opens Marketplace to Foreign Sellers

Walmart is starting to accept vendors on its marketplace from outside the US. The retailer is looking to expand its digital platform, and will start allowing international third-party vendors to sell on the platform, which is a ‘huge opportunity’ for the retailer, explained CEO Doug McMillon.

“We have strong relationships with many reputable companies around the world and we have some of the most rigorous seller requirements in the industry,” he said. “As a result, we are opening our U.S. marketplace to a limited number of international companies who share our commitment to customer trust and safety.”

This move aims to expand its current product offering online and act as a direct rival to Amazon. It will further help Chinese manufacturers reach a new American market – according to Digital Commerce 360, Chinese manufacturers made up 75 percent of Amazon’s marketplace sellers, which is expected to be a similar representation for Walmart’s new marketplace.

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