De Bijenkorf partners with Ingram Micro Commerce & Lifecycle Services to support a premium shopping experience

Proven omnichannel commerce solutions enable growth and improve customer experience

De Bijenkorf (part of the Selfridges Group) is the Netherlands’ largest premium department store with locations in seven cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague, as well as a web store. De Bijenkorf offers a careful selection of the best fashion brands, designer brands and luxury products and adheres to the highest quality standards. In 2016, it was awarded the Best Omnichannel Shop of the Netherlands.

Partners in growth

De Bijenkorf is dedicated to exciting customers with exceptional products and focuses on curating an inspiring and unique shopping experience. In 2008, de Bijenkorf was looking for a partner that could facilitate its ambitious growth plans. They found what they were looking for in Ingram Micro Services and have since managed many successful peak seasons together. “The proven omnichannel solutions of Ingram Micro Services have supported our growth and improved the customer experience,” said Pieter Heij, Director of Multichannel, Technology and Supply Chain at de Bijenkorf. This has helped de Bijenkorf increase customer loyalty and order volume.

An omnichannel solution

De Bijenkorf wants customers to have a premium shopping experience, regardless of whether transactions are made in stores or online. Value added services help the company ensure a seamless shopping experience across all channels — for example, when a customer purchases online, they can select a preferred order delivery time. De Bijenkorf is also able to guard against out of stock issues by making all of its inventory available from a single pool, no matter the location.

Omnichannel fulfillment is just one area of focus. Ingram Micro Services has successfully implemented the following solutions to support de Bijenkorf’s ecommerce operations:

• Hyper-customization – De Bijenkorf clothing is wrapped in silk paper before being packed in a branded box, and suits and dresses are transported in rollors (an award-winning packing method) to make sure they arrive in perfect shape at a given destination. A truly special customer experience is in the details, so Ingram Micro Services customizes elements like wrapping, decoration and handwritten cards according to the preferences of ecommerce customers; for example, if an online shopper wants a product packed in white wrapping with a pink ribbon, this can be accommodated during the order fulfillment process, just as it would be done in stores.
• Last-mile services – In ecommerce, last mile services are a critical part of the customer experience. Ingram Micro Services provides an array of last mile services and is committed to delivering orders anytime, anywhere. Last mile services include:
  • Same-day delivery
  • Timeframe delivery
  • In-store pickup (This also works the other way around: If a product is unavailable in-store, it can be ordered in-store, online.)
• Improving customer loyalty with returns handling solutions – In the apparel industry, return rates are higher than what is typically seen in other product categories. Efficient handling of returns is crucial for a positive customer experience and has the ability to influence customer loyalty. A flexible returns solution allows customers to return products themselves or to a de Bijenkorf store. Ingram Micro Services’ returns solution includes:
  • Handling returns within 24 hours
  • Grading based on many characteristics
  • Refurbishment
  • Reconditioning
  • Testing (electronics)
  • Trigger for refund or new order
  In general, 60-80% of returned goods are “fast movers” (in-demand products), so operational processes are aimed at getting returned products back in-store or online as soon as possible.

Focusing on the future

De Bijenkorf’s primary goals are to deliver a leading luxury shopping experience, focus on personalization and deliver a premium shopping experience. De Bijenkorf is also committed to environmental awareness, which extends to the sustainability of their supply chain. Together, we are reducing our footprint and have already made small steps in this effort and more are planned.