Dutch consumers will soon be able to buy bulky and small do-it-yourself (DIY) goods online andhave them delivered to their homes or convenient collection points through a strategic partnership
between PostNL and leading DIY company Intergamma that will also see new parcel collection pointsset up at the DIY stores.This summer, Intergamma, which operates 248 GAMMA DIY stores and 131 KARWEI DIY stores in theNetherlands and Belgium, will launch GAMMA and KARWEI webshops for online orders of a large rangeof DIY products.
In a strategic partnership, PostNL has won a contract to deliver all orders made through thewebshops, which is expected to be about 1.5 million items a year. In addition to small products,the Dutch postal operator will also deliver orders on pallets along with large products, such asdishwashers, shower basins and paint.
The plans also include the introduction of PostNL collection points in the GAMMA and KARWEIstores. This means goods can be delivered directly to homes or to these collection points. PostNLwill also deliver large orders on pallets or roll containers in the Netherlands and Belgium.Through its Extra@home service, PostNL delivers large products to Dutch andBelgian customers complete with optional installation and return services.
PostNL said the partnership between the two companies is a strong combination in a fast-changingmarket. Intergamma offers a network of easily accessible stores on prime locations, with longopening hours and ample parking facilities, while PostNL offers expertise in the field oftransportation, has the densest and most highly developed distribution network in the Benelux,delivers to all home addresses and has a network of over 2,000 collection points.
Harm-Jan Stoter, Managing Director of Intergamma, explained: “We found that our customers wantto enjoy the convenience of shopping online, in addition to their regular purchases in our 379 DIYstores in the Benelux. During the day, our customers are obviously busy building and renovating. Asa distribution partner, PostNL provides us with a complete solution for handling online orders,ranging from regular orders like screws, paint or wallpaper, to large palletised orders, like bagsof cement, or large items, such as refrigerators and furniture.”
Highlighting the collection points, he said: “Additionally, we can provide our customers theconvenience of the PostNL collection point. It enables them to shop in the evening, in the comfortof their home, and pick up their orders in the nearest DIY store the next day. Combining the primeretail locations of our DIY stores, PostNL‘s distribution expertise and the PostNL collectionpoints in our stores, we aim to meet the customers’ growing need for shopping online.”
Carlos Mendes Aguiar, Director of PostNL Retail and E-commerce Services, commented: “We areproud to be able to service Intergamma as our client. We help our clients to make optimum use ofthe opportunities offered by e-commerce. Our various distribution solutions to both consumers andbusinesses, combined with warehousing, pick-and-pack capabilities and return solutions are thebasis of our services. The combination of customer and sales data analysis and our support servicesfor going online, renders our offering unique. Our partnership with Intergamma creates a strongcombination and gives us confidence.”
