Wetsuit Outlet, a sports webshop from the East of England, has set up a European distribution site in Deventer. Oost NL has helped B2C Distribution in facilitating the move to Deventer.
The company’s management already had a good acquaintance in Deventer who could cooperate on starting the operation. The advantages of Deventer as a suitable and logistically favourable site soon became clear. Within a year, B2C distribution, the mother company of Wetsuit Outlet found a warehouse in Deventer, hired staff, and became operational before 2021.
“When you draw a circle of 100 kilometers around the Amsterdam region, you’ll find 15 million inhabitants. If you draw the same circle around East Netherlands, there are 30 million”, explains Job Gielen, location director of Wetsuit Outlet in Deventer explains.
Another motivation for the company to move part of its operation to the European mainland were trade costs. Gielen explains “Banks charge transaction fees when making payments to British companies because England is not part of the euro zone. It's not that much per payment. But if you add it all up at the end of a year, it's a substantial amount. We wanted to get rid of that."
First year
In the first year, the Deventer site has a team of 6 staff members. “Our current facility in Deventer is already looking full and, should business keep growing, chances are we need to add on capacity”, say Gielen.
As a partner in the region, Oost NL could connect B2C Distribution to service providers, but also local media and press opportunities. Now that B2C Distribution's 'wetsuit outlet' is established in the region, Oost NL can continue to provide services, inform the company of interesting initiatives and welcome them as investor in the investor relations programme.
The British company was looking for a European distribution site partly due to Brexit. The headquarters of B2C Distribution remains in London. To facilitate British companies with this, Oost NL offers soft-landing services to help companies establish their business in the region. Oost NL’s soft-landing services are free of charge and bespoke to the needs of the company.
Personal fitness
During the Covid-19 pandemic, health and personal fitness are more important than ever. Wetsuit Outlet has been able to facilitate sporters with apparel. They have seen a strong increase in demand, and can now continue to deliver to their European customers.
