Cologne, August 3, 2022

arko and Hussel go omnichannel with fulfillmenttools

Providing state-of-the-art buying experiences for confectionery lovers

WAHLSTEDT/COLOGNE, AUGUST 3, 2022: Cologne-based fulfillmenttools makes buying chocolate, pralines, pastries, sweets, liquorice and other treats from Arko and Hussel simpler, faster, and more convenient thanks to the introduction of its modular omnichannel fulfillment management system for retailers. Under the arko, HUSSEL and Eilles brands Deutsche Confiserie Group GmbH & Co. KG markets its popular products in its online shop and through 257 owned physical stores, as well as through point of sale in third party grocery stores. For over 70 years the company has been synonymous for high-quality products much loved by its customers and with the introduction of new omnichannel service offerings it intends to continue to do so in the future. All stores will be linked to fulfillmenttools and will benefit from seamless eCommerce integration – from the dispatch of products ordered online by stores (ship-from-store) to online orders that can be collected in-store (click-and-collect).

When Bernhard Rothfos and his son founded arko in Wahlstedt, Germany, in 1948, his customers came to his shop in person to purchase his high-quality products. Today customers expect a wider range of services as part of their shopping experience.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the existing solution for linking online orders to stores of arko and Hussel involved extensive manual processes and was highly prone to errors. The online shop that was available at the time was not managed by the company itself, click-and-collect had not been implemented digitally, and staff had to be extensively trained.

"fulfillmenttools has extensive omnichannel expertise in the food industry. This has enabled us to benefit greatly from their technology and process consulting. This expertise can also be seen in the fulfillmenttools system, which offers cloud-based and modular solutions for omnichannel fulfillment processes and can be perfectly adapted to our needs and requirements whilst scaling easily."

Sabrina Terwort-Duczek, project manager for online platforms and head of the Trade and Shopper Marketing, arko GmbH

Equipped for the future: flexible, efficient and scalable omnichannel fulfillment

The list of innovations at arko and Hussel is impressive: from now on a unified offering across stores is  integrated into fulfillmenttools, allowing online orders to be picked up in stores without the need for dedicated in-store storage space. In addition, the virtual checkout includes a product availability indicator with a click-and-collect option available for all stores. Same-day delivery is another new feature. Last but not least, customers will be able to find the right gift on the new online platform any time they want by either choosing a ready-made selection or configuring an individual gift by themselves.

“Arko is now making giant steps towards modern, cost-effective omnichannel structures. Intelligent omnichannel fulfillment processes provide the foundation for a top class online shop, which will enable arko to get products to customers faster and via shorter transportation routes. By utilizing an intelligent order routing system and integrating stores with the online shop arko achieves the overall goal of being able to manage online orders without dedicated in-store storage areas realizing a seamless transition from purchase to shipping or collection. Ease of scaling operations was another decisive factor. For scaling we are the ideal partner. We are therefore delighted with the cooperation”, says Jürgen Brock, CEO of fulfillmenttools.

Modern technology provides ease of handling, efficient processes and increased profitability

arko is employing all of the fulfillmenttools modules available. On the basis of individual routing rules defined by the retailer, the ‘distributed order management system’ (DOMS) automatically determines the optimal location for fulfilling an online order. During the picking of the order in the store, the intuitive picking app assists frontline staff enabling efficient processes and saving time. A comprehensive shipping module allows a large number of shipping service providers to be seamlessly integrated into the omnichannel fulfillment process and orders are sent to customers more quickly and easily. In addition to reduced delivery times and improved customer service, fulfillmenttools also contributes to arko’s business success through reduced storage costs and improved store utilization.

About Deutsche Confiserie Group GmbH & Co. KG

Deutsche Confiserie Group GmbH & Co. KG consists of arko GmbH, J. Eilles GmbH & Co. KG and Hussel GmbH and is based in Wahlstedt, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. In terms of sales area, it is the largest specialist confectionery retailer in Germany. The product portfolio ranges from fine specialities, pastries, chocolate and pralines and also speciality teas and coffees. Some 250 company-owned stores are managed across Germany under the arko, Eilles and Hussel brands. In addition to this, there are more stores in Austria, 40 franchise operations in Germany and the Czech Republic plus some 4,000 point-of-sale units in grocery stores and bakeries. The company group employs roughly 1,300 employees.

About fulfillmenttools

Spun off from REWE digital in Cologne in 2020 and with the experience of the efood market leader REWE Delivery and Pick-up service, fulfillmenttools combines extensive tech expertise with the DNA of many years in retail. The omnichannel solutions from fulfillmenttools enable retailers in all sectors to build a seamless link between eCommerce and store network in which all fulfillment processes are covered. Ship-from-store, click-and-collect, returns and all other delivery and collection models can be implemented with this intuitive, cloud-based solution. Over 50 employees continue day by day to develop these saas solutions dedicated to the perfect omnichannel shopping experience in an agile working environment.

 

links & information
http://www.fulfillmenttools.com
https://fulfillmenttools.com/en/press-media/

 

Press contact

OC fulfillment GmbH
Andreas Wegner
PR Manager, fulfillmenttools & REWE digital
presse@fulfillmenttools.com

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