Very links with Adidas, Reebok for stockless fulfilment

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Oct 26, 2021

Improving the customer experience is paramount for retailers, and Very Group’s signature online platform has made a major leap in that area. It’s moved to a stockless fulfilment model for the Adidas and Reebok brands, resulting in immediately doubling the number of products made available from the global sportswear giants, it said Tuesday.

The model integration, referenced in its recent results announcement, means some products will be shipped directly from Adidas and Reebok to Very customers. It has resulted in being able to “deliver the retailer’s biggest ever drop of new product lines and has created one of the largest assortments of the brands in UK retail”, Very said. 

There are now plans to do the same with other labels, including Quiz, Lacoste, Kickers, Berghaus, Speedo and Ann Summers. It said the expanding launch “supports Very’s plans to improve customer experience with a more varied and flexible range of fulfilment options”.

The proposed expansion involves implementing new in-house technology platforms, integrated with external platforms, “enabling Very to quickly and easily expand its brand portfolio”. 

It also said stockless fulfilment allows it to choose the most efficient way to get any given product to the customer, and will play a key role in expanding the range of products already stocked and processed at Skygate, its highly automated fulfilment centre in the East Midlands. This follows the recent extension of Very’s next-day delivery cut-off for orders to 10pm, it added. 

Tom Goulden, retail product director at the group, said: “With online retail more competitive than ever, it’s vital that we offer the greatest possible choice and flexibility at every stage of the customer journey. Working with brands in this way allows us to offer a much greater range of products and is already demonstrating how it can drive sales and add customer value. This will set us up well for the future by opening doors for us to work with more categories and brands in an improved way.”