By Julia Arnold

Spielwarenmesse: Can you explain Orderchamps concept as “coarted digital marketplace” in just a few sentences?

Joost Brugmans: We started Orderchamp because we believe that the whole sale model is super inefficient and outdated. It is very difficult for brands to find the right outlets and for retailers to find the items they need. We want to be the bridge between them by connecting them on our platform. Tradeshows are the traditional way of business which will remain, but online platforms can help to be more efficient.

Spielwarenmesse: What criteria do brands have to fulfill to be accepted by you?

Joost Brugmans: We want to work with the best brands out there. Thereby we enjoy working with both, established business but also new established brands. We are looking for businesses with premium product quality, a compelling story, and a unique product assortment. Also, the values ecofriendly, organic handmade and social goods are important to us.

Spielwarenmesse: What values do you represent, and do they impact the selection of brands?

Joost Brugmans: Our company has four values: ambition, working together, responsibility and innovation. Following our company values, we want to work with brands that also work with responsibility. We are the bridge to bring the retailers and brands together by offering over 5.000 products and creating a navigation process as simple as possible, based on the information brands and retailers provide us with.

Spielwarenmesse: What are the advantages for brands and retailers?

Joost Brugmans: We offer brands a huge network of retailers across Europe, through which they can expand their businesses. We are also a technology partner to manage a long-term customer base on one platform for all and get them data insights.

We offer retailers a convenient way to discover new brands. Besides, for smaller retailers very favorable purchasing conditions due to low minimum order quantities, free shipping, etc., which allows them to increase their profit margin. All they have to do is being an official business with a registration ID and the access is free.

People can go to one spot and have everything cross category no matter where they are.

Spielwarenmesse: Retail has long been predicted to die. What is your point of view on that?

Joost Brugmans: In my opinion, that's the biggest misconception. There has been a shift in the last 20 years, but the majority is still offline. Brands and retailers need to adapt to the changing circumstances. I don't care if you have an online store with digital channels, but you should at least use digital solutions to grow your market. Not adapting to technological change is stupid, but it won't die out because there are people like us who are working on solutions to combine both.

Spielwarenmesse: Your concept as an online wholesale platform for local retailers is new for the toy market. Are there any prejudices that you must overcome?

Joost Brugmans: Wholesale goes back to the Middle Ages, so the concept of buying and selling is a very traditional space. We have to overcome trust issues and fear of change with educating and enabling our customer groups through easy technology and a high satisfaction score. We are also providing a very responsive customer service, and this is how we even convince retailers that haven’t thought of using a digital platform and they do it now.

Spielwarenmesse: What is your conclusion after your first years on the German market?

Joost Brugmans: Success is never predictable, it is a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, and we had both. We are very thankful for the support we receive. The German community is growing bigger every day. We listen to our customers feedback and always keep iterating to find what they are wishing for.

Spielwarenmesse: What future steps are you planning?

Joost Brugmans: We want to be the number one most loved platform for retails and brands, focused on solving their pain points like discovery, purchase and helping them to accelerate their success. We work together with partners on building one platform that connects the ecosystem and that is what we will keep on building.

Spielwarenmesse: You want to “redefine Dropshipping”. At this point, what are your next steps?

Joost Brugmans: We want to supercharge the wholesale playing filed. In the current landscape, managing an independent retail business can prove to be quite a challenge. The constantly evolving macroeconomic conditions have led many brands to grapple with surplus inventory, while retailers tend to be cautious when it comes to buying new stock. At Orderchamp, we acknowledge these difficulties and are committed to reshaping the wholesale sector. Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, we're introducing a completely new way for retailers and brands to connect: supercharging direct-to-consumer for brands through retailers, also referred to as “Dropshipping”. Utilising Orderchamp's dropshipping solution has several advantages:

• Boost revenue: Grow your revenue by offering enticing complementary products to your customers.
• Minimise risk: Expand your product range with top-tier brands without having to invest in additional inventory.
• Save time: Enjoy the benefits of a fully automated solution, from inventory selection to order management and delivery.

Spielwarenmesse: Mr. Brugmans, thank you for the interview!

About the author:

Julia Arnold has already written for many industries as a freelance author. In addition to her editorial training and studies in communication and marketing management, she also has a background in the toy industry. Thanks to her grandparents' former toy wholesaling business, Julia Arnold combines a family connection to the industry with a passion for the written and spoken word.