The leading retailers Blokker and Ochama have revealed plans to expand their successful collaboration in the Netherlands. The announcement came as the two companies celebrated the opening of the 200th Ochama/Blokker pick-up point at Blokker stores in March 2023.
Introducing Ochama
Richard Liu’s retail giant JD.com launched Ochama in 2022. Ochama provides a comprehensive omnichannel shopping experience that covers an extensive range of products. These products include food, fashion, home decor, electronics, and more.
Ochama uses cutting-edge retail and supply chain solutions to deliver an all-encompassing product range at competitive prices. Customers can now collect their orders from hundreds of pick-up points throughout Europe or choose doorstep delivery.
Introducing Blokker
Blokker is a widely known brand in the Netherlands, offering a wide range of household supplies, so the collaboration should help Ochama attract more local customers.
Blokker launched over 100 years ago and has a network of over 400 stores in the Netherlands.
Starting From a Pilot Program
In May 2022, Ochama and Blokker launched a pilot program to open third-party Ochama pick-up points in Blokker stores. The collaboration enabled customers to collect Ochama grocery orders from Blokker stores and enabled Blokker to gain extra traffic directed from Ochama’s webshop.
Following this pilot program, Blokker and Ochama combined the benefits of online and in-store shopping. This approach provided consumers with a streamlined retail experience. Now, customers can get the things they need when they need them, avoiding having to plan ahead or stay at home to wait for deliveries.
During the Singles’ Day promotion last November, revenue from the original four flagship Ochama/Blokker pick-up points increased by 200% compared to September.
Exceeding Collaboration Expectations
The Ochama/Blokker partnership has spread rapidly throughout the Netherlands. In February 2023, the two parties decided to expand the partnership and aim to open an additional 50 pick-up points in one month. Within two months, the new Blokker pick-up points have achieved a remarkable compounded weekly revenue growth rate of 70%.
While the collaboration has exceeded expectations, as of the end of March, more than 200 Blokker’s stores have joined Ochama’s third-party pick-up network. The two parties aim to add more Blokker stores to Ochama’s pick-up point networks and fulfill 100,000 orders by the end of June.
Ochama CEO Danny Zhang noted that the companies have seen a “significant increase in both revenue and the number of orders” since the collaboration launched.
Seamless Shopping for Consumers
The popularity of the Ochama omnichannel approach for consumers emphasizes the growing demand for seamless integration of physical and online retail. The success of the Ochama and Blokker partnership highlights that consumers value the accessibility of both offline and online shopping options when purchasing everyday items.
Zhang notes that the collaboration has made the retail shopping experience as “hassle-free as possible” for consumers and proven the “value of collaboration and innovation” in the retail industry.
Blokker CEO Jeanine Holscher describes the companies’ strategic partnership as a “perfect fit.” She adds that Ochama and Blokker are dedicated to providing optimal convenience to their customers, whether through an online or local presence.
About Richard Liu, JD.com’s Founder
Richard Liu founded JD.com in 2004. Today, the company has become a technology and service provider that covers a range of businesses. These businesses operate in sectors like e-commerce and retail, logistics and supply chain, technology, telemedicine, property management, and more. As chairman and former CEO, Richard Liu led the company’s development for almost 20 years. Today, he remains the chairman.
Unlike many other e-commerce brands, JD.com is committed to sourcing goods directly from suppliers, ensuring product authenticity. Under Richard Liu’s leadership, JD.com has grown to become the largest retail company in China by revenue and the third-largest internet company in the world.
Learn more about Richard Liu.
