Secret Sales has launched a fulfilment service to support brands requiring a UK distribution centre, solving logistics challenges for those wanting to partner with the fashion marketplace but geographical location or technical infrastructure prevent them from fulfilling orders directly to consumers in the UK.
Fulfilment by Secret Sales (FBSS) will enable brands without a local warehouse in the UK, or the ability to ship from continental Europe in a commercially viable and timely way, to trade alongside over 1,600 brands that use the platform’s core business model of digitally connecting non full price inventory and shipping via their own distribution centres.
A fully-managed logistical solution, Fulfilment by Secret Sales allows brands and retailers to ship goods in bulk to Secret Sales’ UK warehouse. It handles picking, packing and direct-to-consumer shipping via 24 or 48 hour tracked services, as well as returns.
“Our premium ecommerce marketplace model, with digitally connected inventory and brand to consumer shipping is by far the most efficient, sustainable and profitable way for brands and retailers to trade non full price inventory, however we understand the challenges faced by a number of brands unable to fulfil the last piece of the puzzle if their stock is based in continental Europe or Brexit regulations are making selling directly to UK consumers prohibitively expensive,” said Chris Griffin, CEO of Secret Sales. “We are simply adding a convenient option that looks after the final step, helping those brands to fulfil orders on the Secret Sales platform.”
Brands pay a small management fee per month, alongside a per parcel pick, pack and ship rate. The management fee is heavily subsidised, compared to typical industry costs, and rates are similar to those which brands would experience if they were fulfilling orders themselves.
Versace 19v69 and jewellery brand Azro Silver are among those currently signed up to the service.
“We were excited to launch with Secret Sales in Europe, however we were unable to operate on the UK platform due to the high costs of distributing post-Brexit,” said Matteo Armillotta, CEO of In Moda, global distributor of Versace 19v69. “Secret Sales’ FBSS model has enabled us to expand into the UK. The fulfilment service was easy to set up with incredibly competitive pricing. We are delighted with the platform and will launch in the coming days.”
Founder of Azro Silver, Gokmen Gunduz, said: “The Secret Sales fulfilment model has allowed us to launch on Secret Sales in the UK. It is the most cost-effective distribution model we have come across for this market post-Brexit. The Secret Sales team have been phenomenal in helping to get this set up, taking just a few weeks from signing to launch.”
Fulfilment by Secret Sales also opens up a direct-to-consumer opportunity for brands currently selling wholesale only in the UK.
“Ultimately, all of our fashion, beauty and homeware partners have the same Secret Sales experience,” added Chris Griffin, CEO of Secret Sales. “They clear non full price inventory efficiently in a brand-enhancing, upmarket environment, and can gain thousands of new full-price gateway customers each month through our unique GDPR-compliant data share program.”
Secret Sales aims to gradually roll out a fulfilment service in each country it trades in, to solve similar challenges.
Headquartered in the UK, the marketplace has operations in the Netherlands and Belgium, and plans to launch in 12 more European countries over the next two years.
