WeightWatchers Benelux: 'We were looking for a collaborative partner'

From a local initiative, WW Benelux grew into a listed company, helping people worldwide to lose weight in a healthy way and create better habits. The company has an app, offers coaching and sells products through its webshop. As Commercial & Supply Chain Manager, Annette Jansen-Kegel is responsible for the logistics processes in the Benelux. We spoke to her about corona's impact on the supply chain, seasonal peaks and the challenges of  perishable products.

Think global, act local

From the US, where WW was founded, the local offices are managed, including the Benelux. "We work according to the principle: think global, act local," Annette explains. In concrete terms, this means that both the market approach and the product range are tailored to local preferences.

The product approach is identical for each market. WW became known as a programme to lose weight and expanded its offering considerably over the years. "Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight remains the main pillar. But we now also offer products on exercise, mindset and sleep," Annette says.

'We had to adapt our logistics model quickly'

During the corona outbreak, the physical workshops could not take place. During these workshops, WW members could buy products and take them home right away. During this period, all workshops had to be quickly converted to an online version. "We already had a webshop, but now we got an explosion of online orders. We had to adapt our logistics process to that," says Annette.

From a company that supplied middlemen like coaches, the focus shifted to the b2c market. "We were used to large orders being put in ahead of time. That changed to many small orders with shorter delivery times. This made us look for a partner who could support us by providing a good understanding of the processes."

'Active Ants helps us grow'

In the search for a new fulfillment partner, Active Ants came out on top. "With them, we immediately felt that everything was right. Besides taking care of storage and logistics, they think with us about how we can improve our processes. This allows us to focus on growing WW. And thanks to Active Ants, we have also been able to reduce logistics costs."

Offering fast delivery and higher service levels, combined with a larger product range, had been on Annette's agenda for some time. Therefore, the fact that Active Ants works with automatic packing machines, allowing the shipping packaging to be designed according to your own taste, is a big plus. "Usually we choose a box with our logo, but I also like to do something different during holidays or promotions. That can now be changed quickly."

'We can now scale up and down faster'

WW works daily with Active Ants' stock and order management system, Maya, so they can make timely adjustments. The fact that the bulk of the products have an expiry date makes the logistics process extra challenging. "The last thing you want is to be unable to deliver during a peak moment, but you also want to avoid being stuck with unsellable products," Annette explains.

Another requirement was that the fulfilment partner could scale up quickly. "The number of orders per day can vary greatly with us. Particularly at seasonal peaks, for example just after the holidays or during Black Friday promotions, this can be huge. The fact that we can scale up quickly without any problems helps us tremendously."

Want to read more about how Active Ants can help ease your worries during busy periods like Black Friday and the Holidays? Then click on one of the buttons below to read our articles on peak period and inventory management!

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