19. February 2020 | Press release

Green specialist Bakker.com enters into partnership with DPD and commits to dramatically reducing delivery times

Bakker.com capitalises on the fast-growing online market for plants

Oirschot, 18 February 2020 – Online green specialist Bakker.com is entering a strategic partnership with parcel delivery service DPD for the delivery of plants, bulbs, roses, hedges, trees and green-related hardware to consumers. Thanks to this partnership, Bakker.com can cut delivery times significantly. Lisse-based Bakker.com is thus strengthening its position on the rapidly growing online green market in Europe.

Not so long ago it was barely conceivable: living goods like plants ordered online and delivered at home the very next day. The traditional chain comprised a cultivator, an auction, an exporter or wholesaler and a specialist flower and plant shop. Each player had its own task in delivering a bunch of flowers or plants to the consumer in the garden or living room.

But consumers now seek more variety, Rabobank recently concluded in a study of Dutch ornamental plant cultivation. The bank refers to the ‘hybrid consumer’, who increasingly buys online. The bank’s study shows a shift is occurring, and within seven years, 30 percent of the product group will be sold via e-commerce.

High demands for all partners

‘The past year has seen us optimising our work processes so that we can service e-commerce customers to the fullest throughout Europe,’ notes Erwin van Cooth, CEO of Bakker.com. ‘Speed is of course very important to us to guarantee the quality of living greenery at all times. The entire chain must perform optimally for us to achieve this. Not only in our company, but also with our partners, from growers to logistics operators. The challenge is to deliver every order, no matter how specific, in good condition at the right time.’

The partnership with DPD is a major step in optimising the chain. DPD drives to Bakker.com’s main European destinations daily: the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Great Britain. All products are packed in Lisse, collected daily by DPD and delivered to the consumer as quickly as possible. Van Cooth says next-day delivery of this product group is now possible within 700 kilometres of DPD’s distribution centre in Oirschot in the southern Netherlands. Alongside speed, communication with the consumer and delivery options will also be improved. DPD’s Predict service lets consumers choose where and when they want their order to be delivered, with the ability to see exactly when the parcel will arrive.

Eric Dietz, CEO of DPD Netherlands: ‘DPD is very pleased with the new partnership with Bakker.com and the development of green products through the e-commerce channel. This partnership lets DPD take the next step in enabling Dutch e-commerce companies to conquer European markets and to distinguish themselves. Of course we do this with our deliveries, but our Predict service is also a very important aspect, where companies optimise communication with the end customers.’

Largest online supplier of plants in Europe

Bakker.com is the largest online provider of indoor and garden plants and green-related hardware in Europe. Over recent years the firm has successfully transitioned from a mail-order company to an e-commerce provider. Online sales of green products will account for 30 percent of the total in 2027, according to a conservative estimate by Rabobank.