Other attempts Alveol Zendis have turned short

France, two networks of independent retailers enable individuals to recover nearly home orders placed remotely. The first is driven by the Sogep, PPR, the second by global Relay group, group 3 Suisses, allied to an independent operator, Kiala. Both operate on the same principles: products are deposited in nearby stores, which prevents the presentation of the package in the home and the risk of the addressee is absent; customers have the choice of the timing of the withdrawal, the merchants (shops gifts, foresight...) are remuneration, or even an intake of new customers, and shippers a less costly solution for the "last mile" of transport. The two groups, related to the leaders of the sale to distance (VAD), woven mesh enough hair to cover the French territory. These are now only to share this market in the vicinity of 50 million packages per year. Other attempts (Alveol, Zendis) have turned short.

Traceability of consignments

Despite their relatives, the Sogep and global Relay-Kiala have evolved, with well differentiated strategies. The first, the more important because of the weight of the Group PPR on the market, is a subsidiary of Redcats. His account 3.800 points relay network and distributes 30 million packages per year. "The role of this integrated subsidiary is to accompany the development of the signs of the group, exclusively in France", says its Chairman, Eric the Norman. The company ensures the distribution of all trademarks of Redcats (La Redoute, the House of Valérie, Cyrillus, Vert Baudet, Daxon...) but also other signs of PPR, as the FNAC-FNAC Eveil and games group. It has a single external client, SFR, who entrusts him with deliveries of new laptops and represents only 1 of its activity, even if it allows it to acquire expertise on sensitive products.

The Sogep provides the steering of both distribution channels. The most important flows relate to the distribution of small packages, which are prepared in the warehouses of each sign. From these sites, the Sogep is to relay points and handles at the same time to inform clients, restart them and manage returns. The company is also responsible for large packages (of the type refrigerator or sofa) delivered at home, in relying on a network of 27 agencies held in own and distributed on the French territory. "The reactor core is customer service," said its leader, who wants to tighten the mesh of the relay points to reach 4,500 shops in the years to come.

To retain the end customers, he intends to strengthen the return and exchange of parcels facilities and, most importantly, to accelerate the process of refunds. The company did not use high technology to ensure the full traceability of its customer orders, but relies on a simple and reliable information system.

It is one of the differences with the global Relay-Kiala network, which put much more on the technology. The subsidiary of the Swiss 3 is part of a close enough operation of the Sogep, and brings together 3,500 points relay in the Hexagon, a "hub" in the North and 21 local agencies which distribute packages of the marks of the number two French of the VAD. Another big difference, the company opened in 2003 its network to other clients in signing a 15 year agreement with Kiala, an independent. This provider of business development on the rapid growth in other trading online and their logistical needs (RueDuCommerce and MyPixmania are, among others, part of its customers).

The main added value of this new ally was its technology platform. It has invested nearly EUR 18 million to optimize the traceability of consignments and automate the tasks of the relay traders, now all equipped PDA.

Flows of packages collected from signs which do not belong to the Group 3 Swiss pass through a "hub" specific, managed by a subsidiary of the British claimant Wincanton, in the region of Orléans. Unlike Sogep and its global Relay partner, Kiala subcontracts in all transport and logistics.

A global offer

Above all, the operator positions itself as a pan-European international actor. It began its activities in Belgium to the Luxembourg is present in the Netherlands, launches in the UK and has projects in Germany, Russia, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal. "Many actors of the VAD need today a pan-European provider." "We are the only to make a package and a consistency of services," explains Denis Payre, its President. Thus, despite its alliance with its main competitor, the Redcats group does not hesitate to use it from France. It was his first client in Belgium, and is willing to use its networks in other countries.

3 Swiss ally can lead this development forced March, because its technology platform is déclinable in as many countries as necessary. Most of the fixed costs has already been hired, and it is sufficient to find partners and subcontractors in each country. At a European level, the only identified actor that can compete with this approach appears to be Deutsche Post. Which probably explains the interest shown by other European positions for the maverick of the relay package. Thus, funds of the TNT Dutch and the French post entered its capital for a share equivalent.