LTM 119: How to start on bol in under three weeks

What happens when a traditional company like plant protection specialist Neudorff enters the international D2C market? Sure, the first step is Amazon. But what's the second? Local heroes like bol in the Netherlands. In this episode, Tamer Memis and Hassan Imran report on how a digital offshoot becomes a speedboat, why in-house logistics is part of the core business, and how it is possible to go live on bol in less than three weeks. (Spoiler: They did their homework beforehand.) Patricia Lay from bol explains why this is only the case for a few sellers, how bol helps foreign retailers get started, and why bol now also allows non-EU sellers.

Note from the sponsor Taxdoo:

Imagine this: 1,000 orders and one incorrect VAT rate, and suddenly you've lost $4,000. This is a real risk for many cross-border sellers in Europe. That's because VAT in e-commerce is complex. That's why we've teamed up with our partner Taxdoo to break down what marketplace sellers really need to know about VAT. In our detailed analysis, we discuss when OSS helps and when it doesn't, when a marketplace collects VAT and when you as a seller are still liable, and why an incorrect VAT rate has a direct impact on your prices and margins. You can find the article with a complete overview of EU VAT rates as well as tax rates for the UK and Switzerland here: https://marketplace-universe.com/vat-traps-7-critical-rules-every-marketplace-seller-in-europe-needs-to-know/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to bol and Neudorff

07:55 The Onboarding Process for International Sellers

10:47 Underestimated market: Netherlands

14:27 Market Dynamics: The Dutch E-commerce Landscape

21:22 Challenges for International Sellers in the Dutch Market

25:01 Future Prospects for bol and International Sellers

27:05 Turning logistical necessity into a success