shopdaheim: Thalia and FIEGE enter pilot phase
shopdaheim is an online platform that was called to life by the booksellers Thalia Mayersche and Osiander in 2020 with the goal of boosting local retailers in the long term and assisting them with their digitalisation drive. On 9 May 2022, Thalia, together with the logistics company Fiege, entered a two-month pilot phase in Düsseldorf during which logistical services and payment options were added to shopdaheim’s current offer.
“Our Düsseldorf customers as well as shoppers from the local area may contact their retailers via Shopdaheim, pay their purchases online and have the parcel delivered to their doorstep on the very same day”, says Felix Hettlage, Managing Director Last Mile at Fiege. Purchases are paid using the payment service provider Paypal, and the merchandise is shipped by Shipcloud.
During the pilot, the same-day collection and premium courier option by the delivery service Angel bringt’s can be selected for on-the-day delivery of purchases. “After all, there is no need for a parcel to travel across the whole of Germany before reaching its final destination, the customer. It may quite simply be delivered from the city where one lives – and be sent by the retailer you know and appreciate”, Hettlage goes on to explain.
Shoppers simply enjoy supporting their local retailers, yet without foregoing smart online services for a convenient shopping experience. Volunteering information and advice online for one’s own clientele presents a major opportunity for the owner-managed retail trade when it comes to building strong customer relationships and staying in touch – even outside of regular shop opening hours. That is precisely where shopdaheim with functionalities like a digital appointment calendar, personal advice via video and chat options or a retailer’s dedicated newsletter come in. All service offerings can be conveniently trialled on the platform free of charge.
Noticeably shorter delivery routes, transport mileage that is reduced by harnessing existing and regional logistical structures and very reasonable shipping costs of five euros only are strong arguments in favour of this new, innovative offer.
Roland Kölbl, Managing Director E-Commerce, Omnichannel Marketing & IT at Thalia adds: “Sustainable, very easy, anytime and anywhere – that best describes the shopping experience that today’s buyers favour. Growing the shopdaheim platform with our pilot aims to merge the customers’ needs with those of the retailers through new channels and at the same time contributes to the industry’s future viability.”
