Kiwi success story EziBuy adds major UK
Tuesday 17 July 2012, 1:52PM
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EziBuy, the New Zealand multi-channel retail success story, announced today it is adding major UK fashion brand Next to its family of labels.
Selected children’s clothing, menswear, womenswear (including footwear) and accessories from the hugely popular Next range will be available to EziBuy customers in New Zealand and Australia from August, under a new “drop ship” arrangement.
EziBuy Chief Executive Simon West said the arrival of Next is a significant addition to the Ezibuy portfolio of brands.
“It allows us to complement our existing range and offer our customers the ‘best of British’ with all the benefits of buying via EziBuy, including our 30 day money back guarantee.”
The agreement with Next will see EziBuy offer selected products via both its online and catalogue business in New Zealand and Australia, with stock delivered directly from Next in the United Kingdom.
“Customers will be able to order everything in one go but will receive two packages if they purchase both EziBuy and Next items.”
West said Next would be just the first of a number of international brands with which EziBuy planned to develop this type of “drop ship” arrangement.
“It provides us with many opportunities for further growth and we are actively looking for other similar partnerships. Drop ship arrangements have the advantage of reducing the amount of stock we need to keep in New Zealand, while enabling customers to get the latest international fashions in less than a week. It also means any returns will be handled by our state-of-the-art distribution centre in Palmerston North rather than customers having to send goods back to the UK,” said Simon West.
West said the Next agreement would help propel EziBuy to the next stage of its growth, with at least 10 per cent of existing EziBuy customers expected to order from the Next range plus new customers being attracted to the offering.
“EziBuy has been enjoying good growth of more than 10 per cent per year over the past decade and we expect that to increase as we bring new and exciting labels like Next into the EziBuy family.”
From humble beginnings in Palmerston North almost 35 years ago, EziBuy is now the largest fashion and home decor multi-channel retailer in Australasia, distributing up to 20,000 items per day to 1.5 million customers on both sides of the Tasman.
It began as a mail order catalogue company - and still produces 70 catalogues a year – but was quick to adapt to the online environment. An early pioneer of online retailing, it set up its first internet site in 1998 and enjoyed 50 per cent growth in online ordering between 2007 and 2011.
EziBuy was established in 1978 by brothers, Peter and Gerard Gillespie, who still own more than half the company. It employs more than 700 staff and, each day, its 25,000 m2 distribution centre in Palmerston North – one of the largest in the southern hemisphere. The company also operates four retail stores in New Zealand in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Palmerston North.
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EZIBUY LIMITED
EziBuy Limited is the market leader in the apparel and home décor catalogue market in New Zealand and Australia. The multi-channel retailer is the largest cross-channel retailer in Australasia, represented via catalogues, online and retail outlets. EziBuy processes an excess of 1.75 Million orders a year in New Zealand and Australia, with Australian customers also serviced via the state-of-the-art New Zealand Distribution and Call Centre in Palmerston North. The company boasts a diverse product range, with Next the latest label to join the family of brands. Others include womenswear brands, Capture, Grace Hill, Emerge, Urban and Essentials, as well as exclusive European brands Capture European and Heine. The collection also features Sara, a size 16+ women's fashion brand. In addition there is an extensive range of lingerie, homeware and gift products.
NEXT
Next is a UK brand established in 1982. The brand launched as a revolutionary retail concept, presenting coordinated collections of own branded womenswear and accessories in boutique-style shopping environments. From the outset, Next was considered inspirational yet affordable, with an appealing combination of distinctive style, good quality and value. With the addition of menswear (1984), home interiors (1985) and childrenswear (1987), Next is now a full-line lifestyle brand.