ESW, Seko Partner to Improve Client Services
ESW, the direct-to-consumer xe-commerce company, and Seko Logistics, the global logistics provider, have inked a new partnership agreement that the companies said provides “mutually complementary services to each other’s clients.”
“The alliance, which helps to address the rising cost of cross-border e-commerce for d-to-c brands, will facilitate improved cost, time and compliance benefits and unlock access to a global e-commerce market expecting record growth again in 2022 to more than $5.55 trillion,” the companies said in a joint statement.
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The financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.
ESW and Seko said as part of the agreement, ESW will support Seko’s roster of clients with global end-to-end e-commerce technology and services to help them expand their d-to-c businesses. Seko said, in turn, it will give ESW’s clients “immediate access to enhanced logistics and fulfillment support, including expanded in-country warehouse presence and returns centers at over 120 locations globally to provide faster and more convenient customer experience.”
Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, ESW’s president and chief executive officer, said the partnership “will provide Seko and ESW’s combined roster of clients with superior global d-to-c e-commerce solutions. Seko’s logistics leadership offers a globally scalable solution for warehousing and returns, bringing ESW clients all the benefits and growth potential of an e-commerce fulfillment network spanning 40 countries.”
The partnership comes at a time of significant growth of global direct-to-consumer sites, which is driven by consumer demand — especially for younger demographic cohorts. According to ESW’s Global Voices: Q2 2022 survey, a large majority of Millennial (60 percent) and Gen Z (63 percent) shoppers have a clear preference for shopping through direct-to-consumer channels over large marketplace platforms, with 73 percent of Millennials and 69 percent of Gen Zers finding they enjoy the more personalized experience that includes offers and promotions targeted to specific preferences.
Bousquet-Chavanne said younger consumers’ shopping preferences “indicate that retailers and brands must adopt a robust direct-to-consumer e-commerce and content strategy in order to remain competitive in the future.”
ESW and Seko said in their statement that global e-commerce has shifted. “With the rising cost of airfreight, cross-border e-commerce brands now recognize the need for local fulfillment to reduce shipping costs, expedite delivery times and address complex compliance issues,” the companies said.
Brian Bourke, chief growth officer at Seko, said the size and scale of the company’s global fulfillment footprint, combined with ESW’s e-commerce technology, “makes this partnership so exciting. We have customers in our portfolio who want what ESW offers, so we bring immediate basket aggregation opportunities. This type of collaboration is driving the growth of the e-commerce ecosystem.”
Bourke also noted that the partnership with ESW “provides these solutions immediately, and we’ve already won our first fulfillment customers on the strength of our combined offering. We are giving Seko’s e-commerce clients the chance to partner with ESW on their globalization journey.”
Seko describes itself as a “no-nonsense global end-to-end logistics partner — from the factory to consumer.” The company said it delivers sustainable client-first service, expert reliability and tech-driven shipping solutions “that turn supply chains into a competitive differentiator.” Seko has 150 offices in more than 40 countries.
ESW, meanwhile, continues to grow and service brands and retailers all over the world. ESW acquired Scalefast in June 2022, and the company said the combined organization offers brands and retailers “a complete portfolio of technology and services that cost-effectively support any stage of a company’s development.”
ESW said from compliance, data security, fraud protection, taxes and tariffs to demand generation, checkout, delivery, returns and customer service, “our powerful combination of technology and human ingenuity covers the entire shopper journey across 200 markets, with 100 percent carbon neutral shipping to consumers.” The company is based in Dublin, Ireland, and has global offices in the U.S., U.K., Spain, France, Italy, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
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