Success Story: E.M.P. Merchandising
How one of Europe's largest merchandise retailers conquered bol with fast delivery from its own warehouse and smart integration
John Feldheim, Head of Marketplaces at EMP Merchandising, shares how the company developed bol into its second largest marketplace within 1 year.
In this interview, you'll read
How E.M.P. shortened their delivery time in the Netherlands and Belgium to 1–2 days by improving delivery from the fulfilment center in Lingen. The result:
- more traffic
- higher conversion
- more revenue
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is John Feldheim, Head of Marketplaces at E.M.P. Merchandising Handelsgesellschaft mbH, also known as EMP Merchandising. Together with our Marketplace Managers, Celina Ober and Meltem Özel, I manage our 2 seller accounts via bol.
What kind of company are you, and what do you sell?
E.M.P. is one of Europe's largest merchandise retailers. We specialize in music, entertainment, and gaming merchandise, featuring brands like Metallica, Linkin Park, AC/DC, Disney, and Harry Potter. Additionally, we offer our own EMP clothing lines, third-party fashion brands such as Brandit and Urban Classics, plus home accessories, collectible items, and decoration.
Which platforms do you sell via? What role does bol play?
We sell via Amazon, eBay, bol, and Kaufland. Galaxus will launch at the end of September. bol quickly became our second largest marketplace and is now an important part of our broader strategy.
What were the biggest challenges when starting via bol?
A significant challenge was connecting the bol marketplace structure to our integration system. This required adjustments in data fields, either from our integrator or from bol, to meet the platform-specific requirements.
How did you tackle that?
We worked closely with our Account Managers at bol and with our integrator to improve the marketplace structure. As a result, we now automatically send improved content that meets bol's specifications.
What role did bol play in this process?
We received a lot of support. We had intensive contact, visited the headquarters in Utrecht several times, and built a strong collaboration. After onboarding in the summer of 2024 and going live in October, we returned in January 2025 to scale up further.
What delivery times did you offer initially?
Our central logistics are located in Lingen, Germany, close to the Dutch border. Initially, we offered a delivery time of 2–3 days in the Netherlands. After improvement, we reduced this to 1–2 days. In Belgium, we started with 1–2 or 2–3 days, based on previous learnings.
What are your delivery times now?
For the Netherlands: 1–2 days.
For Belgium: 1–2 or 2–3 days, depending on the carrier.
How did you set this up operationally?
Our location in Lingen handles all logistics. Each country has a separate seller account within our integration system and receives daily content feeds. With automatic business rules and lookup lists, we align content with bol's local requirements.
Belgium showed an increase of 28% in orders.
What has the shorter delivery time brought you?
Faster delivery led to more traffic and higher conversion in both countries. This resulted in more orders and revenue. In the Netherlands, this coincided with promotional campaigns. In Belgium, we saw a clear increase of 28% in orders after the launch.
What is your advice to international partners who sell via bol?
Delivery speed often has more impact than price, as long as both are competitive. Invest in strong logistics and protect your margins.
What is your tip to make bol more attractive for international partners?
More insight into bol's performance and sales potential per product category helps partners with their priorities. For partners not located close to the Dutch border, investing in bol or Logistics via bol is a big step. Data-driven support lowers that barrier.