Garzini wins the Becom Marketplace Award

I'm Bram Vromans, Country Lead for bol in Belgium. On November 7th, I had the privilege of attending a special evening at the Becom Awards. The highlight? The honor of presenting the Marketplace Award to Garzini, an innovative brand that has captured customers' hearts. 

• Garzini won the Marketplace Award at the Becom Awards 2024.

• The brand has existed since 2016 and sells both online and in physical stores.
• Garzini recently received B Corp certification.

‘Garzini performs exceptionally well not only nationally but also internationally across various marketplaces. On every marketplace, we have good visibility and a very low return rate, which I believe was decisive for the jury.

For me, the award is primarily a recognition of the hard work our team puts in every day. As a customer, you sometimes forget how much effort goes into the items on a marketplace, but this award clearly shows that our efforts are also having an impact.’

‘The first seed for Garzini was planted in 2012. I resigned as a consultant and decided to travel through Australia for half a year. To earn some extra money, I designed a simple wallet that I sold as a souvenir to tourists at local markets and shopping centers — not yet under the name Garzini. That went well, and my half-year in Australia eventually turned into 4 years.

In 2016, I returned to Belgium. I wanted to continue my business but realized that the Australian business model wouldn't work here. So, I decided to approach it more professionally from a brand experience perspective: Garzini was born. A brand focused on minimalist, quality accessories for men.’

‘From the start, we chose 3 channels to sell our items: our own webshop, marketplaces (including bol), and physical retail.

To get to know retailers, we participated in a large trade fair. That resulted in some great collaborations for us. We also designed our own display to present our items in stores, with a built-in screen that plays more information. That immediately elevated our branding and quality.’

‘That was certainly a challenge, and ultimately, you need a combination of several things to get your brand on the radar.

Firstly, there's online advertising on traditional channels like Meta and Google. Additionally, you can advertise on marketplaces. We've noticed this becoming increasingly important in recent years. And finally, there are physical stores and trade fairs, where an attractive display or stand helps us build brand awareness.

We continue to focus on these three areas, and it works.’

‘My experience is that marketplaces have become very competitive environments. Therefore, ideally, you should start building your success 6 months before you put an item online. Check if the margin is good enough to sell via a marketplace and validate if there is actual demand for the item by reviewing search terms or checking the white and grey spots on bol.

At Garzini, we do a lot of research before placing an item online. How much competition is there for a search term, how strong is that competition, are there trends in search volume, etc. We have a list of 50 to 60 points on which we evaluate items. Based on that, we give the item a score, and only then do we decide whether or not to launch. Even after launch, it remains a continuous process of A/B testing and experimenting.’

‘We are not a globally known brand, so a good customer experience is extremely important to us. That's why we want to give potential customers the necessary confidence at all possible touchpoints.

That trust factor is more difficult to establish with your own webshop, but marketplaces already help fill that gap. That's a big advantage. Additionally, we always ensure good photos and clear content. Our items are also delivered in a beautiful gift box, and we offer a lifetime warranty.

The result is visible: our return rate is very low. On the webshop, it's around 2-3%, on marketplaces 7-8% — while the general trend for textiles usually fluctuates between 25-30%.’

‘That element of trust is definitely an added value. In addition, there's the logistical relief. Shipping via bol allows us to truly focus on our item while meeting customer expectations regarding delivery.

Finally, bol is a playing field where the rules are the same for everyone. Of course, much depends on your item, but for goods with general market demand, such as wallets, marketplaces are very convenient. It's much more efficient than starting your own webshop and attracting customers to you.’

‘Sustainability and technology are two things that will only become more important in the future.

In terms of sustainability, we want to create items that last as long as possible. We use both sustainable materials of plant origin and upcycled leathers that would otherwise be discarded as waste.

The week after we won the Marketplace Award, we also received B Corp certification. This certification confirms that we are doing well in the overall ESG story.

In the field of technology, we are heavily investing in AI. For example, we have a custom GPT that analyzes data from marketplaces, helping us to bring our items even better to the customer.’

‘Are you hesitating to sell via marketplaces? The question isn't "why should I do it?", but "why shouldn't I?". I strongly believe in the growth of marketplaces. Primarily because of the trust they give consumers, but also because of the benefits they offer partners. The logistical advantage, for example, is something you, as a startup or scale-up, can hardly compete with.

If you are already active on marketplaces, make sure your advertising strategy is sound. If you don't have in-depth knowledge of this yourself, seek assistance from an expert. That is the key to profit and determines the difference between someone operating at a loss, break-even, or making a profit. There is a lot of potential on marketplaces, but you really need a plan and a strategy to execute it.’