“Anyone can easily and efficiently work with Picqer”

About Nutcrackers

It all started ten years ago at a festival. Rob Canter, then still a student, and his partner Roelof Visser sold glowing T-shirts there. It was so successful that they decided to start selling the gadget online as well. They founded their company Nutcrackers, with the website Ditverzinjeniet.nl being their first product. In early 2018, the duo also took over the website Cadeau.nl.

The busiest time of the year

The last few months of the year are traditionally the busiest for Rob Canter. "We make half of our revenue in November and December." This means that in addition to the five permanent employees, many order pickers are also working in the warehouse, mostly students and schoolchildren. In the final weeks of the year, they will pack up to a thousand unique products each day, ranging from a BBQ branding iron for stamping your name on a piece of meat—“one of our bestsellers for years”—to a doormat shaped like an avocado, and from a lava lamp to glow-in-the-dark gloves.

BBQ branding iron

In 2008, the entrepreneurs started selling gadgets from their attic. In 2009, Roelof Visser quit his job at an advertising agency, and Rob Canter graduated in Small Business and Retail Management. Their decision to dedicate all their time to an online store led to surprised reactions. “Who would buy something online?” was a common comment at the time. We can't even imagine that now,” says Canter with a laugh.

Almost ten years later, Ditverzinjeniet is one of the largest gadget websites in the Netherlands. The products sold there need to be not only original but also useful to people—though the BBQ branding iron is an immediate exception. “People mostly like giving that as a gift, which is true for half of our sales.”

Sloths on the rise

To stay ahead, the entrepreneurs have to keep a close eye on when cheaper retailers like Blokker and Action start selling the same products. "Last year, so-called 'pool floats' became a trend: inflatable items, often in the shape of an animal, for use on water. We were among the first in the Netherlands to sell them. When cheaper knockoffs started appearing with our competitors, we knew the hype had peaked. We had to stop stocking them." At the same time, some products remain popular even when sold elsewhere. "The unicorn craze has been going on for a while, now products featuring llamas and alpacas are popular, and we're seeing that the sloth is becoming a favorite animal."

The number 1 gift website

Canter draws inspiration from physical stores around the world, foreign websites, trade show visits, and by staying in close contact with suppliers. "We can’t just buy on autopilot; we have to be attentive to ensure that our suppliers keep bringing new products. We need to constantly refresh our range so that returning visitors can always find something new on the site.”

Easy and efficient work with Picqer

Before acquiring Cadeau, the entrepreneurs concluded that Nutcracker's warehouse tool no longer met their needs—it couldn't operate across two websites, for example. Canter already knew Picqer by name from the e-commerce world. The system met all their requirements, and after a test, they made the switch.

Canter is especially enthusiastic about Picqer's simple, intuitive operation—there’s no need to read through thick manuals. "Anyone can easily and efficiently work with this system. We explain it to new employees once, and they can get started. If we have a question, we contact Picqer, and we usually get an answer or solution right away."

The entrepreneur is also happy with the web shop-specific features that make work easier. For example, after scanning the last product in an order, the packing slip is automatically printed. "That saves time."

Increased reliability

Of course, there are areas for improvement. Picqer doesn’t offer customization. "Every business has its own needs, and I understand that they can’t always accommodate that. But it would be helpful if their purchasing system took seasonal influences into account."

Canter appreciates that Picqer continues to develop their purchasing system and hopes this will continue as the company grows. "I know from experience that during periods of growth, you can sometimes run into capacity issues. The larger you get, the more you need to scale up infrastructure and customer service. That can jeopardize further development."

Additionally, Canter is especially pleased with the switch to Picqer. Especially now, with ten employees processing orders simultaneously using Picqer during the holiday season, everything gets shipped on time with the correct packing slips. "Picqer has greatly increased the reliability of our services. Almost nothing goes wrong anymore, which is essential. Customer satisfaction is one of our most important selling points."