"With the help of Picqer, we can organize our growth"

About Visdeal

Visdeal.nl is one of the websites of Bontrup Media, run by brothers Willem and Teun Bontrup. The site has been around since 2011, and in addition to the Dutch site, they also have the German fischdeal.de, the English fishdeal.co.uk, the Belgian visdeal.be, and the French pechepromo.fr. The company’s revenue doubles every year, they employ 28 people, and they are expanding the concept internationally. The brothers also have their own fishing brand: Ultimate.

The birth of Visdeal.nl

Willem and Teun ran a site where they sold advertising space but were looking for a lucrative niche. Maybe equestrian products? Or camping gear? Six years ago, the brothers explored various ideas and eventually realized that there was a significant demand for online fishing gear sales. "In all European countries, five to six percent of the population fishes. That's a substantial target audience."

They built a simple script, ran a pilot, and Visdeal.nl was born. The twin brothers had no prior experience with fishing but gradually gained knowledge of the industry. "When we finally hired staff familiar with fishing, it was a relief. They could describe our products well and assist customers better. Now, having a passion for fishing is a requirement for our employees. We have anglers working with us who are well-known in the community. When we attend trade fairs, they hand out autographs."

Surplus stock

Shortly after launching Visdeal, the brothers saw sites like Groupon offering new products daily. They thought a similar model could work for fishing gear. In 2014, they bought their first surplus stock of fishing rods and saw a market for it.

"Not everyone wants brand-new items; some people go for a lower price. A rod that's one year old costs, for example, fifty euros instead of a hundred." They set up a newsletter featuring ten to twenty deals daily. In the beginning, the offerings were partly determined by the suppliers. Now, after analyzing 20,000 deals using data, they know what works and what doesn’t. "Though we’re still occasionally surprised, both positively and negatively."

The newsletter goes out daily to 350,000 people. Half of the recipients bite on a deal, and it generates many more visitors to the site. "The newsletter has become, alongside Facebook, where we have 200,000 followers, the engine behind our success."

Adventure sport

When people think of fishing, they might picture an old man staring at a float under an umbrella, but that image is outdated, according to Willem Bontrup. "Nowadays, fishing is an adventurous sport. Many anglers go out at night, and they're thrilled when they catch something. They share their catches through group chats. It's really a passion for many people." Visdeal.nl has many dedicated anglers as customers, but even those who fish a few times a year with a cheap rod and reel set find the site.

"It's fortunate for us that a bad day is never due to the fish or the anglers themselves, but always to the equipment," Bontrup laughs.

Self-built system no longer worked

Because fishing gear is often large—think big rods and tents—the Bontrup brothers have a large warehouse of 2,000 square meters. The system they used to manage inventory was developed in-house, just like their website. However, they became so busy managing everything and handling the site’s traffic that there was no time to invest in a proper warehouse management system. That was until they noticed increasing errors.

"The inventory didn’t match, there were bugs in the system causing shipments to be assigned incorrect codes, and stock levels were miscalculated." Willem Bontrup decided something had to change three-quarters of a year ago. He searched on Google for a new system and quickly came across Picqer. "I immediately liked that it was run by two guys who clearly enjoyed what they were doing. I got a quick response to my email, and everything about it appealed to me more than a bulky, expensive package."

Less staff

The help articles in plain language that Picqer offers made the system understandable for everyone in the office. Questions were answered quickly. For Bontrup, it was a relief.

"If we had started using Picqer three years earlier, it would have saved a lot of manpower and mistakes, and brought much more peace to the business. Inventory is now better managed, customers get what they ordered, and labor costs are lower. Additionally, the helpdesk and after-sales department are less busy. While we’re growing rapidly, fewer people are needed to handle it all."

Even though Visdeal has loyal customers, a few wrong orders can result in bad online reviews. "If you don't deliver what you promised, it can have consequences. On the flip side, a positive customer experience spreads quickly."

A reliable partner

Picqer also supports their international expansion, as Visdeal is active in the UK, Germany, Belgium, and France, with Denmark and Poland on the horizon. "Every two to three months, we add a new European country. In Picqer’s system, there are multiple carriers that can be selected. This makes them a reliable partner with whom we can organize the growth we have in mind."

The fact that Picqer is also growing and has a startup vibe makes them appealing, flexible, fast, and approachable, according to Bontrup. "When we make a suggestion, they’ve often already thought about it. I notice they visit many warehouses and have a lot of knowledge. Recently, I asked them for advice: can the guys picking orders in the warehouse wear headphones to listen to music? 'What if there’s a forklift driving around and someone walks into it? You don't want that,' advised Casper from Picqer. I found that valuable advice."