International e-commerce full-service provider Hermes NexTec, launched two independent online shops for Lee and Wrangler across multiple European countries. Hermes NexTec has teamed up with the tradition-steeped denim brands in the beginning of this year. This latest customer acquisition strengthens Hermes NexTec's position in the fashion and lifestyle segment to include two more highly popular brands. Wrangler and Lee are both part of the VF Corporation; esteemed as a leading apparel groups in the world and a market leader in branded lifestyle apparel and footwear. VF owns brands such as The North Face, Eastpak, Timberland and Vans amongst others.
As part of its international full-service solution, Hermes is now responsible for the operation and further development of both the Wrangler EMEA and Lee EMEA online shops. The e-commerce specialists at Hermes will organize the shop, IT, and content management, as well as performance marketing areas. Also, Hermes provides warehousing, customer care and financial services for both brands and undertake distribution across the European target markets.
Due to the specific brand characteristics of Wrangler and Lee, special features have been designed for both online shops. The focus is on creating a strong shopping experience by combining factors of brand, content and shop features; for example, an integrated magazine function which links content to the product page, to increase both performance and the buying experience. Furthermore, there is an outfit advice feature and a fit guide which will help shoppers select their perfect fit. Various versions of the shops have been developed in different languages and with country-specific features, such as most common payment methods, for the launch in Germany, UK, Ireland, France, Austria, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands and Belgium. Qmerce, Hermes NexTec’s proprietary software solution, provides the shop platform and already hosts many internationally successful online brand shops such as Wolford, ESCADA and Cadenzza (Swarovski Group).
The decision to award the contract to Hermes NexTec was taken after a public call for tenders in which a number of service providers from across Europe participated. "What impressed us was the comprehensive range of capabilities, not only in eCommerce but also in the areas of fulfilment and distribution. It means we can group together all the services involved in online retail along the entire value chain and source them from one provider. This keeps the process slim and flexible and also creates worthwhile synergies in many areas," explains Talin Vartevanian, Director of eCommerce for Contemporary & Jeanswear Brands at VF Corporation.
As for Holger Lender, CEO of Hermes NexTec, the latest customer acquisition is also a clear signal to the industry: "With Lee and Wrangler we are expanding our position in the fashion and lifestyle market. At the same time, VFC's decision demonstrates that the integrated and internationally established full-service solution by Hermes offers a decisive advantage because it efficiently combines front and back-end services with each other and provides the client with the potential for flexible global growth."