German online marketplace Kaufland is discontinuing Fulfillment by Kaufland (FBK). The service will remain active until February 28, after which stored products will be returned free of charge to the respective selling partners. The platform is working on an international multichannel alternative.
Kaufland Global Marketplace confirmed the news that came out via messages on LinkedIn. FBK was officially launched only on February 12 last year. With competitive pricing for storage and processing, the marketplace aimed to attract sellers. However, Kaufland quickly reconsidered its strategy. Users of the service have already received termination notices.
Strategic shift
The end of FBK is linked to a strategic shift. It does not mean that Kaufland no longer aims to provide logistical support. On the contrary: “We have decided to replace the Fulfillment by Kaufland service with new logistics services in the area of cross-border fulfillment”, the marketplace stated.
Kaufland is introducing new services for cross-border fulfillment
These new European ecommerce fulfillment services will be “even better tailored to the needs of our merchants and the conditions of international ecommerce”, promises Kaufland, “enabling more successful and sustainable international growth.”
Flexible modular system
Kaufland says it is developing a modular system with customizable services for retailers, including an automated labeling solution for shipping and return labels and a multichannel fulfillment service. This service will process orders not only on Kaufland but also on other sales channels, such as external online marketplaces and sellers’ own online stores. This approach is comparable to the multichannel fulfillment services of Zalando Group, also German, which introduced its ZEOS solution for third-party retailers.
Kaufland will process external orders for partners
According to Kaufland, the new services are being developed in collaboration with sellers: “We are currently designing, evaluating, and testing various options in close cooperation with our merchants.”
Kaufland in Europe
Kaufland, originally a hypermarket chain in Germany, launched its marketplace four years ago, shortly after the Schwarz Group acquired Real.de. The marketplace expanded to Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 2023, followed by Austria and Poland last year. In addition to Kaufland, the Schwarz Group also owns Lidl.
