"Sello has made it possible for us to expand to new marketplaces and thus also be able to grow internationally."

Who are Melle

Melle is a Swedish women's razor company based in Stockholm and founded in late 2021 that manufactures durable premium unisex razors.

We have a vision to change consumer behavior regarding both unsustainable disposable items and the "she & he mentality" by taking an unsexy and above all non-environmentally friendly product; the plastic razor, primarily the disposable razor, and make it attractive. Melle's razors are durable and classic, we focus on function, design, quality, and "the shaving experience".

Why did you start e-commerce?

We started everything via our e-commerce. It is our primary sales channel and the face of the brand. We are not dependent on retailers and we have better margins than through our retailers. E-commerce is a very effective way to scale and expand into new markets and thus also increase sales.

Why did you decide to start selling on marketplaces?

Marketplaces were actually quite an unknown concept to us until we got the opportunity to start selling through Zalando. It was only then that we opened our eyes to the enormous potential of getting the brand spread and marketing that a retailer contributes to while still being able to "keep" the business. We were now able to test new markets in a more efficient way, reach customers that we usually are not able to reach, and increase the visibility of the brand.

How did you find Sello and what made you choose Sello?

We had met a couple of other integration partners but were then informed about Sello (from Zalando if I remember correctly!) and were contacted directly and it felt good right away. Sello felt like an established integration partner, with great service, which we value, and the fact that Sello had many of the marketplaces we wanted to work with, made it easier for us.

What kind of challenges will Sello help with?

Sello has made it possible for us to expand to new marketplaces and thus also be able to grow internationally, which we ourselves would not have been able to do in such a time-efficient and smooth way. It is also great for us to be able to manage all future sales channels for marketplaces via one and the same platform

Would you recommend Sello to other e-tailers? If yes, why?

Definitely! I have already recommended Sello to a couple of my acquaintances who want to sell via marketplaces. We are satisfied with both Sello's commitment and customer service and that the pricing feels reasonable. We are now in the process of integrating our second marketplace and a third one is upcoming.

Do you see any particular trends for marketplaces?

We firmly believe that marketplaces are the new/first step into retailers. Retail offline & online will definitely survive and marketplaces are the gateway for smaller or newly started brands to be able to penetrate a new market or a department store in a cost-effective way. Online is a win-win for both retailer and brand as there are better margins for the brand and retailers take no risks as they do not have to make large purchases.

How do you think e-commerce will change within the next few years?

Big question! There has been a shift in the entire industry in recent years from "location first" to "price first" and now to "delivery first". The customer is no longer open to adapting to the e-tailer, as it was before; "we can only deliver to your home address these two days". Now it is the e-tailers who have to adapt, for example, the shipping methods to the customer's needs; deliver to the office, to the summer house, etc. I also think we are moving towards a more consolidated society with joint deliveries from different brands and forwarders.

I think that shipping companies will have to become more responsive to the needs of e-tailers. We are definitely moving towards an omnichannel society where physical retail will play a greater role in brand building, like a showroom with stock. The customer makes a purchase in-store and has it delivered directly to their home instead of walking around carrying bags.

We already see that e-retailers with physical retail use the store warehouse also as an e-commerce warehouse for faster & more environmentally friendly deliveries. As a final point, I believe that brand & branding will become more important and become more decisive for the consumer.

Do you have any tips for other e-tailers that you wish you had received before you started?

You must be incredibly passionate about your business because it will require a lot of sacrifices (!), more than I thought from the beginning. It will probably take much longer than you initially think so be patient. Have clear goals and set a structure on how to get there. Where are you going and how are you going to get there? Things will not always go as planned so I think it is important to be able to revise the journey there.

Health first - not sleeping enough, not exercising, and not getting enough nutrition is not sustainable in the long run. And finally; stay inspired - it's so easy to dig in and get tunnel vision when you work as intensively as many entrepreneurs do and it will take over some days but it's important to find your own "why".