Sustainability beats overstock
Twelve million tonnes of food are thrown away in Germany every year. Motatos decided to fight this waste and distribute products online that might have a minor defect or whose best-before dates are about to expire. The start-up has outsourced its logistics to FIEGE.
Logistics that grows with the customer
When Alexander Holzknecht first stood inside the logistics centre in Großbeeren, he could not picture the 5,000 square metres of storage space ever being filled to capacity. “Less than six months later, we needed a new warehouse,” the Country Manager Germany at Motatos GmbH says, looking back. The start-up sells foodstuffs which have been taken off the shelves and was looking for logistical support to launch in the German market. “A scalable set-up was decisive for us to succeed. We want to grow and need partners who can keep up with this development,” says Holzknecht.
Experience pays off
The mutual respect was high. “We had to gauge what role sustainability plays for consumers in this country,” the Country Manager recalls. Ultimately, they jumped in at the deep end. When the online shop went live in April 2020, around 5,000 square metres had been made available at the FIEGE branch in Großbeeren to store foodstuffs.
Demand grew dramatically both on the side of suppliers and consumers. Today, Motatos occupies around 8,500 square metres at the multi-user centre located to the south of Berlin. Buyers’ shopping baskets often contain up to 30 different products, which requires significant flexibility. “Thanks to years of experience in eCommerce and the food segment, FIEGE has turned out to be an extremely good choice,” Holzknecht tells us.
Signs point to internationalisation
During the second half of 2021, orders went through the roof. Some 80,000 parcels leave the logistics centre every month – and this trend is rising. “Our plan is to double the order volume in the near future and add more countries to our online shop,” Holzknecht says, explaining the company’s long-term plans. So it’s very well possible that Holzknecht will soon require even more space at FIEGE’s logistics centres.
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