The Range, which is one of the fastest growing retailers in the UK and is owned by Plymouth entrepreneur Chris Dawson, has announced further online growth plans for 2024 by partnering with Virtualstock, Europe’s leading dropshipping and curated marketplace SaaS platform. The Range struck a multimillion-pound deal to buy the 93 year-old Wilko brand in 2023 which included the wilko.com website which was already utilising the Virtualstock platform. Now, both brands will benefit from Virtualstock’s cloud-based SaaS platform.
This new collaboration empowers both retailers to attain more scalable, profitable growth through dropship. Utilising a one-to-many connection, the retailers can quickly and easily grow their online product range and categories with their trusted dropship suppliers. Leveraging a comprehensive suite of modules, the platform enables both retailers to provide more choice to customers, facilitates smoother transactions and ensures an informed customer journey.
The rapid expansion and reopening of high street stores by The Range and Wilko demonstrate the importance of blending offline and online shopping for sustained retail success. The innovative technology collaboration with Virtualstock further emphasises the strategic importance of embracing both retail channels.
Ed Bradley, CEO and Founder of Virtualstock, has an optimistic outlook for the high street in 2024. He commented, “Providing customers with a broader range of choices online is a key factor in maintaining foot traffic to physical stores. Forward-thinking retailers, like The Range, recognise the evolving role of brick-and-mortar stores and are prepared to adapt their models to fuel growth in 2024 and beyond. Through our partnership, The Range is ushering in a new era of success in a fast-changing digital market.”