PromZ Vak 4 · 2026 · English edition

Inventory is killing. Unless you know what to do with it

dent on temporary staff every year. Through a former employee, Feyen came into contact with the e-commerce fulfilment company of the then Van Dijk Studieboeken in Emmen. The peak there was in the summer, whereas BIGsmilegroep was under maximum strain precisely in the autumn.

The seasons aligned perfectly. Scanning systems, automated packaging machines, and payment per processed item reduced picking and shipping costs. Boxes are made to fit as snugly as possible, resulting in less air being transported.

This logistical shift also made year-round concepts possible. After all, the inventory was still in Emmen after Christmas. Why utilize it only in November and December? This is how birthday programs, onboarding concepts, loyalty programs, and other forms of employee gifting came into being. This is how BIGsmilegroep distinguishes itself from dropshipping models. Anyone ordering three different gifts often receives three boxes from three different senders. BIGsmilegroep aims to deliver a single, well-presented gift, complete with appropriate packaging, a card, and a personal message.

In addition, Christmas logistics are supported by personnel, planners, and the vehicle fleet from the group surrounding the VHC Group. Approximately half of the shipments are sent using their own transport, the rest via regular carriers. Packing is partly done at sheltered workshops. A relatively small team manages the operation from Coevorden. “In the past, we hired packers year after year. One year you were lucky, the next year it was firewood. Now we have a well-oiled machine.”

IT as a tool

The other pillar is technology. According to Feyen, the systems were developed in-house, with dedicated IT capacity. As a result, BIGsmilegroep can quickly translate customer wishes into functionality. In the shops, budgets can be set per orderer, cost centers and general ledger accounts can be linked, and authorizations can be configured. Organizations can tailor their ordering process to their own structure. Additionally, API connections are possible with purchasing, HR, and administrative systems.

The main goal is: as little manual work as possible. No employees retyping orders, no phone calls asking if a product is still in stock, and no waiting months for a small adjustment in a webshop. “Just tell us how you want it, and we’ll set it up that way.” Feyen does not view technology as the end product. If different providers can deliver roughly the same integrations, it is once again about what truly counts: the products, the packaging, the delivery, and the feeling that someone is receiving a gift.

Sustainable, without green preaching

Sustainability is also firmly anchored in the product range. Approximately 2,200 items feature one or more sustainability characteristics. A shop can be opened for customers in which only those products are visible.

Nevertheless, Feyen is critical of the way sustainability is sold. Interest in fully green concepts appeared to grow hardly any further after an initial wave. Large organizations still ask for them in tenders, but ultimately, employees mainly want a gift they can actually use.

That is where the essence lies for Feyen. A sustainable product that no one wants is still a waste. The sixth trolley, tenth sports bag, or twentieth water bottle does not become more sustainable just because it contains recycled material. Therefore, sustainability does not start with material or a certificate, but with relevance. Is the product being used? Can it be packed efficiently and delivered in a single shipment? And is the story surrounding it honest? That is less spectacular than yet another green logo on a website, but probably more effective.

Putting the plug

The selection as Christmas Supplier of the Year therefore did not come out of the blue. BIGsmilegroep has reinvented itself multiple times: from a regional Christmas hamper supplier with a huge showroom to a reseller organization, and from a seasonal business to a year-round, quadruple ISO-certified gifting platform.

Feyen calls it plug-and-play. A reseller signs up, a unique look is added to the shop, the connections are established, and the assortment is ready. “Plug it in and you can get started.”

The ambition is clear: to become the central platform for gifting, without taking over the reseller relationship. With thousands of physical items in stock, a flexible logistics machine, and technology that adapts to the customer instead of the other way around. Or, as Feyen puts it himself: “We think we are going to score big with this in the coming years.” After nearly thirty years, that doesn't sound like boasting. Rather, it sounds like someone who, after a few painful lessons, knows exactly where his strength lies.