In this edition of “Customer Spotlight”, we visited Fairplace — an online shop specialized in sustainable toys. The webshop was launched in 2013 by current owners Christophe Toye and Yves Vercruysse. Both had already gained significant experience through their work with the Flemish Service for Holiday Playgrounds, the umbrella organization for vacation play initiatives in Flanders. Back then, they advised playgrounds on sustainable play equipment and had set up a company organizing group purchases of play materials every year.
Years later, while working elsewhere, Christophe and Yves wanted to focus even more on sustainability and reach the private market through an online store. So they launched a webshop with 50 products they believed to be sustainable hits. Many of those products are still part of the range today.
Fairplace grows, and the garage becomes too small!
Those 50 initial products quickly grew into over 500 items. As the range expanded, the first logistical issues emerged. The garage, which had served as their logistics hub, became overcrowded. Eventually, the utility room and office were also filled with toys. During peak periods, it was a constant rush to get everything shipped in time.
Around the 2019 holiday season, they first considered outsourcing logistics. But it was the Covid-19 pandemic that made the decision clear. During the first lockdown in March 2020, toy sales skyrocketed. Puzzles, games, trampolines, and go-karts flew off the shelves. Christophe and Yves knew the time had come to partner with a fulfilment provider.
How did Fairplace find Webship?
Since outsourcing was already on their minds, Christophe and Yves had time to research fulfilment companies and collect references. Webship came out on top. Customer satisfaction is a top priority for us, and that was felt during their first conversations. Fairplace appreciated our collaborative mindset and willingness to grow with them.
Additional advantages were our price-quality ratio, the user-friendliness of Webship Online (our inventory management system), and our location — which makes it easy for them to visit regularly.
How is the collaboration going?
Fairplace chose Webship to be completely unburdened of logistics, and that’s exactly what they got. According to the owners, everything from inbound to outbound orders runs smoothly. They also praise the Webship team for being responsive and going the extra mile when needed.
The recent Sinterklaas and year-end holidays were the first major tests — and both were a success. Sinterklaas is usually the busiest time of year, and everything went flawlessly. The year-end was more intense, but thanks to extra hands in the warehouse, all orders shipped on time. Christophe and Yves are incredibly happy they took the leap. They wouldn’t have managed these volumes on their own. Their mission remains clear: no disappointed children during the holidays.
Room for improvement?
Of course, there’s always room to improve. Fairplace mentioned that technical development could be a bit faster. A valid point, especially with the pressure from the e-commerce boom. We’ve made many updates, mostly to optimize current operations, but we’re also looking to hire an extra developer soon.
Another interesting suggestion: the possibility to add personalized messages and gift wrapping. Definitely something we’ll be discussing internally.
Looking for a fulfilment partner?
Contact us via hallo@webship.be or try our online cost calculator.
Or looking for sustainable toys? Fairplace is your go-to webshop!
