A major distributor of outdoor lifestyle products across the UK and Northern Ireland, Whitby and Co. uses the Amazon marketplace as a route to market for a significant amount of its business. Through working with Onogo, the company has been able to optimise listings and maximise sales opportunities, resulting in a 1,900% increase in the sales of one product line in particular.
Whitby sells a number of these products on the Amazon marketplace, an important route-to-market in a world continually moving towards online retail. However, selling on Amazon is a complex affair, and with so many brands and products to keep tabs on, the company uses Onogo to ensure listings and sales are optimised – and that the brand’s reputation is in safe hands.
Founded over 60 years ago by Major Aubrey Whitby, Whitby & Co. is a family-owned company that specialises in distributing products for the outdoor industry – from knives, multi-tools and survival equipment to lifestyle and kitchenware. Among the 20 brands the company distributes are Leatherman, Klean Kanteen, Buck Knives, Zippo and Opinel.
“Onogo has capabilities above and beyond what we can do in this space.”
Maximising Potential
The Strategy
Onogo’s experience and expertise is then supported by software that provide vital insights into market activities and can automate routine tasks.
Maximise sales is through merging listings, ensuring low- ranking products can reach a wider audience. If a product is part of a family, size, or colour curve, they have the ability to see that, and combine and optimise the listings so people don’t have to leave the page to find what they want.
Finally, the company operates on a scale that allows it to fulfil globally, shipping an order every 20 seconds worldwide with 98% rave reviews from its customers.
Visible Results
Delivering Value
A collaborative relationship
For a company with a 60-year heritage, ensuring the brand is represented properly online is vital, and that’s one of the reasons the relationship between Whitby and Onogo has worked so well.
“We try to partner with people that can understand the value of our brands and will represent them in a manner that reflects their quality,” says John. “Onogo have been with us for five years, they understand our expectations and are hugely respectful of them.”
Communication is also important – especially given the ever-changing nature of marketplace sales. The companies are in touch regularly throughout the week, with Whitby using Onogo as a sounding board for information about the Amazon marketplace or opinions on new products.
“It’s the perfect balance,” says John. “On one hand, I know I can trust them to just get on with what they do best. But I also know that if I pick up the phone or send an email, they’ll be really responsive.”
The future looks bright
Onogo currently sells 223 different products from Whitby and Co. on Amazon, and has fulfilled many thousands of orders in the last month alone. What’s more, it looks like the relationship is set to go from strength-to-strength, with Whitby planning to introduce several new brands to the market in the coming months.
“Onogo are very professional, very knowledgeable and very trustworthy,” says John. “And they’re really lovely people to work with, which helps. I know they’ll do what’s right for Whitby, and that they’ll be honest and up-front throughout.”
For Onogo, this level of success is business as usual. The company is in the top 0.5% of sellers on Amazon globally, currently ranking in the top 0.42% in the US, top 20 in France, 71 in the UK, 82 in Spain, and 87 in Germany.
“These sorts of results all start with detailed analysis of products, listings and competitor pricing models,” says Adam Blampied, Head of Purchasing at Onogo. “If you’re struggling to access these insights, or need help with any other element of your Amazon marketplace experience, we’d be happy to help.”
