Press play on the Beyond Threads podcast to hear how innovative start-up Rimoda is delivering its ambitious circular vision with the support of our Bscale logistics offering.
Start-ups in the fashion space often face a critical challenge: transitioning from a breakthrough concept to scalable business operations. This was certainly the case for Rimoda, a Netherlands-based circular innovator with a plan to address fashion’s waste and returns problem. In part two of our Beyond Threads interview, Ribal Mahdi, founder of Rimoda, talks to host Erik Janssen Steenberg about how strategic logistics partnerships can accelerate growth and support start-ups to deliver on their vision.
Read on to learn more about how Rimoda overcame the practical challenges of implementing its advanced, AI-supported e-commerce marketplace for fashion resale.
AI-powered simplicity: Making fashion resale accessible to all
One of Rimoda’s unique points of value is the ease of use that it brings to the circular fashion space from the consumer perspective. By simply uploading a photo of their unwanted garments, which is then analysed by Rimoda’s AI system, shoppers can receive an immediate discount. Users then take the clothes to a convenient drop-off point. “With AI, we can offer customers immediate value for their unwanted clothes,” explains Ribal, creating what Erik describes as “a slam-dunk deal for the consumer.”
From start-up vision to scalable operations
However, no matter how promising the concept, the success of any start-up venture depends to a large extent on its operational execution, including logistics. While many emerging companies will find themselves unable to access enterprise-level logistics and warehousing services due to minimum order requirements, some providers are changing the game. For example, Bleckmann’s Bscale solution provides growing companies with plug-and-play access to the same facilities and services used by its major clients.
This access is proving pivotal in Rimoda’s ongoing growth journey, over the short and long term. “When choosing your partners, don’t choose based on where you are today,” Ribal continues. “Instead, choose your partners based on where you want to be in five years. You want partners that are able to scale with you when you are ready to scale, but at the same time act like your safety net when things go wrong.” This ‘operational unburdening’ is key to the value that third-party logistics (3PL) provide to such fast-growing companies.
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The agility to outcompete in a challenging market
The days when sustainability was a niche concern in fashion are long gone, with many more dedicated providers and brands entering the space. While this is certainly positive from an environmental perspective, it means that start-ups like Rimoda are under increasing pressure to distinguish their offering from that of the competition. Winning the battle for shoppers’ wallets, therefore, means providing a better end-to-end experience.
This is where solutions like Bscale can be a key asset, supporting customer excellence. “Innovation is all very well, but after we have the MVP (minimum viable product), what we have to always think about is the transition from innovation to competitiveness”, Ribal concludes. “To achieve that, we need to have the right partners, and I think this is where a partner like Bscale fits in perfectly, because it will join us in our scaling journey.”
Press play on the Beyond Threads podcast to get more insights from Ribal on what it takes to transform a smart idea like Rimoda into a fast-scaling operational reality.
