ESW, the world’s leading direct-to-consumer (DTC) ecommerce company, and SEKO Logistics (SEKO), a leading global logistics provider, has announced that they have entered into a new partnership agreement providing mutually complementary services to each other’s clients. The alliance, which helps to address the rising cost of cross-border ecommerce for DTC brands, will facilitate improved cost, time and compliance benefits, and unlock access to a global ecommerce market expecting record growth again in 2022 to more than $5.55 trillion.

As part of the agreement, ESW will support SEKO’s roster of clients with global end-to-end ecommerce technology and services to help them expand their DTC businesses. SEKO, in turn, will give ESW’s clients immediate access to enhanced logistics and fulfillment support, including expanded in-country warehouse presence and returns centers at over 120 locations globally to provide faster and more convenient customer experience.

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“This new partnership will provide SEKO and ESW’s combined roster of clients with superior global DTC ecommerce solutions,” Patrick Bousquet-Chavanne, ESW’s president and CEO of the Americas, said. “SEKO’s logistics leadership offers a globally scalable solution for warehousing and returns, bringing ESW clients all the benefits and growth potential of an ecommerce fulfillment network spanning 40 countries.”

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The announcement comes as the world of global ecommerce, particularly in the last year, has shifted. With the rising cost of airfreight, cross-border ecommerce brands now recognize the need for local fulfillment to reduce shipping costs, expedite delivery times and address complex compliance issues.

“The size and scale of our global fulfillment footprint, combined with ESW’s ecommerce technology, makes this partnership so exciting. We have customers in our portfolio who want what ESW offers, so we bring immediate basket aggregation opportunities. This type of collaboration is driving the growth of the ecommerce ecosystem,” Brian Bourke, SEKO’s chief growth officer, added. “Our partnership with ESW provides these solutions immediately, and we’ve already won our first fulfillment customers on the strength of our combined offering. We are giving SEKO’s ecommerce clients the chance to partner with ESW on their globalization journey.”