Bleckmann partners Australian swimwear brand for first EU logistics base

Supply chain experts Bleckmann, which counts Superdry, Gymshark and Blakely among its clients, has announced a new partnership with Australian swimwear and apparel brand Kulani Kinis for the European market.

Bleckmann will provide warehousing, order fulfilment and returns processing from its facility in Venlo, the Netherlands, launching Kulani Kinis’ first logistics operation based on European soil.

Founded in Sydney in 2015 by Dani Atkins and Alex Babich, Kulani Kinis, known for its bold prints and “feel good fits”, has grown from a side hustle into a globally recognised brand, expanding its reach far beyond Australia.

Growth in the US market has been particularly strong, but Europe is another important market that’s seeing increasing sales.

Will North, Head of Commercial and Performance at Kulani Kinis, said: “Europe has gone from a relatively small share of our business to around 10% and growing. Being based in Australia, we simply couldn't service our European customers the way we wanted to.”

After visiting several potential providers in the Netherlands, Kulani Kinis selected Bleckmann for both its ability to deliver service improvements and its fashion and lifestyle focus.

It was clear from the Kulani Kinis’ team visit to Bleckmann’s Venlo facility that it would be the perfect partner to help the brand scale its business throughout Europe.

Melissa Blume, Head of Customer Experience at Kulani Kinis, said: “We arrived in the days after Black Friday and everything was running like clockwork. That told us exactly what we needed to know.”

“Previously, delivery times to the EU were up to six days as orders were shipped from Australia. With fulfilment now based in Venlo, many customers will receive their orders the next day via local carriers they know and trust.”

North added: “What really stood out was that Bleckmann isn’t a generalist player - they have the deep expertise we need. Our products demand careful handling and precise presentation, so Bleckmann’s strong SLAs around fulfilment accuracy and value-added services were a deciding factor.”

The economies of scale achieved with Bleckmann have also allowed Kulani Kinis to introduce free shipping on orders over €100 - a first for the brand’s European offering.

Returns will also be transformed, as rather than items being sent all the way back to Australia, European customers will benefit from faster, more efficient processing, handled locally in Venlo.

Ruud Mars, Business Development Transport at Bleckmann, said: “Customers can now receive their exchange orders and refunds more quickly. This typically results in a smoother post-purchase experience and stronger customer relationships.”

The partnership ‘go-live’ comes at a key moment for Kulani Kinis, as the launch of its first European fulfilment operation comes just as the brand launches its new ‘Espresso Island’ collection for SS26, which features “retro glamour, deep espresso hues and playful core prints”.

Blume added: “Launching a major new collection and a brand new logistics operation at the same time is a real test of any provider. But the way Bleckmann has handled it has given us complete confidence going forward.”

Looking ahead, Kulani Kinis sees Europe as a key pillar of its long-term growth strategy - not just in direct-to-consumer, but in wholesale too. The brand has already shown twice at Splash, the swimwear trade show in France, and is looking to build the kind of wholesale momentum in Europe that has accelerated its growth in the US.

North said: “Having product physically on the continent makes everything easier - from marketing activations to wholesale conversations. When potential partners see that you’re here and that you’re invested, it sends a very clear signal: we’re here to stay.”

In February, Bleckmann launched a new automated storage and retrieval system at its site in the Netherlands, which uses radio-controlled robots to retrieve items - saving time by eliminating the need to walk towards picking locations.

The new “goods-to-person system” is an integrated Kardex AutoStore solution with an automated packing line - providing a "streamlined alternative to traditional rack storage".