Chefslist’s recipe for success: More sales with Mondu’s BNPL solution

Transitioning from the traditional fax to a digitalized approach is the mission of Chefslist, a Frankfurt-based company. Their comprehensive 360-degree solution digitizes the ordering process between the restaurant industry and their suppliers and producers. This case study highlights how Chefslist bolstered its success by integrating Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment options. It also explores how food wholesalers like Otto Gourmet leverage BNPL to enhance their customers' purchasing power without financial risk.

“Mondu’s payment solution has enabled us to further increase our value proposition. Almost a third of our orders are now processed via Buy Now, Pay Later.”

André Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Chefslist

20%

more customers

+15%

higher GMV

+10%

More revenue

About Chefslist

Founded in 2018 by William Harris, Xavier Sarras, Karim Mustaghni, and André Klein, Chefslist is transforming the food industry by digitizing ordering processes in the wholesale sector. Headquartered in Frankfurt, the company is committed to digitalizing ordering processes in the wholesale food industry. With a team of around 20 dedicated professionals, Chefslist has achieved remarkable success, generating an annual Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) of €100 million. The company boasts a strong network of partnerships, collaborating with numerous wholesalers in the DACH region, including prominent names like CF Gastro, Deutsche See, and Otto Gourmet.

Chefslist’s mission is to digitize the traditional fax-based ordering process in the food industry while preserving the wholesalers’ personal customer relationships. The company’s solution aims to help users overcome established behavioral patterns in the food service industry to streamline and simplify how food businesses operate, fostering efficiency and growth.

“Today, the order between the buyer and the wholesaler takes place via fax. Our mission is to digitalise this process.” André Klein, Co-Founder and CEO of Chefslist

Digitizing the food industry: BNPL as the icing on the cake

Having effectively digitized the ordering and communication process between the restaurant industry and its suppliers, Chefslist focused on optimizing the payment process. The aim was twofold: enhance the buying experience while alleviating operational challenges for wholesalers. At the same time, Chefslist took the opportunity to tackle the pervasive issue of cash flow in the food service industry.

In an industry where “cash on delivery” is still the most common practice, it is becoming increasingly difficult for suppliers and producers to survive – especially in times of rising prices and resource shortages. According to Stephan Otto, Managing Director of Otto Gourmet, a leading supplier of high-quality meat products and a user of Chefslist: Restaurants find themselves investing substantial sums in food without immediate returns. Thus, flexible payment solutions become the metaphorical “breath of fresh air,” providing much-needed financial flexibility in a landscape where every penny matters.

The ingredients for a stable cash flow

With a BNPL solution, Chefslist aimed to bridge the gap between buying supplies and generating revenue. This solution significantly benefits users: restaurants can source the goods they need for their business and generate sales while making the payment later. At the same time, suppliers and producers can sell more and receive immediate advance payments, securing their cash flow without the risk of buyer insolvency. By introducing a BNPL payment solution, Chefslist recognized the opportunity to significantly strengthen their value proposition and thus increase their overall sales (GMV) and company profit in the long run. However, the company faced initial challenges in the implementation. Although cooperation with a payment provider was required, established B2C BNPL providers could not meet the company’s requirements. Chefslist needed to work with a provider that could flexibly keep up with their dynamic developments and requirements, such as:

Flexible fee structure
High acceptance rates
Real time risk and credit checks
Takeover of operational processes

Chefslist’s secret sauce

Chefslist’s key ingredient for success lies in Mondu, a specialized Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) payment provider. Mondu brought crucial B2B expertise to the table while providing the flexibility essential for a successful collaboration. The entire process, from contract signing to go-live, was seamlessly accomplished within a few weeks. Mondu facilitated a seamless integration of the new payment methods, with Chefslist prioritizing a smooth transition to minimize additional operational efforts for busy wholesalers like Otto Gourmet. Mondu’s high acceptance rate also allowed Chefslist to extend the BNPL option to a broad user base. Following the introduction of Mondu’s BNPL methods, Chefslist actively communicated this payment option to customers through newsletters and webinars, resulting in overwhelmingly positive feedback. In a brief trial period, where the BNPL offer was initially limited to 5% of active wholesalers, approximately one-third of all orders shifted to BNPL after just two weeks. This rapid adoption highlights the strong demand for flexible payment solutions among Chefslist’s customer base.

The results: A cut above the rest

The adoption of Mondu’s BNPL enabled Chefslist to impress existing customers and attract new buyers who chose the platform because of the BNPL option. Offering Mondu’s BNPL payment options led to an impressive 20% growth in Chefslist’s customer base and a 15% increase in total sales (GMV). Today, just under a third of all Chefslist orders are processed through Mondu, underlining the continued popularity and added value of BNPL. Chefslist is not the only party benefiting from the integration of Mondu’s BNPL solution. Wholesalers like Otto Gourmet are also reaping the rewards, as their customers enjoy an enhanced shopping experience and increased purchasing power due to the ability to defer payments. This has led to positive feedback and a growing number of returning customers. Remarkably, 30% of Otto Gourmet’s customers who order via Chefslist have embraced Mondu’s BNPL option. At the same time, wholesalers can offload operational efforts and the risk of payment default to Mondu, allowing them to focus on their core business.

We’re here to help you turn payments into your growth engine.

Mondu is changing the B2B payments ecosystem.

Mondu’s Buy Now, Pay Later solution simplifies business-to-business payments and enables any B2B company to grow quickly and safely. With Mondu, merchants, and marketplaces can offer their business customers the most popular B2B payment methods and flexible payment terms across sales channels, from online checkouts to field and telesales. Mondu’s BNPL products include invoice payments, installments, and digital trade account.

Companies that work with Mondu can increase sales by offering the best payment terms to their buyers and enjoy a stable and predictable cash flow thanks to upfront payments. They are also protected from default risk and save the hassle of collections and dunning, enabling them to focus on their core business and scale faster.