Launch Plan - Gridfinity GRIPS¶

Phased go-to-market strategy using the SOSTAC framework. Launch Target: Q2 2026 (April-June)

🚀 European Expansion Roadmap¶

SOSTAC Framework Overview¶

S - SITUATION ANALYSIS¶

Current State¶

• Product: Gridfinity GRIPS in development/production
• Brand Awareness: Zero (new product)
• Market Position: New entrant
• Target Launch: Q2 2026 (April-June)
• Initial Markets: Belgium & Netherlands via bol.com
• Competitors: Generic plate organizers, DIY solutions
• Strengths: Unique IKEA fit, Gridfinity compatibility
• Weaknesses: No existing customer base, unknown brand

Market Opportunity¶

Benelux Market (Phase 1):

• IKEA has strong presence in Belgium (5 stores) and Netherlands (13 stores)
• bol.com is the #1 marketplace in Benelux (~13M active customers)
• High home organization culture in Dutch/Belgian markets
• Strong Gridfinity community in Netherlands (maker culture)

German Market (Phase 2):

• Largest IKEA market in Europe (54 stores)
• Kaufland.de growing rapidly as marketplace
• High quality expectations align with premium positioning

French Market (Phase 3):

• Second largest EU market
• cdiscount.fr strong in home goods category
• Growing IKEA presence (36 stores)

Pan-European (Phase 4):

• Amazon EU reaches 100M+ Prime members
• Enables FBA for simplified logistics

SWOT Summary¶

O - OBJECTIVES¶

Phase 1: Benelux Launch (Q2 2026 - First 90 Days)¶

Phase 2: Germany Expansion (Q3-Q4 2026)¶

Phase 3: France Expansion (Q1-Q2 2027)¶

Phase 4: Pan-European (H2 2027)¶

SMART Goal Structure (Phase 1)¶

Specific: Launch Gridfinity GRIPS on bol.com for Belgian & Dutch IKEA enthusiasts Measurable: 150 units sold, 5K visitors, 300 subscribers in 90 days Achievable: Based on Benelux market size and bol.com benchmarks Relevant: Establishes brand in home market before expansion Time-bound: Q2 2026 (April-June)

S - STRATEGY¶

Go-to-Market Strategy: Marketplace-First European Expansion¶

Strategic Pillars¶

1. Marketplace-First: Launch on established platforms (bol.com) before own e-commerce
2. Phased Geographic Expansion: Master each market before expanding
3. Localized Content: Dutch/French (BE/NL) → German → French → Multi-language
4. Community-Led: Leverage Gridfinity/maker communities in each market
5. Social Proof: Prioritize marketplace reviews for algorithm visibility
6. IKEA Proximity: Focus marketing near IKEA store locations

Platform Strategy by Phase¶

T - TACTICS¶

Phase 1a: Pre-Launch Preparation (Q1 2026 - Jan to Mar)¶

Goal: Prepare for Q2 2026 Benelux launch

Pre-Launch Checklist:

• bol.com seller account verified
• Product listings live (Dutch & French)
• Landing page live with email capture
• Social accounts created and active
• 50+ email subscribers collected
• 5 Benelux influencer samples shipped
• Product photography complete
• Welcome email sequence ready (NL/FR)
• Shipping to BE/NL tested
• Customer support ready (NL/FR/EN)
• VAT registration complete

Phase 1b: Benelux Launch - bol.com (Q2 2026 - Apr to Jun)¶

Goal: Establish presence on bol.com, collect reviews, validate market

April 2026 (Soft Launch)¶

May 2026 (Full Launch)¶

June 2026 (Optimize & Prepare Germany)¶

Phase 1b Goals (90 days):

• 150 units sold on bol.com
• 25+ bol.com reviews (4.5★+)
• 5,000 website visitors
• 300 email subscribers
• bol.com Partner+ status achieved

Phase 2: Germany Expansion - Kaufland.de (Q3-Q4 2026)¶

Goal: Expand to German market via Kaufland.de

Phase 2 Goals:

• 300 units sold on Kaufland.de
• 40+ Kaufland reviews (4.5★+)
• German social following established
• Preparation for France expansion

Phase 3: France Expansion - cdiscount.fr (Q1-Q2 2027)¶

Phase 3 Goals:

• 250 units sold on cdiscount.fr
• Established French market presence
• French social following

Phase 4: Pan-European - Amazon EU (H2 2027)¶

Phase 4 Goals:

• 500+ units sold on Amazon EU
• Presence in 8+ EU countries
• Amazon Best Seller ranking in category

Future Consideration: Intercontinental Expansion¶

Evaluation Criteria (assess in 2028):

Potential Markets (if expansion approved):

• 🇺🇸 USA via Amazon.com
• 🇬🇧 UK via Amazon.co.uk (post-Brexit logistics)
• 🇦🇺 Australia via Amazon.com.au

A - ACTION¶

Team Roles & Responsibilities¶

Language Requirements by Phase¶

Weekly Rhythm (During Active Launch)¶

Benelux Launch Week Schedule (April 2026)¶

Key Milestones Timeline¶

C - CONTROL¶

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)¶

Phase 1: Benelux (Q2 2026) - Traffic & Awareness¶

Phase 1: Benelux - Marketplace Metrics¶

Phase 1: Benelux - Revenue¶

Annual KPIs by Market¶

Reporting Cadence¶

Dashboard Metrics (Real-Time) - Phase 1¶

Risk Mitigation (European Focus)¶

Pivot Triggers¶

Expansion Decision Criteria¶

When to proceed to next market:

Launch Checklists¶

Q1 2026: Pre-Launch Preparation Checklist¶

bol.com Setup (January-February)¶

• bol.com seller account created
• bol.com seller verification complete
• VAT registration for Netherlands
• VAT registration for Belgium
• Bank account connected (EUR)
• Shipping rates configured
• Return policy defined

Content & Listings (February-March)¶

• Product photography complete
• Dutch product listings written
• French (Belgian) product listings written
• SEO keywords researched (NL/FR)
• bol.com A+ content created
• Product videos created

Marketing Setup (February-March)¶

• Website live (NL/FR bilingual)
• Email system setup (Mailchimp/Klaviyo)
• Welcome sequence ready (Dutch)
• Welcome sequence ready (French)
• Social accounts created (@gridfinitygrips)
• Pinterest boards created
• Instagram content scheduled

Operations (March)¶

• Inventory ready (100+ units)
• Packaging with EU compliance
• Fulfillment process tested
• Shipping to BE/NL confirmed
• Customer support templates (NL/FR/EN)
• Returns process defined

Week Before Benelux Launch (Late March 2026)¶

• All inventory at fulfillment location
• bol.com listings approved and live
• Final listing optimization done
• Email sequences activated
• Social content scheduled (2 weeks)
• Influencer posts confirmed (5 influencers)
• bol.com advertising campaigns ready
• Customer support team briefed
• Analytics tracking verified
• Test orders completed successfully

Launch Day (April 2026)¶

• bol.com listings set to "active"
• bol.com advertising campaigns activated
• Send email blast to subscribers
• Publish Reddit/forum posts
• Post on Instagram/Pinterest
• Monitor bol.com seller dashboard
• Respond to inquiries within 4 hours
• Celebrate first orders 🎉

Week 1 After Launch¶

• Daily bol.com metrics review
• Respond to all customer questions
• Ship all orders same/next day
• Follow up with first customers
• Request bol.com reviews
• Share UGC on social media
• First week analysis report

Month 1 Review (End of April)¶

• Sales vs target analysis
• bol.com metrics review
• Customer feedback summary
• Marketing channel performance
• Operations/shipping review
• Adjust strategy for Month 2

Expansion Readiness Checklist (Before Each New Market)¶

Germany (Kaufland.de) - Q3 2026¶

• Kaufland.de seller account verified
• German VAT registration
• German product listings
• German customer support ready
• Shipping to Germany tested
• German advertising budget allocated

France (cdiscount.fr) - Q1 2027¶

• cdiscount.fr seller account verified
• French VAT (already done for Belgium)
• French product listings optimized
• French customer support scaled
• Shipping to France tested
• French advertising budget allocated

Amazon EU - H2 2027¶

• Amazon Seller Central account
• FBA enrollment complete
• Multi-country listings (DE, FR, NL, BE, IT, ES)
• A+ Brand content approved
• FBA inventory shipped
• PPC campaigns configured
• Analyze initial data
• Adjust based on feedback

Related Documents¶

• Marketing Canvas - One-page strategy overview
• STP Analysis - Target audience deep dive
• Channel Strategy - Detailed channel tactics
• Content Calendar - Tactical planning