GRUBE & Lemonway: Scaling a Specialized Marketplace Across Europe

GRUBE, Europe's leading specialist retailer for forestry, hunting, and outdoor equipment, partnered with Lemonway to power their new marketplace. Operating across 11 European countries since 1945, GRUBE needed a payment solution that could handle their unique product portfolio—including regulated items like forestry tools and hunting equipment—while ensuring seamless integration with their Mirakl-based marketplace.

GRUBE's Needs

Company profile & strategic context

GRUBE has evolved from a traditional retailer into a comprehensive omnichannel platform serving both professional and private customers across Europe. As Chief Marketing Offcer Alexander Zindler explains: "GRUBE is undergoing a comprehensive digital transformation to modernize the customer experience, scale our offering through platform-based commerce, and strengthen our position as a trusted brand in specialized markets."

The company's customer base spans forestry professionals, municipal services, landowners, and outdoor enthusiasts who demand high-quality, durable equipment. With operations in 11 European countries through their own subsidiaries, international scalability was a critical requirement

Strategic marketplace vision

GRUBE's marketplace initiative represents a fundamental shift in their business model. "We see the marketplace not just as a sales channel, but as a strategic evolution—from being a specialized retailer to becoming a curated platform ecosystem." notes the CMO.

Their key strategic objectives included:

• Assortment expansion without inventory risk through carefully selected third-party sellers
• Increased customer relevance by becoming the go-to destination for specialized equipment
• Operational scalability with leaner cost structures and automated processes
• International growth with minimal friction across their European footprint

Challenges & requirements

GRUBE faced several distinctive challenges that required specialized payment expertise:

• Regulated Product Portfolio: "As a specialist retailer operating in both B2C and B2B environments, we offer products that are subject to tighter controls—such as forestry tools, chainsaws, hunting equipment, and plant protection substances. In some cases, these are classifed as weapons or hazardous goods."
• Multi-Jurisdictional Complexity: Operating across 11 European countries meant navigating varying regulatory frameworks, tax requirements, and compliance standards.
• Professional Customer Base: Their B2B customers in forestry and municipal services demanded reliability, transparency, and precision in all fnancial processes

2. How Lemonway Addressed GRUBE's Needs

Discovery Through the Mirakl ecosystem

GRUBE's journey to Lemonway began during their payment partner evaluation: "The solution was already known to us through Mirakl's ecosystem, where Lemonway is positioned as a preferred and trusted partner for marketplace payments." The CMO emphasizes Mirakl's role in the decision process:

Key advantages that won the partnership

Regulatory flexibility: Unlike many payment providers, Lemonway could handle GRUBE's specialized product portfolio without blanket exclusions. "We needed a payment partner who could handle such items compliantly and without blanket exclusions, while still ensuring full alignment with European fnancial regulations."

Marketplace-Specific Expertise: "Unlike generic payment providers, Lemonway understands the specifc fnancial, regulatory, and operational challenges that come with marketplace models."

Native Mirakl Integration: Lemonway's native integration with Mirakl was a key factor that accelerated and simplifed our decision process. It eliminated the need for custom-built interfaces or complex middleware, which signifcantly reduced implementation time and risk."

Essential Chosen Features

• Split payments and automated fund distributionfor accurate, timely vendor payouts
• KYC and onboarding automation for scalable regulatory compliance 
• Payout management and reporting with transparent workfows 
• Multi-country regulatory alignment across European markets

The decision-making process

The CMO Alexander Zindler highlights what sets Lemonway apart: "Their experience working with other Mirakl-based platforms meant they could offer best practices, anticipate potential roadblocks, and support us proactively during implementation. We weren't just looking for a payment processor—we needed a partner who could help us build a reliable and scalable foundation for multi-vendor commerce."
 

3. Expected results & Next Steps

With Lemonway’s solution, GRUBE expects to achieve signifcant operational improvements as they scale their marketplace. “We anticipate that automating payment processes, KYC management, and fund distribution will allow our teams to focus on growth rather than administration,” explains the CMO. This effciency is especially important as GRUBE expands into new European markets, each with its own regulatory landscape

Strategically, GRUBE is looking forward to several key benefts. Vendors will beneft from transparent processes and real-time visibility on payouts, which is crucial for building trust and strong partnerships. The CMO adds, “Our vendors expect reliability and transparency, and Lemonway’s integration with Mirakl helps us deliver on both fronts.”

The roadmap for the next 6 to 12 months is clear. “Lemonway will enable us to onboard new sellers quickly and compliantly, ensuring we can scale our marketplace effciently,” the CMO notes.

The next key steps are:

• Final technical integration and testing within the Mirakl ecosystem.
• A Pilot phase with selected vendors to validate operational processes.
• Official launch in Germany, followed by phased roll-out in other European countries.
• Ongoing onboarding of additional sellers in complementary categories.

GRUBE will also rely on Lemonway’s expertise for risk management and support. “KYC processing across multiple jurisdictions is a critical area where we need fexibility and responsiveness from Lemonway, especially as we adapt to local requirements and languages,” says the CMO. Internal change management and vendor experience will remain priorities as the marketplace grows

4. Conclusion

By choosing Lemonway, GRUBE has secured a partner with the expertise to handle both the specifc challenges of their product portfolio and the regulatory complexity of operating across Europe. “Lemonway’s native Mirakl integration and their understanding of our sector’s needs have been decisive for us,” the CMO confrms.

This partnership allows GRUBE to focus on its core mission—delivering the best selection of forestry, hunting, and outdoor equipment—while ensuring a reliable and compliant experience for vendors and customers alike.