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New Waterstone's Contract for Unipart Set to Create Hundreds of Jobs
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Unipart Logistics, Unipart’s specialist supply chain management business, has won a new, ten-year contract with high street book retailer, Waterstone’s.
The contract, which covers warehousing and distribution for all of the Waterstone’s product range in all UK stores, will be based at a new dedicated distribution centre in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire creating hundreds of local jobs.
Unipart Logistics was selected by Waterstone’s after a competitive tender process and this new partnership will include managing the inbound supply chain jointly with Waterstone’s from around 2,500 suppliers.
Under the new contract, announced today, Unipart will introduce a highly mechanised sortation or ‘flow through’ flagship retail distribution centre covering 158,000 sq ft.
Unipart will handle all inbound logistics, warehousing, outbound logistics, load consolidation and transport, going live to all UK stores from May 2008.
The new business will create several hundred new jobs in Staffordshire and this number is set to increase each year, driven by new business from the introduction of new products as well as anticipated growth in internet sales.
Waterstone’s Supply Chain Director, Simon Blacklock, said, “Unipart Logistics has a strong track record of innovation in the supply chain.
“They impressed our team with their emphasis on partnership and, since the initial award of the contract, have demonstrated a real focus on meeting our key requirements of availability, cost effectiveness, delivery and service quality.
“Working with Unipart Logistics gives us the opportunity of working with a partner with a strong reputation and proven record in continuous improvement, and we are looking forward to the relationship producing many benefits in the form of a more efficient, flexible and better quality service to our UK stores.”
Unipart Logistics’ Consumer Division Managing Director, Ian Smith, said, ”This contract builds on Unipart Logistics’ growing expertise in the retail sector - an area of strong growth for the company - and adds to our list of blue-chip retail clients such as Halfords, Homebase and Jessops.
“The agreement we have reached builds on our strong growth in retail multi-channel solutions. This new partnership with Waterstone’s demonstrates the true benefits of the outstanding hard work of our people and their achievements in delivering Unipart Logistics’ lean solutions.
“This will be a market leading operation based upon the capabilities of both our automation and systems partners and builds on the continuously improving quality and service offered by Unipart Logistics through our own unique way of working, The Unipart Way.”
Unipart Logistics was selected by Waterstone’s after a competitive tender process and this new partnership will include managing the inbound supply chain jointly with Waterstone’s from around 2,500 suppliers.
Under the new contract, announced today, Unipart will introduce a highly mechanised sortation or ‘flow through’ flagship retail distribution centre covering 158,000 sq ft.
Unipart will handle all inbound logistics, warehousing, outbound logistics, load consolidation and transport, going live to all UK stores from May 2008.
The new business will create several hundred new jobs in Staffordshire and this number is set to increase each year, driven by new business from the introduction of new products as well as anticipated growth in internet sales.
Waterstone’s Supply Chain Director, Simon Blacklock, said, “Unipart Logistics has a strong track record of innovation in the supply chain.
“They impressed our team with their emphasis on partnership and, since the initial award of the contract, have demonstrated a real focus on meeting our key requirements of availability, cost effectiveness, delivery and service quality.
“Working with Unipart Logistics gives us the opportunity of working with a partner with a strong reputation and proven record in continuous improvement, and we are looking forward to the relationship producing many benefits in the form of a more efficient, flexible and better quality service to our UK stores.”
Unipart Logistics’ Consumer Division Managing Director, Ian Smith, said, ”This contract builds on Unipart Logistics’ growing expertise in the retail sector - an area of strong growth for the company - and adds to our list of blue-chip retail clients such as Halfords, Homebase and Jessops.
“The agreement we have reached builds on our strong growth in retail multi-channel solutions. This new partnership with Waterstone’s demonstrates the true benefits of the outstanding hard work of our people and their achievements in delivering Unipart Logistics’ lean solutions.
“This will be a market leading operation based upon the capabilities of both our automation and systems partners and builds on the continuously improving quality and service offered by Unipart Logistics through our own unique way of working, The Unipart Way.”
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