Tibbett & Britten Times #25 - Hayes Anderson Limited

UK news
9
Tibbett & Britten Times Spring 2002
Shoulder to shoulder at the official opening of the new
Coventry mezzanine are (l to r): Kim Sainsbury, JRL Board
Member; Phil Johnson, Logistics Manager, Marks &
Spencer; Mike Heaven, Managing Director, JRL; Michael
Stanier, Head of Marks & Spencer Outlet; and Jonathan
Pilbro, General Manager – Warehousing, JRL.
Central support for
M&S Outlet expansion
The ‘outlet store’ concept
that is so popular with
shoppers in the USA is
proving a big hit in the UK,
too, and leading high
street retailer Marks &
Spencer is in the forefront
of the trend.
The company’s fast-growing Outlet stores
operation means additional business for Joint
Retail Logistics (JRL) – the equal joint venture
established by Tibbett & Britten and Exel to
provide logistics support to Marks & Spencer.
When Marks & Spencer Outlet began
trading in 2000, JRL was selected to manage
the central storage, picking and distribution
of the retailer’s clothing, home and personal
products ranges, and also to provide valueadded
services such as re-labelling and
re-pricing. Dedicated capacity was allocated
at JRL’s distribution centre at Coventry, in the
heart of the English Midlands.
With nine outlet stores now open across
the UK, and more being planned, volumes
are snowballing. To meet the increased
demand, JRL has commissioned and
change managed the construction of a
3,700 sq m (40,000 sq ft) mezzanine
within the 8,400 sq m (90,000 sq ft)
Coventry facility, creating over 50
permanent new jobs. Store delivery
operations are being handled by the
1,240-strong JRL vehicle fleet.
Jonathan Pilbro, General Manager of JRL
Warehousing, underlines the project's
significance: “The new mezzanine illustrates
our confidence in the growth of the Outlet
stores business, and reinforces our
commitment to providing quality services
to Marks & Spencer. It gives us the scope
to optimise efficiency for the Outlet stores
division as it continues to expand.”
New warehouse helps
George keep growing
Fashions by George at Asda; logistics by
Tibbett & Britten at West Thurrock and Brackmills.
Customer demand for ‘George at Asda’ fashions is, you might say, gorgeous. To cope with
steeply increased demand for the UK-based, Wal-Mart owned supermarket chain's clothing
brand, a new distribution centre has opened at West Thurrock, Essex.
Operated by Tibbett & Britten, the dedicated facility will handle boxed items within the
George at Asda men’s, women’s and children’s garment ranges. It will complement other George
warehouses at Oldham in Greater Manchester, Ince in Cheshire, and Brackmills,
Northamptonshire. The Brackmills site is also operated by Tibbett & Britten, and is the principal
George at Asda distribution centre. In fact, the Group is now responsible for 50 per cent of all
George at Asda warehousing.