Hermes,
has completed the construction of a secondary sortation tier at its
fully automated distribution hub in Warrington, providing the capability
to process up to one million parcels a day. The purpose built, 15,000
square metre, state-of-the-art Warrington hub was initially opened in
May 2014, costing £14 million and representing the largest single
investment by Hermes in its history. The second tier, which has cost a
further £10 million, allows Hermes to continue to support retailers that
are witnessing significant growth in online sales, especially during
peak periods. Hermes has also announced it will be creating an
additional 400 jobs during the peak period to support its Warrington
operation.
The
second tier project commenced in January and was completed on time and
to budget, with work being carried out during the evenings to prevent
day-to-day operations being affected. The additional capacity at
Warrington will play a key role in plans for further international
growth and the increasing requirement from UK consumers to receive next
day deliveries.
Most significantly, the
investment allows Hermes to ensure that its operations can be easily
and efficiently scaled up and down upon demand, whilst being equipped
with the necessary infrastructure to cope with growing volumes during
longer periods of intense activity.
Martijn de Lange, COO at Hermes, said: “With
the significant growth in e-commerce, and the emergence of Black Friday
and Cyber Monday, the supply chain industry remains under continual
pressure to increase capacity. This
additional investment will ensure that retailers can continue to have
full confidence in Hermes’ ability to provide exceptional levels of
service at all times, especially during the upcoming peak season, and
for many years to come.
“Our preparation for Peak 2015 began as soon as Peak 2014 drew to a close. We are working alongside our clients to finalise our plans by
analysing forecasted volumes and confirming collection schedules. In
addition to Warrington, we have also added another 125 sub depots to our
network and increased the number of scanners and handheld terminals
across the business. During the peak season we will
also have 200 additional advisors across 19 client sites to deal
exclusively with any enquiries; 3,000 more couriers and our money back
delivery guarantee campaign will also return this Christmas.”
Share