SOUTHGATE GLOBAL head of logistics Gavin Rawson, says: “We have extended our contract with Europa Warehouse for a further four years, having worked successfully with Europa for almost a decade. In addition, the Europa team in Birmingham has established an excellent knowledge of our business and its products as well as a strong understanding of how we operate.

“The operation and its team perfectly fit our needs and offers the right level of operational flexibility on a day-to-day basis. The level and quality of service is extremely high across every department we utilise at Europa.” 

Crucially, Southgate and its end-customers benefit from Europa’s Delivery Duty Paid (DDP) service Europa Flow  - created to provide seamless import and export of goods, post Brexit.    

Europa Worldwide Group chief operating officer and head of warehouse Dionne Redpath adds: “It’s our fundamental job to power the growth of our customers and to do that we need to deeply understand their business, working together as one team under one roof.  With Southgate, we have developed a strong, collaborative relationship over several years which means that they can be 100% confident in the quality of service that we will deliver to their end-customer.”

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com 

WORKING CLOSELY with the onsite operational teams and taking on board feedback from team members in a ‘you said we did’ format, the sites are reaffirming their commitment to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing of their staff and contractors.

The team will oversee Health & Safety across 18 UK and European branches, encompassing approximately 1,000 employees.

It follows the renovation of the company’s training facilities over the last 12 months in Dartford, Birmingham and Corby, the successful integration of the app-based EVOTIX software and several innovative initiatives that shone a spotlight on Health & Safety across the group. In 2023, Europa Warehouse won the Health, Safety and Wellbeing award at the Northampton Logistics Awards.  

A cornerstone of the company’s Health & Safety strategy is EVOTIX. This is an app-based tool, originally installed in November 2022, which provides real-time education, monitoring, reporting and analysis of Europa’s health and safety record. The systems make safety reporting accessible to everyone and informs education and training for the logistics provider.

Head of facilities and health and safety lead Jon Margetts, said: “The team will oversee a range of initiatives to help Europa maintain its strong health safety and welfare culture which has seen year on year reductions in the number of accidents across our sites.

“The inductions and user-guides are interactive and engaging, and make use of videos, Q&As and case-led practical examples. When paired with our robust Safe Operating Procedures, these set a precedent for people carrying out tasks safely.

“Our newly instated weekly audits uphold our safe and responsible working culture, providing greater visibility over areas for improvement, driving standards and accountability, ensuring compliance with statutory regulations whilst also maintaining core safety practices in line with our ISO 45001 accreditation (the International standard for Health & Safety at Work).”

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com

SPREAD ACROSS its portfolio of three sites (in Dartford, Birmingham, and Corby) Europa has secured new customer contracts from multiple eCommerce and retail sectors, including drinks, packaging, toys, luggage, apparel, industrial and nutrition.

In the 2024 Big Sheds Prospects report, growth in demand for online retail year on year, and an increase in manufacturing-related take up in warehouses, will equate to the need for up to 48 million sq ft of additional 3PL space by 2027.

Experiencing this demand firsthand, Europa Warehouse, which is the 3PL division of the UK’s largest independent logistics provider Europa Worldwide Group, is providing thirteen new customers – including global eCommerce brands launching in the UK for the first time – with the fulfilment expertise, scalability and flexibility needed to succeed.

The Great British Exchange, a company helping small suppliers into the UK’s leading retailers, is working with Europa’s Birmingham team.

Stephen Fletcher, chief operating officer at Arovo – GB Exchange’s parent company – said: “We approached Europa needing a full-service fulfilment solution; something we could easily integrate our suppliers into, with opportunities to scale up in the future. 

“The moment we walked through the doors of Birmingham, we knew we were in a safe pair of hands. The team was enthusiastic, dedicated and open to collaboration, and Europa’s general approach to fulfilment can take the pressure off us, allowing us to invest in growing the brands we work with. The team very much felt like an extension of our team.” 

Shared-user automation

Europa’s new customers are utilising the complete mix of warehouse fulfilment services from Europa’s three sites, from shared-user automation to kitting, de-nesting and returns. Common requirements for these brands include the need for an experienced 3PL supplier that would scale to fit their needs, with a customer-centric and collaborative approach. 

Dionne Redpath, chief operating officer and head of warehouse at Europa Worldwide Group, said: “These new contracts mark the exciting next phase of growth and we’re delighted to have welcomed new brands to the Europa Warehouse family. Our new customers will benefit from our enhanced capabilities and investment in both manual solutions and shared-user automation over the past 18 months. 

“The scale of this success shows that the market is very responsive to our value proposition, our scale and ability to meet customer demand.

“Our warehouses are strategically located to have direct access to inbound and outbound onward distribution networks which, when combined with the ability to onboard business quickly, offers our customers a high-quality, futureproofed service and good value for money.”

Europa Warehouse has three warehouses in total, offering over 1million sq. ft. of 3PL fulfilment space. Two are centrally located within the Midland’s ‘golden’ logistics triangle and in all cases, customers have access to our market leading road, air and sea divisions giving us a unique opportunity to manage customers’ end-to-end supply chains.

In addition, its Dartford facility is close to both London for global businesses, some of which are launching in the UK for the first time, and the Dartford Crossing for European goods.  

A strategic location is one vital element which is supported by the Europa Warehouse service offer, providing brands access to shared-user automation, market-leading solutions for manual fulfilment, pick and pack, repacking, palletising and compelling storage rates.

Europa Warehouse has higher-than-average racking, narrower aisles and a sophisticated optimised security system in place – guaranteeing brands the surety, protection and reliable storage of goods.

All locations are customs authorised for both Wet and Dry bond, allowing goods to be stored ahead of seasonal peaks without warehouse customers footing heavy duty costs immediately.

Dionne added: “In addition to exceptional service levels, approach and location many of the new contracts are utilising additional Europa services, such as road, sea or air freight – ensuring a consistent, seamless approach.

“These entrepreneurial companies regardless of the sector or requirement all want consistency, and high-quality services from a trusted supplier who is passionate about doing the best job for them.”

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com

HOWEVER, EUROPA Warehouse unveils a potent antidote – the fusion of automation and shared warehouse services. By harnessing cutting-edge technologies and fostering collaborative resource-sharing, companies can revolutionise their fulfilment operations, mitigating fulfilment errors and unlocking cost savings.

With real-world examples and data-driven insights, this article illuminates the transformative potential of these innovative strategies, offering a roadmap for companies seeking to optimise their supply chains, enhance efficiency, and fortify their bottom lines in an increasingly competitive landscape.

From managing inventory to orchestrating seamless delivery processes, every aspect of the supply chain must function like a well-oiled machine to ensure customer satisfaction and business success. It's a reality that companies grapple with daily, striving to navigate the complex network of supply chain challenges while balancing cost efficiency and service excellence. 

Yet, amid the hustle and bustle of modern commerce, one persistent obstacle continues to haunt companies: unsuccessful deliveries. These not only dent customer satisfaction but also inflict significant financial blows to businesses. 3PL specialist Europa Warehouse uncovers the hidden treasure trove of cost savings that automation and shared services bring to warehouse fulfilment. Looking at how these technologies and strategies can mitigate the costly repercussions of unsuccessful deliveries, offering insights gleaned from real-world implementations and data-driven analysis.

Understanding the fulfilment landscape

Managing fulfilment operations can feel like navigating a maze of challenges for companies worldwide. From the moment an order is placed to its final delivery, there are countless hurdles to overcome. One of the biggest challenges is the rising costs associated with fulfilment. As demand increases and consumer expectations soar, companies are under immense pressure to deliver goods quickly and efficiently, often at the expense of their bottom line.

Even more concerning than rising costs, is the ever present threat of unsuccessful deliveries. When a package doesn't reach its intended destination on time or in good condition, it is not just a minor inconvenience – it's a major blow to both customer satisfaction and company profitability. Customers become frustrated, trust is eroded, and businesses risk losing valuable repeat business. According to a recent report conducted by leading audit, tax and consulting firm RSM UK, called ‘The Real Economy’, 25 per cent of businesses experiencing upstream supply chain issues say their reputation is deteriorating as a result. More than a third (38 per cent) experiencing supply chain problems said they had seen an overall decline in customer satisfaction, and just over a quarter (28 per cent of businesses), said they have lost one or more key customers within the past year due to unanticipated supply chain pressures.

Studies have shown that unsuccessful deliveries can cost companies millions of pounds each year. Whether it's due to picking errors, incorrect addresses, or damaged goods, the financial implications are staggering. In fact, research indicates that the average cost of a unsuccessful delivery can range as high as £25 per occurrence. Multiply that by the thousands – or even millions – of deliveries companies handle each year, and you begin to grasp the magnitude of the problem. 

 We'll explore how automation and shared services offer a pathway to overcoming these challenges, revolutionizing the way companies manage their fulfilment operations. By harnessing the power of technology and collaboration, companies can mitigate the risks associated with unsuccessful deliveries and pave the way for a more efficient and profitable future.

Leveraging automation and shared services for efficiency

Automation plays a pivotal role in revolutionising fulfilment processes, offering streamlined solutions from order processing to inventory management. With robust quality control processes to prevent picking errors, thus reducing cost, a shared-user system can be quickly scaled up or down to meet fluctuating demand. In turn, this allows for accurate financial modelling because of the high level of predictability. For peak planning, this is crucial to ensure a seamless supply chain from start to finish whilst not blowing budgets. By implementing automated systems, companies can significantly reduce manual labour, minimise errors, and accelerate order fulfilment, ultimately enhancing overall efficiency.  

In addition to automation, shared services present an innovative approach to optimising fulfilment operations. By pooling resources and expertise, companies can access shared warehousing facilities and IT infrastructure, unlocking cost efficiencies and operational synergies.

Shared warehousing, for instance, enables companies to leverage shared storage spaces, reducing overhead costs and increasing flexibility in inventory management. Similarly, shared IT infrastructure allows businesses to access advanced technologies and expertise without the burden of individual investment and maintenance costs. Companies participating in shared warehousing initiatives have reported significant cost savings and improved delivery performance, while those leveraging shared IT infrastructure have achieved greater agility and scalability that is cost friendly in their operations.

Europa Warehouse – the award-winning, specialist third-party logistics (3PL) division of Europa Worldwide Group – has a ‘shared-user’ automated solution, housed at its 715,000 square-foot warehouse in Corby. This single facility provides state-of-the-art, £11 million automation technology to multiple businesses, making access more affordable. This shared-user approach to automation is a rare find within the UK market. 

By embracing these innovative approaches, companies can streamline processes, reduce costs, and position themselves for success in today's dynamic marketplace.

Quantifying the impact on unsuccessful deliveries

Exploring the direct correlation between automation, shared services, and the reduction of unsuccessful deliveries reveals significant insights. Data and research findings underscore the effectiveness of automation and shared services in improving delivery performance and driving long-term profitability. Significant reductions in delivery errors always leads to smoother operations, better order accuracy, and happier, more loyal customers. Furthermore, the financial implications of minimising unsuccessful deliveries are profound, with companies saving substantial amounts on re-delivery costs, refunds, and the potential loss of customer trust.

The need to do more with less seems to lean heavily toward automation and technological solutions. However, we recognise that all businesses are different and understand that simply offering a technological solution to 3PL requirements is not always the answer to achieving a lean, competitive 3PL model. Finding the right balance takes time, dedication, the ability to dig deep to understand each individual business and ultimately the ability to be creative in the design of solutions that deliver efficiencies and improvements. At Europa, this is what we are good at. 

For professionals seeking to enhance their logistics operations, practical advice and strategies are essential for successful integration. These include carefully evaluating and selecting suitable automation solutions and shared service providers. A step-by-step guide or checklist can aid in this process, ensuring the chosen technologies align with specific business needs and goals.

Ongoing monitoring and optimisation are equally crucial. Sustained improvements in fulfilment efficiency and cost reduction require diligent oversight. Regularly evaluating performance metrics and adjusting strategies as needed can help maintain momentum and drive continued success. By prioritising continuous improvement, companies can stay ahead of the curve and maximise the benefits of automation and shared services.

In summary

Automation and shared services, two transformative forces, represent game-changing solutions reshaping the fulfilment landscape and offering a beacon of hope for companies seeking to streamline operations, significantly reduce labour costs and increase productivity. 

Real-world examples, such as a drinks retailers' ability to scale up from 40,000 to 100,000 pick units in a 24-hour period demonstrate the tangible benefits of integrating these innovations into logistics operations. Businesses that are utilising technology to create added value need to encompass a tailored solution which meets the business requirements of customers. Finding the right technologies that help to drive up productivity, improve quality, remove waste, and stabilise workflows is essential. Having automation is one thing but having a team with the skills, expertise and experience to operate it successfully is quite another. Working with the right people is vital – it’s this collaboration between the two which drives success. 

Whether evaluating suitable technologies or implementing collaborative partnerships, taking proactive steps towards automation and shared services is essential for driving long-term success in the competitive landscape of modern logistics. Reach out to Europa today to explore our innovative automation and shared warehouse solutions.

Based in California, Paramount Global is a packaging distributor that specialises in plastic, glass, metal containers, closures, and dispensing systems, providing solutions for a growing list of customers in sectors from aerospace to automotive and industrial chemicals to personal care/cosmetics.

Europa Warehouse is the 3PL division of independent operator Europa Worldwide Group and has award-winning sites in Dartford, Birmingham and Corby, offering over one million sq. ft of dedicated warehouse and logistics space, supporting leading brands across multiple sectors.  

Marcos Garcia Jones, sales director Europe at Paramount “This strategic collaboration is a major milestone for us as it will increase our warehouse capacity. Europa will serve as a centralised distribution centre for our growing European customer base. This new partnership will allow us to better meet the diverse needs of our customers and maintain the high level of service that Paramount is known for.

“We chose Europa as our fulfilment and distribution partner because their values are deeply aligned with ours. Like Paramount, they're customer-focused, invest in technology, and deliver high-quality 3PL solutions. They also provide total supply chain management, have an in-house software development team, and are strategically located to optimise supply chains and we knew that they were the right fit for us.”

He added. “With the additional logistic support, we are now in a very strong position to propel our European Business to new levels and better serve our clients. This new partnership really cements Paramount as one of the main UK suppliers for packaging. I look forward to expanding our operational scope to new markets and growing our partnership with Europa, to help nurture our footprint internationally.”

Paramount, who have been operating in the UK since 2006, will be utilising Europa’s 180,000ft² (16,536m²) Birmingham 3PL site for storage, fulfillment and transportation. The Birmingham facility complements Paramount’s existing warehouse at Newton Aycliffe in the Northeast.

In addition to Europa’s 3PL expertise, Paramount is also utilising our European road freight and air freight capabilities for a fully joined up service.
The latest development follows Paramount’s recent announcement that it will be exhibiting at major UK trade shows at Packaging Innovations & Empack in February and London Packaging Week in September.
    
Dionne Redpath, chief operating officer (COO) and head of warehouse at Europa Worldwide Group said: “We’re delighted to welcome a leading and growing global brand to the Europa family and our team in Birmingham are looking forward to supporting their expansion.”  

Europa’s 3PL portfolio recently achieved Customs Warehouse Authorisation by HMRC, marking the next major step in its warehouse investment programme to better support the pain points of traditional and ecommerce retailers.  Europa has invested £70m in its logistics operations over recent years, including a new Corby facility which can store up to 100,000 pallets supported by a state-of-the-art £11m automation system.

www.europa-worldwide.com

DESPITE THIS increase, its facilities in Birmingham, Corby, and Dartford – which offer over one million sq. ft combined of dedicated warehouse and logistics space – operated without the usual stress and pressure associated with “peak”. 

Notwithstanding continued economic challenges, there was a rise in consumer spending across the period which, supported by figures from Retail Economics, accounted for £202bn worth of global sales online and a 3.7 per cent increase in the UK.

While sales during the 2023 peak season in the UK might be less pronounced in comparison to previous years, the increase in order volumes still puts a huge pressure on 3PL services.

Due to Europa’s £70m investment in its logistics operations over recent years, including £11m in shared user automation this peak period was the most efficient of any recent years’ peaks.

Dionne Redpath, Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Head of Warehouse at Europa Worldwide Group said: “Shopping habits are ever evolving, but we have invested heavily to alleviate the strain on our e-commerce, retail and wholesale customers. 

“As well as investing in new equipment and processes and having restructured in recent months we’ve augmented our approach with customer and consumer experience at heart. Our focus has been to enable customers to meet or exceed their sales targets, allowing them to maximise revenues whilst ensuring exceptionally high levels of quality and satisfaction.”    

To make it easier for customers to scale up and achieve seamless fulfilment, Europa Warehouse identified the importance of implementing strategies to drive innovation in order fulfilment.                                                                                                                           

“We appreciate that our customers need to cost-effectively scale up and down at pace, while delivering an efficient service for their customers. Our overarching objective is to deliver a peak which doesn’t feel like peak at all. During seasonal peaks, e-commerce and retail brands face upsetting their own status quo: with the significant upturn in sales activity creating volatility and complexity resulting in what can be an inefficient, often-chaotic order fulfilment process. It’s the time of year businesses are more likely to experience costly mispicks, delays to dispatch and higher than normal return rates.”

Europa Warehouse is the 3PL division of Europa Worldwide Group, and one of only a few operators in the UK offering a shared-user automated picking system. Designed for products that are able to be stored in totes, which Europa refer to as ‘toteable’, the system is ideal for clients who operate with a large SKU range and a complex, volatile order profile, often requiring operations to dramatically scale up and down within a short period of time. 

Dionne explains: “With robust quality control processes to prevent picking errors, thus reducing cost, a shared-user system can be quickly scaled up or down to meet fluctuating demand. In turn, this allows for accurate financial modelling because of the high level of predictability. For peak planning, this is crucial to ensure a seamless supply chain from start to finish whilst not blowing budgets.”

In 2023, Europa’s portfolio of warehouses picked 78.8 million units through its automated and manual fulfilment operations – regularly scaling up to 280,000 individual picks in a 24 hour period. Shared-user automation contributed towards this, allowing for regular scaling from 40 to 100,000 picks from one day to the next. The ability to scale in this way within automation is what makes it such a cost-effective solution. The ability to scale in a similar way in a manual environment is far more complex, requiring significantly more labour at a time of year when labour is at a premium.  In the automated environment, those headaches simply don’t exist. 

The combination of Europa’s most recent investment in its systems and automated fulfilment technology and processes allows e-commerce brands to optimise resources, simplify operational models and capitalise on the sales and growth opportunities afforded by the peak season.

*Figures taken from volume of orders picked in December 2023 (the height of Europa’s peak), compared to October 2023 (the month preceding peak season).

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com

IN THE relative downtime following the festive period, business leaders will reflect on how they can improve operations in the new year. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that 2024 will be “another challenging year” for retailers due to consumers still impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, the impending hike in business rates and disruption to shipments from the Far East via the Red Sea. Indeed, the IGD’s Shopper Confidence Index in December was -8, three points lower than the longer-term average.

As a result of this uncertain future, businesses must ensure they can cost-effectively scale up and down while still delivering excellent customer service, improving accuracy and efficiency. Many may have struggled to meet sales targets or dealt with incorrectly fulfilled orders during seasonal peaks, resulting in dispatch delays and a disproportionate strain on customer service.

Dionne Redpath, COO and Head of Warehouse for Europa Worldwide Group, said: "A third of their business volume might happen in the last six weeks of the year, for example, from Black Friday through to Christmas, and the labour requirements needed to be able to deliver that peak of magnitude has the capacity to become quite challenging.”

A potential solution to the difficulties felt over busier periods for retailers of all sizes is to make use of automation. Using automated picking and sorting in warehouses can help streamline both order fulfilment and returns processes, reducing errors. Automated systems can also handle inventory management, helping to minimise dispatch delays and alleviate the strain on customer services. Such systems can feel out of reach, but Europa Warehouse – the award-winning, specialist third-party logistics (3PL) division of Europa Worldwide Group – has a ‘shared-user’ automated solution, housed in its 715k sq foot warehouse in Corby. This single facility provides state-of-the-art, £11 million automation technology to multiple businesses, making access more affordable and is a rare find within the UK market.

“Our customers come to us wanting to know how they can achieve seamless fulfilment during that time without having costly capital investments or a chaotic fulfilment process. While there isn’t always one straight answer, we have found that by adopting shared-user automation, peak season doesn’t need to feel like peak at all. 

“It’s no secret that automation is going to revolutionise the future for warehousing in coming years.  In fact, many of the larger players in e-commerce and retail have been incorporating robots, cobots and artificial intelligence technologies within their warehouses for some time, though many users of such services would have had to sign up to a long-term contract and committed significant investment in the technology.  However, there are plenty of businesses who may not wish to do either of those things for a host of reasons yet the benefits of being able to do so are just as important.” 

At the shared-user warehouse in Corby, which was the product of a £60m investment - the Group’s largest to date, products for multiple companies are kept in ‘totes’ within the high density, secure storage environment.  When an order is received, the automated system calculates the most efficient fulfilment process, triggering the launch of the order carton and the totes containing the products needed to fulfil the order, to arrive at the picker at precisely the right time.  The system has two means of fulfilling orders at picking stations, both offering the opportunity to fulfil multiple orders at the same time with a specific picking station providing the opportunity to fulfil 48 orders simultaneously.  Added to that, the process boasts and impressive 100 per cent accuracy in pick rates.

“When considering very small products, such as cosmetics or components, the system is sophisticated enough to allow totes to be segmented across as many as 12 product types,” Ms Redpath explains.  “The physical construction and configuration of the set-up means that it’s extremely secure which is absolutely fantastic for very high value products.”

Europa Warehouse efficiently managed 17.2 million units via its automated platform in 2022, effortlessly scaling from 40,000 to 100,000 picks within 24 hours. The system’s modular nature enables tailored operations for diverse businesses, regardless of size or budget limitations.

Ms Redpath explains: "It allows the 3PL to take their expertise and apply it to that business, meaning that the customer is free to focus on growing their business. All we have to do is mobilise a small number of additional pickers or pick stations in order to be able to unlock that value."

Europa's low-cost pallet storage options complement the shared-user automation advantages. For e-commerce and retail businesses who want to maximise value for money, the £1.49 +VAT per pallet per week offering allows companies to allocate more capital to expand their business operations, whether through marketing strategies, product diversification or enhancing customer service experiences.

With the cost-of-living crisis, geopolitical turbulence and impending high business rates, Europa Warehouse seeks to level the playing field for retailers. To learn more about how your business can benefit from shared-user warehousing during peak season, visit europa-worldwide.com.

ACCORDING TO the recent eCommerce Strategic Study 2023, published by International Wine & Spirit Research (IWSR), alcohol eCommerce sales will reach $40bn by 2027.

While the growth of the online drinks market in 2023 is slower than during the pandemic – when lockdown caused online sales to soar – it has continued to outpace that of drinks sales in the on and off-trade markets. At a time when companies are grappling with fluctuating consumer demand, businesses need the ability to cost-effectively scale up and down at pace to deliver great customer service while improving accuracy, efficiency, stock and cashflow management.

The IWSR’s report implies that the value of alcoholic drinks ecommerce will increase by $7.5bn over the next five years, despite turbulent economic conditions. While this should result in steady sales growth, online brands will be expecting fluctuating peaks and troughs in demand as the cost-of-living crisis persists.

To make it easier for these drinks brands to tap into scale as and when it is needed, British 3PLs are waking up to the importance of implementing strategies to drive innovation in order fulfilment. At Europa, we've designed a shared-user automated system which enables brands with broad SKU ranges and a volatile, complex order profiles, to cut fulfilment costs and transform pick accuracy.

With robust quality control processes to prevent picking errors and reduce costs, a shared-user system can be quickly scaled up or down to meet fluctuating demand. In turn, this allows for accurate financial modelling and drives a high level of predictability.

Europa Warehouse is a £60m 3PL facility and one of only a few in the UK offering a shared user warehouse, where one facility can provide state-of-the-art technology to multiple businesses. Automation within the 3PL sector is not new but for many years has only been available to those with deep pockets, or those who are prepared to sign up to extra-long contracts with their service provider.

In 2022, Europa picked 17.2 million units through its automation system - regularly scaling from 40 to 100,000 individual picks in 24 hours with minimal additional resources. Shared-user automation provides a low-cost, less time-intensive solution, which can help ecommerce companies reap the benefits of automation. 

While being an excellent option for increasing throughput, Europa's bonded status also allows brands to better manage tight cash flows.

Our shared user automation is extremely attractive because brands can access it without having the pain of the upfront investment associated with a bespoke solution. Added to which, both our manual and automated processes handle bonded and non-bonded product equally effectively, even going as far as selecting duty paid product for picking, ahead of duty suspended product.

This is a real benefit because customers can build stocks in preparation for peak without having to outlay hefty duty or VAT payments until the goods are sold. This is brilliant for cashflow and brands like online beer retailer Beerwulf, cocktail company FUNKIN, and premium boxed-wine provider, Laylo, really enjoy the benefits this brings.

The combination of existing automated fulfilment technology and duty management processes really allows ecommerce brands to optimise resources, simplify operational models and capitalise on the sales and growth opportunities afforded by the peak season - with no hassle or fuss.

Dionne Redpath, COO and head of warehouse, Europa Worldwide Group

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com

This latest authorisation means that Europa Warehouse is authorised to store general goods that are subject to customs and VAT.  This, coupled with, Europa's 'wet bond' accreditation provides a real advantage for customers managing tight cashflows, allowing them to suspend customs, excise and VAT payments until their goods are sold.

Europa Worldwide Group COO Dionne Redpath, says: “With the current economic headwind putting strain on ecommerce, retailers and wholesalers everywhere, many of our customers are managing tight cashflows. This is pain point we have a long-held ambition to solve.

“Customs Bonded Warehousing can assist, allowing traders to import goods into the UK, hold them in the Bonded Warehouse without having to outlay Duty and VAT until goods have been sold and dispatched. For example, if an importer purchases gym equipment which attracts four per cent duty, the duty and VAT will be suspended until the importer sells the cargo in the UK.

“This is a real cashflow benefit because it means goods can be stored ahead of seasonal peaks without our warehouse customers footing heavy duty costs immediately. Instead, businesses can accurately anticipate supply and demand, while only paying necessary duties on items that leave the warehouse, typically after they have been sold.”

Europa Warehouse has operated Wet Bonds at each of its sites for some time, giving importers or sellers of alcohol the ability to delay costly excise duties until items are picked for sale and dispatch. The UK’s leading gin subscription box, Craft Gin Club, has benefited from this since its Dragon’s Den success in 2016, and continues to utilise Europa’s bonded infrastructure for forecasting supply and demand. 

The Customs Warehouse Authorisation has been awarded to Europa following an extensive auditing programme with HMRC, who evaluated the infrastructure and security in place for each site. This was co-ordinated with operational teams across the Group, including facilities, project management and customs compliance teams.

Dionne continued: “Obtaining any accreditation is tough but those awarded by HMRC are especially rigorous, for obvious reasons. The HMRC officers completing the audits gave us positive feedback and, as a result, we're really pleased to be able to extend our service offering beyond excise goods in this regard.”

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com

John’s career spans 25 years across leading logistics operators, ecommerce and multichain suppliers across the UK and North America and he has a proven track record of delivering results, driving growth and optimising operations.

John comments: “Europa already has impressive facilities, a remarkable team and robust technology; my role is to refine these operations. Focusing on continuous improvements to help grow sales, reduce costs and push boundaries to provide the best service for our customers.”   

Over the past five years Europa has invested £71 million in its warehouse portfolio.

Chief operating officer Dionne Redpath, adds: “John is a deeply experienced operator and his approach is a perfect fit for this stage of growth at Europa Warehouse.”

For more information, visit www.europa-worldwide.com