Fashion is a fickle business and if, like Matalan, you need to react swiftly to changes you need a supply chain operator that you can rely on. Simon Jack finds out how the shelves and rails of over 190 stores are kept filled.
Stores are serviced by a fleet of artics, using 13.6m trailers for store deliveries and double-deck trailers for trunking between sites. There are opportunities for back-hauling, often involving other non-competing Wincanton customers such as DIY retailer Focus
or Sainsbury's. "We are increasing utilisation of the fleet by finding synergies with other operations we look after and providing cost savings for both customers," Cook explains. There have been further savings from using the outbases in Avonmouth and Mossend.
In addition, in-cab technology is improving efficiency as well as helping stores run more efficiently. There is GPS tracking on the vehicles including geofencing, which lets the store know when the delivery is about to arrive. "It means store staff don't need to hang around waiting for the vehicle to turn up throughout the delivery window," Cook says.
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