Homebase the UK's second largest home improvement retailer, has selected Kuehne and Nagel as its principal global supply chain partner for the award winning Christmas "Direct to Store" Programme.
With seasonal sales being critical to any retailer, warehouse space and domestic store delivery fleets can be pushed to their limits. The Christmas "Direct to Store" Programme bypasses the regular UK distribution centres and delivers seasonal stock directly from origin, in store ready pallets, to over 300 Homebase retail stores in the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland.

Over 1.6 million retail units are sourced from ten factories located throughout southern China. Kuehne + Nagel will consolidate the bulk orders from these factories at its origin warehouse in Yantian, South China, into pallets or pallet boxes of stock designed to ensure that products can be unloaded quickly and easily by the store staff. With co-ordination playing a key part, pallets are loaded into store specific containers that are shipped to the individual stores.



The Christmas "Direct to Store" Programme ensures that initial store merchandising is ready for the peak season quicker and leverages Kuehne + Nagel's award winning IT solution KN Login to improve productivity, efficiency and usability for Homebase. In addition, handling, packaging and trucking costs in the UK are reduced.

Tim Standen, General Manager for Inbound Supply Chain at Home-base, said: "We chose Kuehne + Nagel for two key reasons; one, they delivered a fantastic service on the scheme in 2008; two, the quality of their Christmas 2008 post project review gives us confidence that they can partner us to drive even higher levels of customer service this year".

Tim Scharwath, Chief Executive of Kuehne + Nagel North West Europe, comments: "We are delighted to be working with Homebase on this festive project. With retailers focusing more on their supply chain costs, Kuehne + Nagel is continuing to deliver flexible, innovative, reliable and value adding solutions to our customers."

The "Direct to Store" Programme has won both the 'Supply Chain Integration Award' from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport and the 'Supply Chain Innovation Award' at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards in 2007.
About Kuehne + Nagel

With some 54,000 employees at 850 locations in over 100 countries, the Kuehne + Nagel Group is one of the world's leading logistics companies. Its strong market position lies in the seafreight, airfreight, contract logistics and overland businesses, with a clear focus on providing IT-based supply chain management services. The Kuehne + Nagel UK and Ireland organisation operates around 100 locations with over 10,000 employees. Further information can be found at www.kuehne-nagel.com