Around 8,000 square metres of dedicated space at Maersk’s Tamworth site has been secured under a five-year contract
Maersk is bringing more of Columbia Sportswear’s UK and Ireland fulfilment closer to customers under a new warehousing and distribution agreement centred on Tamworth.
The logistics group will run Columbia’s Pick & Pack operations for the UK and Ireland from its existing multi-customer facility near Birmingham, replacing the current distribution setup serving the market from Cambrai in France.
The move is intended to give Columbia a more localised and responsive supply chain, supporting faster deliveries and greater flexibility across the region.
The Tamworth operation will handle a broad range of products, including footwear, clothing, accessories and equipment, and will serve retail, wholesale and e-commerce channels.
Matthieu Schegg, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Columbia Sportswear EMEA, said the company’s growing UK business had reached the point where a dedicated local facility made sense.
He said: “We've reached the level of business in the UK where we can now set up a facility dedicated to this market to serve the consumers and the customers faster”.
The operation is expected to handle around 1.6 million inbound units each year, with approximately four containers arriving every week.
Outbound volumes are forecast at about 1.5 million units for business-to-business shipments and 340,000 units for business-to-consumer orders, supported by between 10 and 15 outbound trailers each week.
The site will also manage returns and hold around 25,000 stock keeping units, with average stock levels of more than one million items.
Around 8,000 square metres of dedicated space within Maersk’s Tamworth facility has been secured under a five-year contract.
Jason Walker, Chief Operating Officer for Maersk Contract Logistics, said the agreement marked further growth in the relationship between the two companies.
He said: “By moving fulfilment closer to the end market, we can support faster delivery times, improved flexibility and a more resilient supply chain.”
Maersk will also provide Columbia with a wider range of logistics services in the UK, including customs handling, inland transport, cross-docking and final-mile delivery for retail and wholesale shipments.
The agreement builds on the existing relationship between Maersk and Columbia Sportswear as the companies look to simplify and strengthen the movement of goods through more integrated logistics operations.