“We’re pleased to expand our longstanding partnership with B&Q,” said Gavin Williams, GXO Managing Director, UK and Ireland. “Together, we’ve already significantly improved efficiency, safety and sustainability across transport and returns operations. Thanks to this successful approach towards continuous improvement, we now look forward to bringing the full benefits of GXO’s industry-leading technology, scale and expertise to B&Q’s omnichannel operations.”
The new facility in the North East of England features nearly 37,000 pallet spaces and will employ more than 100 people during peak.
Amélie Gallichan-Todd, Supply and Logistics Director, B&Q, said: “Our new Blyth distribution centre represents a long-term strategic move for B&Q. We’re constantly striving to be the easiest place to shop for home improvement, and so always looking to give our customers the flexibility to choose how and where they get exactly what they need, when they need it.
The new facility in Blyth is the first warehouse managed by GXO in the B&Q network. Since 2015, GXO has managed B&Q’s retail transport network in the U.K. and Ireland. The agreement includes servicing local and regional distribution centres with a fleet of approximately 600 vehicles and trailers and was expanded in 2021 to include “Store to Home” final-mile service for bulk and two-person deliveries.
In addition, since 2005 GXO has managed a 30,000 sq ft returns site for B&Q in Branston, where it now processes nearly 1m cases of returned purchases annually and returns the majority of returned products to stock for resale, creating substantial savings for the customer and improved inventory availability for their consumers.
Source: GXO
