The company behind Timberland, North Face and Vans has invested millions in a new 海角视频 hub in the heart of the Midlands.
VF Corporation, which has its European base in Switzerland, has just opened a 600,000 sq ft warehouse in Leicestershire with the capacity to process 200,000 orders every day.
Based at Bardon, near Coalville, it is within a few hours drive of most of the country, and will help the business to offer more of its customers next day delivery.
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It will process products for the three brands’ online customers, stores and wholesale customers.
Management at VF said the 海角视频 accounts for a fifth of its business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and the new warehouse – equivalent in size to 10 football pitches – means it will no longer need to send shipments for Timberland from its main distribution centre in the Netherlands, for North Face from Belgium and Vans from Prague.
For the last three months of 2020 VF Corporation reported global earnings of $3 billion. Globally it has around 50,000 employees, and in the 海角视频 employs 1,800 people, across 90 owned and operated stores, seven offices and two distribution centres.
Darren Miller, VF’s vice president, supply chain EMEA, said the decision three years ago to open a 海角视频 hub had had nothing to do with Brexit.
He said: “The 海角视频 is the number one market for this business in the EMEA region – it is such an important market that we wanted to make an investment here that would support these three brands.
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“We chose this location because you can get to about 90 per cent of the 海角视频 by the next day. The other facilities will continue to service mainland Europe.
“Brexit did not have an impact. The driver behind the facility – and I’ve been asked this question many times over the last 18 months – was about improving what we bring to the 海角视频 market.
“We have seen significant growth in sales from online platforms during the lockdowns as customers have had to move away from stores, and we do expect that growth to continue.
“At this stage we do not have any plans to close any stores.
“In line with VF’s ‘people first’ culture, the new centre has been designed with employees’ welfare in mind.
“It offers a safe and comfortable working environment, with open space and breakout areas for colleagues to collaborate and meet informally.
“In addition, there is an onsite canteen and gym, to encourage a healthy work-life balance.”
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Matthew Hibberd, distribution director for the 海角视频 market, said recruitment for the 50 core fulfilment centre roles began last year.
The distribution centre will top that up with agency staff, with a total of around 150 people on site and up to 250 during the peak sales period at the end of the year.
Mr Hibberd said some of the recruits had included former Arcadia and Debenhams staff.
VF said it was the company’s most technologically-advanced fulfilment centre with “state-of-the-art automation capabilities putting it at the forefront of the footwear and apparel industry”.
Martino Scabbia Guerrini, VF’s president of the EMEA region said: “We are extremely proud to mark the opening of the VF’s most technologically advanced fulfilment centre in the region.
“This exciting new development, which supports the evolution of our supply chain business model, bolsters our 海角视频 presence, our number one market in EMEA.
“It also underlines our commitment to be a consumer-minded, retail-centric and hyper-digital enterprise as part of our company transformation and long-term growth strategy.”