Wickes extends contract with Wincanton
The home improvement retailer has awarded a four year contract to the supply chain solutions provider that will extend its mandate.
THE DEAL, which spans warehouse and transport operations, will see Wincanton become the sole supply chain partner for Wickes’ kitchen and bathroom business in the UK.
Wincanton has worked with Wickes since 2017, gradually expanding its services over time to cover the management of 50% of Wickes’ kitchen and bathroom transport operations. The new contract increases this to 100% of kitchen and bathroom deliveries.
As part of the contract, Wincanton will take on 342 Wickes colleagues who have been transferred across, with Wincanton now responsible for the management of Wickes’ 400,000 sq ft kitchen and bathroom distribution centres in Northampton.
In addition, Wincanton will implement a continuous improvement and operational excellence programme to deliver significant savings and support business growth for Wickes. A particular focus will be on improving customer experience and using innovation to drive efficiency and sustainability improvements.
The new Wickes operations will also benefit from Wincanton’s People Campus model, an innovative solution to the challenge of maintaining a skilled workforce and managing peak trading periods effectively in the warehouse. The model provides Wincanton colleagues with working patterns that suit them, while simultaneously alleviating pressure for customers. It provides a new template for training and employment in the sector, by providing security through permanent contracts for flexible and part-time roles.
