Business storage

Case Study

Pickfords provides speedy distribution solution to retail-restructuring specialist Hilco UK

• Distribution of bankrupt stock from 50 outlets to 33 delivery points
• Flexible services tailored to meet client's specific needs
• Project completed on time and within budget despite changing scope and deadlines.

In 2008 Ernst and Young appointed London based retail-restructuring specialist Hilco UK to manage the sale of bankrupt stock from Ponden Mills to Scottish retail group Edinburgh Woollen Mills.

Pickfords, the UK's leading moving and storage company was selected to manage the distribution project.

Following the appointment of Pickfords, the finance director at Edinburgh Woollen Mills gave the go ahead for the move to take place. The bankrupt stock consisted of soft home furnishings including curtains, bedding and linen. Pickfords collected the stock from 50 Ponden Mills retail outlets and transported it to 32 Edinburgh Woollen Mills retail outlets and to Edinburgh Woollen Mills' storage unit based in Carlisle.

Fast reaction to the changing scope of the project

The challenge of this multiple move project was the two-day deadline for pick up and delivery. A strategic team was assembled. Within 2 hours the strategic team had organised the resources needed for the project, but did not receive the collection addresses until that evening. Once received, a time was arranged for the Pickfords removal crews to pick up the stock from the stores. This was later changed at the client's request. This meant the strategic team needed to contact over twenty Pickfords' branch managers to delay the crews by 2 hours.

On the first day of the project, the stock was packed, checked, itemised and loaded onto Pickfords' vehicles. There were a few obstacles for the crews, including loading and parking restrictions and access to the stores. The Pickfords crews managed this with patience and consideration for the store's employees.

The job was a complete success for all parties. Following distribution to the stores, the only remaining task was to consolidate the final items of stock and deliver to the Edinburgh Woollen Mills storage unit and to collect spare boxes to be reused or recycled.

This project clearly demonstrates the strength and flexibility of Pickfords' national resources to deliver a speedy distribution service to meet the changing needs of its client within budget and to challenging deadlines.