Discount retailer Poundworld has equipped its new West Yorkshire distribution centre with a range of products supplied by ELAN Europe.
The Challenge
As one of the UK’s leading discount chains, Poundworld is owned by US private equity group TPG. The business serves over two million customers each week, selling approximately 11 million items.
The company recently moved into a newly built 524,000 sq ft national distribution centre (NDC) located in Normanton, West Yorkshire.
Following the completion of the building’s construction, a wide range of equipment was needed to make the site operational. Much of this had to be tailored specifically to the needs of the facility.
The project required the installation of:
- Racking location labels
- Internal shot-blasted floor markings
- External line markings
- Galvanised security cages for outside use
- Mesh cages for internal areas
- Pedestrian and vehicle barriers, both inside and out
- Supervisor workstation plinths
Because Poundworld operates on a low-margin business model, staying within budget was a key requirement for the project.
The Solution
Having worked together on a previous contract, supply chain consultant Hatmill Ltd again chose ELAN Europe to help deliver the required aspects of the fit-out to its client, Poundworld.
We had already delivered similar large-scale installations for retailers such as Next, Regatta, Co-op and Ocado, so we were well placed to meet both the scale and complexity of the job.
Hatmill’s Logistics and Supply Chain Consultant, John Hayward, said:
“We invited ELAN Europe to tender, and they stood out for being proactive, responsive and commercially competitive. Their ability to offer everything under one roof played a major role in our decision.”
ELAN Europe’s Sales Director added:
“We are unique in what we provide. No one else can provide such a range of labelling and safety products and services from one company. We make delivery of these easy for the customer.”
The Outcome
The Normanton NDC now serves Poundworld’s entire network of 350 stores across the UK. The fit-out was completed on schedule, within budget, and to the satisfaction of our customer.
Among the standout elements of the project were five bespoke observation plinths designed and supplied by ELAN. These units provided supervisor staff with integrated desks and IT access, while also offering a clear view across the warehouse floor.
To help the client visualise the work in advance, we provided detailed AutoCAD drawings that clearly mapped out the installation.
Hayward said:
“They proved to be a good solution,” says Hayward, “and ELAN worked well with our M&E contractors to ensure that the designs fitted in with capabilities in areas such as cable access. That was a really good piece of work. I would absolutely work with ELAN again. They ‘get’ what customers want, in terms of a one-stop shop, and they are very good at managing the customer relationship.”
Our thoughts on the project
“A warehouse cannot be operational without those elements we designed and installed, and yet these critical aspects are often an afterthought. We would encourage anyone working on major projects such as this to save themselves time and money by talking to us – a company that has experience and expertise in advising and delivering the right labelling and safety solutions – early in the process. That way enables us to work seamlessly during the fit-out to help ensure the project is handed over to the client to their specified budget and timescale.”
If you have a project you wish to discuss with us, please get in touch by filling out our contact form or calling us on 01925 715767. We’re happy to help!
