Scottish Distribution System to Expand
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TH: Scottish Grocers' Federation is launching a distribution system to provide six warehouses of about 20,000 sq. ft, each at strategic points in Scotland to distribute to its 1,400 member firms the £10 m. worth of goods which S.G.F. (Trading) Ltd., the trading subsidiary, handles. Two warehouses already exist at Dundee and Bonnybridge. A third at Bilston will be replaced by a larger unit at Macrnerry Industrial Estate to serve the Lothians. The other three new units are at Mastrick, Aberdeen; at Dundonald, Ayrshire, and in Glasgow.
Present prospects are that these four new units will be in use by the end of 1965, when the turnover target has been set for £10 rn. Much of the existing £7 m. of turnover is handled by drop Shipments from manufacturers. These will continue to provide one-third of turnover, with the remaining two-thirds taken up by S.G.F. (Trading) Ltd., operating from the respective depots, each of which will have a 75-mile radius, .g:ving a round trip of 150 miles. No point in Scotland should be farther from depOt than the 75-mile radius.
An important introduction will be a flat equalized delivery charge of 6d. per case of goods. This is probably the first time that an equalized rate of this nature has been attempted anywhere in Scotland.
The vehicles involved will be dieselengine 7-tonners. S.G.F. (Trading) Ltd. already operates eight vehicles and will increase this number to 18 by the end of the year, giving three units per depot Internal handling in warehouses will be on one-floor mechanized lines, to allow maximum efficiency of handling at minimum cost.