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Boughey adapts delivery strategy to fit supermarket stock demands
WTIE LESS THAN one month to go until Christmas, ambient goods haulier Boughey Distribution says it is not experiencing the same seasonal peak in demand as previous years, citing quicker delivery windows as the cause rather than the recession.
Changes to the way the major supermarkets are now managing their stock levels has forced Boughey to adopt a different delivery strategy, with drastically reduced lead times for orders. Supermarkets no longer need to stockpile goods ahead of the Christmas rush, reducing the number of extra deliveries needed over the period.
Boughey Distribution director Martyn Nicholls says: "We had a quieter summer than usual because of the introduction of 'day one for day two' deliveries by the major supermarkets. Tesco and Sainsbury's are pushing their stock back down the supply chain, so if they want 16 suppliers in one load, we can do that, without the expense of having extra vehicles on site."
Nicholls adds: "The new system narrows the delivery window, which reduces the opportunity for back loads. We have had to work a bit more with our competitors on routes that are less profitable for us.
"The changes may also mean that rather than having a traditionally quiet January, we will continue to see a constant level of demand from the retailers."