Builders Merchants Journal – BMJ Publishing to Builders Merchants and the UK merchanting industry for more than 95 years
Ideal Bathrooms has taken on a new purpose-built facility that will increase its stock holding and strengthen its next day delivery service promise.
In April, Ideal Bathrooms moved stock into its new distribution centre in Milton Keynes, which boasts 108,000sq ft of warehouse space along with additional pallet locations, and will serve as its southern distribution centre. The centre will also allow Ideal to improve its next-day availability proposition by more than 30%.
Kim Kirby-Earnshaw, Ideal Bathrooms’ operations director, said: “Our new purpose-built distribution centre is equipped with the latest smart technology, from a smart sensor suite to reduce our environmental impact to ride-on order picking trucks, handheld terminals and wireless printers, which will ensure accuracy with picking and despatching our customers’ orders.
“The additional capacity enables us to increase our delivery time window for our suppliers – and therefore customers too – which has improved stock availability for next day delivery and strengthened our product portfolio to support our suppliers and customers’ needs.”
The Ideal Bathrooms team will also benefit from a full floor of open plan office space, with maximum natural light and a roof garden above the offices. The centre also highlights Ideal’s commitment to sustainability with the addition of 13 electric vehicle charging points, and reindeer moss to the stairwell which improves air quality as well as noise absorption.
Kirby-Earnshaw added: “As our new site is down the road from our current distribution centre, I’m pleased that we have managed to retain 100 per cent of our team, and we have created additional job opportunities in Milton Keynes.”
Danielle Lillis, Ideal Bathrooms’ sales and commercial director, said: “Ideal Bathrooms has traded successfully for over 40 years and has grown to become a leading player in branded bathroom distribution.
“We remain fully committed to our loyal customer base and will continue to deliver the best portfolio of branded products, available with next-day delivery from our new distribution hub.
“Despite the challenges presented during the pandemic, Ideal delivered a strong performance in 2021, and this level remains as we enter 2022, including a significant investment in our state of the art, brand new headquarters and warehouse in Milton Keynes. We’re looking forward to building on this strong footing over the next 12 months and beyond.”
