With the rise in popularity of home reno
shows, flipping and ‘insta-styling’, the opportunity for homewares retailers to
jump into the fray and grab the attention of consumers has never been better.
Our client offers a huge range of products
to help budding designers style their homes like a magazine page, from quality
bedding, towels and homewares and a blog and online content to demonstrate how
to arrange it all.
While they are expert in how to create a
five-star look for their customers’ homes, getting the essential products from
their network of international suppliers into their hands has been a challenge.
When you throw in the added complication of customs clearance for items such as
natural fibre products, it is not just a shipping exercise, but requires
complete end-to-end project management.
Christmas is the most critical time of the
year for retailers. Our client realised the only way to get it right was with
the help of a logistics partner, rather than just a shipping supplier.
In order to stock their stores for the
beginning of the festive season some 10,000 cartons are shipped in a retail
ready manner in a seamless, efficient process direct to DC and stores.
Each carton is labelled and packed specific
to store requirements and packed for transit. With multiple zones, set ups,
stores, packing, warehousing and delivery requirements the pre-planning and
coordination is the real challenge – not the shipping.
The Problem
The timing of deliveries from a multitude of suppliers all over China to the warehouse is critical to the preparation process. Ensuring everything is;
• Received
• Sorted
• Labelled
• Scanned to SKU level
• Packed to store level
• Scanned again, sorted, and repacked to all Australian ports
• Loaded into the correct containers
…requires a level of coordination far above the usual pick, pack
and dis-patch service.
If this part of the process is not well
supported the biggest retail period of the year will be compromised – lost revenue,
left-over stock and ultimately discounting to try and recoup costs.
How Magellan Made the Difference
Magellan’s first step was to embed a
dedicated hands-on team with our client and assist with the coordination of the
entire operation, from week-ly work-in-progress meetings to the appointment of
agents to coordinate clearance requirements, language challenges and vessel cut
off times.
A central staging depot in Shanghai for all
suppliers to send their goods was secured and set up as a pick‘n’pack warehouse.
A dedicated key team member is present in Shanghai to oversee the 3PL processes, working at the coal face to ensure that the operations are supported in such a way as to streamline activities at the Australian end.
“Magellan has been instrumental in helping us streamline and improve our Christmas program, ensuring we have all of our stock in the right location at the right time efficiently, seamlessly, in full & on time. They have taken the time to understand the intricacies and idiosyncrasies of our business and have been with us every step of the way as we have grown and evolved throughout our 15-year relationship.”
What it means
The tailored process co-developed by our
two organisations gives our client full confidence that their logistics, not
only for their busiest time but year-round, is managed by a team that
understands their industry and needs.
Getting goods into stores and online fulfilment centre in-full and on-time is critical to business success in these days of Omni shopping. Our client depends on its continued physical presence and ability to provide beautiful products to inspire the imaginations of would-be interior stylists.
The logistics process is key to this and building on the learnings each year has meant that every subsequent round is even more efficient than the last helping our client maintain its industry-leading 5-star reputation.
Are you dreading peak Season 2019? Call our team on 1300 651 888 or email info@maglog.com.au to discuss how you can streamline your Peak Season planning and get ready for a perfect Christmas.
Your supply chain is one of the most critical parts of your business – you should always be looking for ways to improve it.
Choosing a logistics partner you can trust
to navigate in this uncertain environment is essential if you want to get ahead
and stay there.
At Magellan Logistics, we provide a variety of services including freight forwarding services, sea freight forwarding at the best sea freight rates, and more! Browse our services today.
