Hermes and DPD have both opened more depots in the UK to increase sorting capacity ahead of theend-of-year peak season, creating up to 250 new jobs.
DPD said it has invested £4.3m on three new state-of-the art depots in London, Southampton andDundee. The new depots, which collectively are expected to create up to 150 new jobs, will expandthe parcel firm’s capacity to respond to a significant increase in B2C volumes driven by itssuccessful one-hour time slot service, Predict.
In London, DPD will create up to 70 new jobs with the opening of a new £1.5 million depot onMandela Way, Southwark, in Central London. The 4,500 sqm new depot, which will be fully operationalin October 2012, will enhance DPD’s capability to handle increased volumes of parcels in centralLondon. It will help relieve pressure from the company’s existing London depots at London Bridgeand Kings Cross.
In Southampton, southern England, DPD has commissioned a new £2.3 million purpose-built 4,000sqm depot to replace its existing warehouse at Chandlers Ford. The new 3.5 acre site on HamiltonBusiness Park, Hedge End, will be fully operational in October 2012. The relocation of the depotprovides DPD with improved transport links to the M27 motorway and will make it easier forcustomers visiting the depot to collect parcels. Up to 30 new jobs will be created to cover newroutes in Southampton, Portsmouth and the surrounding area.
In Scotland, DPD will open a new 2,700 sqm depot on Fowler Road on Dundee’s West PitkerroIndustrial Site. The company currently operates from four depots in Scotland – two in Glasgow, onein Edinburgh and one in Aberdeen. The new £0.5m depot will be fully operational in October 2012 andwill create 50 new jobs to service up to 50 new routes. DPD’s volumes have grown considerably inScotland and the depot site will be important geographically for customers in the Dundee/Perth areawho are currently served by Edinburgh up to 60 miles away.
Dwain McDonald, DPD UK’s CEO commented: “In recent years we have seen an unprecedented increasein our parcel volumes due mainly to Predict, our unique one-hour time slot service. The new depotswill improve our capacity and are further evidence of DPD’s ongoing investment in ourinfrastructure. Deliveries on behalf of the e-commerce industry now represent half of our businessand we expect this growth in e-retailing to continue to go from strength to strength. Successfuldelivery is a crucial part of the home shopping experience and this announcement underlines ourcommitment to improve our service to customers right across the UK.”
Meanwhile, Hermes UK has opened two new depots in Coventry and Carlisle to increase its parcelnetwork capacity while creating more than 100 new jobs. The new facilities add to the company’snetwork of 24 depots and hubs to better respond to customer needs and keep up with expected growthin parcel volumes.
The depot in Coventry, West Midlands, will provide 4,924 sqm of office and warehousing spacewith an expected sorting capacity of 24,000 parcels a day on average increasing to 43,000 duringthe Christmas period. Located close to the Coventry ring road, the depot provides easy access tothe M6 motorway and Hermes’ northern and national hubs. It will create a total of 61 full-time and10 part-time jobs, with a further number of temporary roles during the peak period, Hermesexplained.
The Carlislie depot in North West England is located on the Kingstown Industrial Estate on thenorth side of the city and measures 1,468 sqm. It is well connected to the UK motorway network. Thesite will be responsible for all parcel traffic in Cumbria, North Lancashire and Dumfries &Galloway, handling an average of 6,500 items a day. Around 30 jobs will be created in warehouse,driver, administrative and managerial roles.
Carole Woodhead, CEO of Hermes UK, commented: “These are the latest in a series of depotopenings in recent months which clearly illustrates our commitment to investing appropriately tosupport current and future growth. They will boost capacity in key areas and ensure we are bestplaced to meet the home delivery requirements of our retail customers.”
