Puckator has signed the lease on a modern 4,000 square metres unit located on a newly constructed logistics park adjacent to Wroclaw airport, Poland, which will serve as the group’s European Distribution Centre (EDC) to ensure that the company maintains the high level of service that customers in Europe have come to expect.
Initially, plans were for the commencement of operations by the end of the year, but progress has been swift and it is now likely that the EDC will be fully operational by 1 October 2021.
The company says that South West Poland is geographically advantageous for pan-European distribution, and also provides a relatively benign business environment within which to operate.
The project is already at an advanced stage, with internal building works in process and warehouse systems planned. Recruitment of staff in Poland has also commenced, and shipment of goods from China directly to the EDC arranged, with the containers starting to arrive from June.
“The European market is absolutely key to our business and is reliant on the fast and cost-effective delivery of orders to our customers there,” stated Mark Howard, ceo of Puckator group.
“Despite exhaustive pre-Brexit planning, the resultant increase in distribution costs and much longer transit times forced us to look urgently at alternatives.”
The company says that this has been a major undertaking for the Puckator group, and is one of the most significant developments in its 31 years history.
Although the establishment of the EDC has been a necessary consequence of Brexit, it will not only enable Puckator to ensure its market in Europe is secure, but will allow for rapid growth in that region, while at the same time allowing new markets to be explored and developed, which previously would not have been possible.
With sales teams and B2B e-commerce sites in UK and throughout Europe, the EU represents 50% of Puckator’s sales, so the impact of Brexit, and the subsequent trading difficulties encountered with lengthy delays and the imposition of import tariffs between the UK and Europe had been significant.
Established in 1990, Puckator is a design led company importing and distributing giftware and home accessories throughout the UK and Europe. With production primarily in China, its designs are translated into trend related products which has enabled the company to grow rapidly, employing 120 staff across its offices in UK, Spain, Italy, and China.
The company’s head office and distribution centre is located in Cornwall.
Top: Puckator’s new European Distribution Centre is on a new logistics park adjacent to Wroclaw airport, South West Poland, and is the company’s answer to post-Brexit trading concerns.
