Online department store Wehkamp expects to have already grown out of its new distribution centre in Zwolle within three years. The etailer is considering opening a logistics centre in Belgium by then.
This is what logistics manager Sander Bolmer tells De Financiële Telegraaf (DFT). Wehkamp's distribution centre has only been operational since February. Now, the department store sends 32 million orders a year from the DC. According to Bolmer, Wehkamp is growing by ten per cent a year. If this growth continues, the new distribution centre will be too small in not too long.
Earlier, Andries van Daalen, programme director at parent group RFS Holding, revealed that scaling up is still possible within the location. For instance, the OSR shuttle system can be expanded by three aisles, increasing capacity by 17 per cent. In addition, there is the possibility of 24/7 operation, so that the DC is no longer idle at night and on Saturdays. There is also the possibility of expanding on the lot. If so, output could rise to 74 million orders.
However, according to Bolmer, Wehkamp is setting its sights on Belgium in the future. "We may expand abroad in the future. Belgium would then be obvious. But in the Netherlands, we still have plenty of customers to win," says Bolmer. The logistics manager believes there is much room for improvement in the logistics process. For instance, the return process needs to be accelerated. A return shipment is currently processed in a day and a half, whereas it used to take one day.
Editorial LogistiekProfs
