Kuehne + Nagel enjoys double success at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) UK Annual Awards for Excellence 2008
The Logistics Best Practice award recognises outstanding development in bringing benefits to logistics and supply chains in any mode or combination of modes. Kuehne + Nagel demonstrated how establishing a Bonded Logistics Park (BLP) in the Shanghai area in China allowed Kuehne + Nagel to provide lower costs and improved control over inbound logistics to its key customer and leading UK general retailer, Argos.
The solution involved providing Argos’ thirteen UK distribution centres with full visibility of inventory in the Far East, enabling them to select the required stock, consolidate it in to containers across multiple suppliers and dispatch these directly to the appropriate distribution centres. As a result of the partnership, Argos’ storage costs to support its three main Argos Direct sites were reduced by over 50% per cubic metre. Furthermore, UK delivery costs were reduced through moving goods directly from port to distribution centres, eliminating import handling and facilitating a single standard for quality checks, while the BLP provides suppliers with the same VAT reclaim terms.
Nabil Awan, Air Export Rates Supervisor, received the Student of the Year award for the CILT Level 3 Certificate in Logistics and Transport 2007.
Dorothea Carvalho, Director of Professional Development at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, explained why Nabil won: “A panel of experts judged the work of the students and looked at the trainers’ feedback on the candidate, and Nabil demonstrated a standard of competence in his work that was consistently outstanding.”
Peter Ulber, Chief Executive of Kuehne + Nagel North West Europe commented, “We are honoured that the CILT has recognised Kuehne + Nagel’s achievements this year for the innovative and value adding solution provided to Argos as well as our investment in people. We are strongly committed to developing the careers of our employees and will continue to work very closely with the CILT in this regard.”
Note to Editors
At the same event, Homebase – like Argos, owned by Home Retail Group – celebrated taking home the Supply Chain Integration Award for the third consecutive year. Please visit
http://www.homeretailgroup.com/home/media/hrg/corpnews/2008/2008-11-11/ for further details.
About Kuehne + Nagel
With over 54,000 employees at 850 locations in over 100 countries, the Kuehne + Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics companies. Its strong market position lies in the seafreight, airfreight, contract logistics and overland businesses, with a clear focus on providing IT-based supply chain management services. The Kuehne + Nagel UK and Ireland organisation operates around 100 locations with over 10,000 employees.
About Home Retail Group
Home Retail Group is the UK’s leading home and general merchandise retailer with sales of £6 billion in the last financial year. It sells products under two distinctive and complementary retail brands, Argos and Homebase. The Group employs some 53,000 people across the business.
Argos is a unique retailer recognised for choice, value and convenience. It sells around 18,500 general merchandise products for the home through its network of over 700 stores, online and over the phone. Argos’ Internet site, www.argos.co.uk, was the most visited high street retailer online in the UK in 2007.
Homebase is the UK’s second largest home improvement retailer and is recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market. It has more than 300 large, out-of-town stores, which sell over 30,000 products, as well as a growing Internet offering at www.homebase.co.uk.
Argos and Homebase are supported by an in-house financial services business, Financial Services, which provides a range of credit and insurance products to their customers through all customer-facing channels of stores, online and over the phone. Financial Services is one of the largest store card providers in the UK, having over one million active store card customers.
For more information contact Media Relations, phone: 0845 120 4365, mobile: 0771 3064079, e-mail: media.relations@homeretailgroup.com