Innovative solution to deliver ultra-fresh perishables for Spinneys UAE

The United Arab Emirates, located at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East, experiences an arid desert climate. Despite efforts to achieve food self-sufficiency, many perishable products are still imported from abroad.

In a bid to bring the freshest food to consumers across the UAE, Spinneys, a local supermarket chain operating nearly 73 stores across the emirates, has tasked Kuehne+Nagel with streamlining the journey of perishable products, such as fruits and vegetables, meats, fish, poultry, and dairy products, from London Heathrow to Dubai. 

“We analysed the entire transportation process and asked ourselves how we could surpass the status quo,” explained Rory Michael Mccreadie, National Air Logistics Perishables Manager at Kuehne+Nagel UAE. “The goal was to eliminate repetitive, time-consuming tasks like unpacking and repacking products at various transition points.”

Every morning, Kuehne+Nagel’s team collects hundreds of boxes of fresh products from Spinneys’ warehouse in London. These boxes are placed on skids, which are then consolidated onto custom-built PMCs (flatbed airline pallets designed for aircraft holds) capable of carrying up to 2,500 kg of fresh products. This approach ensures efficient use of space while maintaining the freshness of the goods.

Once prepared, the PMCs, each carrying 6 skids, are loaded onto the aircraft and transported to Dubai. 

However, instead of the traditional approach, where PMCs are broken down at the airport upon arrival and their contents individually loaded onto trucks, the team implemented an innovative “through unit” system. The entire PMCs are cleared at the airport and transported intact to Spinneys’ warehouse. There, they are unloaded and unpacked, ready for distribution to 73 supermarkets across the UAE on the same day.

The introduction of the “through unit” substantially reduced the transit time. Instead of breaking the unit at the airport and loading separate boxes onto the trucks that are later again unpacked at the warehouse, the unit travels to the destination. The saved time enables Spinneys to process the orders and deliver fresh produce to the supermarkets.

"This end-to-end solution is a great example of how Kuehne+Nagel can optimise processes to deliver top quality to the end customer: the everyday consumer seeking fresher, healthier food products," added Rory Michael Mccreadie, National Air Logistics Perishables Manager at Kuehne+Nagel UAE.

Menino Carmo Luis, Warehouse Operations Manager at Spinneys, concluded: “Delivering the best quality products for our customers is at the heart of Spinneys’ ethos. Thanks to our partnership with Kuehne+Nagel, their expertise, and innovative solutions, we’ve shortened the supply chain by an astonishing four hours. This allows us to deliver fresh produce and stock shelves in time for evening shoppers, giving customers the freshness and quality they expect.”

Adding to this efficiency, the empty PMCs are returned to the airport for reuse, reducing waste and conserving resources.