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VF Corp opens new logistics hub in UK
US apparel, footwear and lifestyle accessories group VF Corp has inaugurated an innovative logistics hub in Bardon, in the county of Leicestershire in the UK, operated by the group’s local subsidiary, VF Northern Europe Limited.
The hub became operational on April 6, and during peak commercial periods it will employ up to 250 people. It will be VF Corp.’s main and most technologically advanced fulfilment centre in the UK, able to cover in one day nearly 90% of the UK market, the leading commercial outlet for VF Corp in the EMEA region.
The 55,700-square-metre centre, a size equivalent to 10 football pitches, will manage logistics for The North Face, Timberland and Vans. It features cutting-edge industrial automation capabilities that place it at the forefront of the footwear and apparel industry. The Bardon centre’s inauguration is part of the Denver-based group’s long-term strategy, as VF Corp seeks to boost its UK growth by transforming its supply chain.
Speed and effectiveness are the centre’s main assets, ensuring a direct stream of package deliveries of up to 200,000 units per day, with an additional 18 berths able to fulfil 170,000 units daily.
The investment for the Bardon centre is the largest undertaken by VF Corp in the UK in the last two years. In 2019, the group had inaugurated its new Axtell Soho headquarters in London, and also opened new Timberland and Vans flagships in the UK capital.
The Bardon centre has been designed to be consistent with VF Corp’s sustainability commitments. The building incorporates innovative systems that significantly reduce its environmental impact, such as green technology limiting water consumption, as well as the use of solar power and systems that cut energy and heat loss. The building has been certified as ‘outstanding’ according to the BREEAM sustainability assessment method.
Recruitment of Bardon centre employees began last year. The majority of posts are now covered, but additional slots for specialist operators will still need to be filled in, as fulfilment volumes increase throughout the year.
VF Corp was founded in 1899. In the UK, the group employs 1,800 people, and operates 90 directly owned stores, seven offices and two distribution centres. VF Corp. has been active for 50 years in over 20 EMEA markets, where it employs 7,800 people, manages 330 directly owned stores and is available at over 1,000 stores operated by commercial partners.
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