Leading U.K. home improvement and garden living retailer extends and expands partnership with GXO to include operating new 430,000-square-foot facility in Blyth
Multi-year partnership already includes reverse logistics and transportation
GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO), the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced today that it will expand its partnership with leading U.K. home improvement and garden living retailer B&Q beyond transport and returns to include operating B&Q’s new flagship 430,000‑square‑foot warehouse in Blyth, U.K. This site will be the first B&Q facility to serve both stores and home delivery. The multi-year agreement is part of B&Q’s strategy to optimize and transform its supply chain.
“We’re pleased to expand our longstanding partnership with B&Q,” said Gavin Williams, GXO Managing Director, UK and Ireland. “Together, we’ve already significantly improved efficiency, safety and sustainability across transport and returns operations. Thanks to this successful approach towards continuous improvement, we now look forward to bringing the full benefits of GXO’s industry-leading technology, scale and expertise to B&Q’s omnichannel operations.”
The new facility features nearly 37,000 pallet spaces and will employ more than 100 people during peak.
Amélie Gallichan-Todd, Supply and Logistics Director, B&Q, said, “Our new Blyth distribution centre represents a long-term strategic move for B&Q. We’re constantly striving to be the easiest place to shop for home improvement, and so always looking to give our customers the flexibility to choose how and where they get exactly what they need, when they need it.
“We know from our existing partnership GXO has the right team to operate this world-class facility, helping to improve the homes and lives of thousands of B&Q’s customers.”
The new facility in Blyth is the first warehouse managed by GXO in the B&Q network and follows years of success with the customer’s transportation operations and returns management. Since 2015, GXO has managed B&Q’s retail transport network in the U.K. and Ireland. The agreement includes servicing local and regional distribution centers with a fleet of approximately 600 vehicles and trailers and was expanded in 2021 to include “Store to Home” final-mile service for bulk and two-person deliveries.
In addition, since 2005 GXO has managed a 30,000-square-foot returns site for B&Q in Branston, where it now processes nearly 1 million cases of returned purchases annually and returns the majority of returned products to stock for resale, creating substantial savings for the customer and improved inventory availability for their consumers.
GXO’s partnership with B&Q includes a strong commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. To date GXO has already substantially improved driver safety by implementing a range of technologies. The returns site employs a team member from the DS WorkFit program, the Down’s Syndrome Association’s employment program. GXO has also implemented a number of systems to help reduce B&Q’s environmental footprint by cutting total vehicle miles traveled and has supported B&Q with the roll out of an LNG-powered fleet to reduce emissions. GXO will extend this commitment to continuous improvement at the new Blyth facility.
About B&Q
About B&Q B&Q has been helping customers improve their homes since 1969. As the UK’s leading home improvement and garden living retailer, every year we help more than 20 million people to improve their homes and make life better.
Our products and services are available at over 300 B&Q stores in the UK and Ireland and at diy.com and diy.ie. We offer over 30,000 products at our stores either for immediate pick-up or to order at diy.com for one-hour or next day click and collect. We also have over 300,000 more home improvement products available to order at diy.com for home delivery, and we’re continuing to expand the choice of products available on our website through our specialist home improvement marketplace, launched in March 2022.
About GXO Logistics
GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totaling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the world’s leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.