Autumn 2008

As part of a move to expand beyond its 200-plus UK retail outlets and into the online market, Pets at Home is using a scalable e-fulfilment solution from Manhattan Associates. The system is in use at a 190,000 sq ft shared-user distribution facility at a Magna Park site, Lutterworth, where outsourced contractor Unipart Logistics is running the operation for the company.

According to commercial director Catriona Marshall: 'With our main retail store business doing so well and growth for the full range of our products online as yet unproven, we were looking for a low-risk way to assess the potential of an online offering with a great customer experience.'

She adds that Unipart and Manhattan 'have lived up to their respective reputations for innovation and robust delivery in the supply chain arena,' and that the system should have the capacity to expand seamlessly as volumes grow.

The company rolled out Manhattan's Warehouse Management solution for Open Systems in just six weeks. It is configured as a 'menu-priced' e-fulfilment system.

 

The Magna Park site is also used by Unipart for other clients such as 3, Apple and Play.com, and Ian Smith, managing director of Unipart Consumer Logistics, says the WMS solution could be appropriate elsewhere in the organisation. 'We are keen to continue our partnership with Manhattan to make it available to other prospective clients,' he says.