RetailTransport

fulfilmentcrowd has opened three new sites in the UK and Europe as it continues to meet growing demand from SME eCommerce retailers. 

The international fulfilment services provider, which is headquartered in Chorley, Lancashire, has opened new centres in Yorkshire, France and the Netherlands, which will increase overall capacity by around 48% during the next 12 months. 

25 new jobs will be created across the three centres, taking total headcount at fulfilmentcrowd to over 130, with employees working across 13 sites globally. The past two years have also seen the company open new fulfilment centres in the USA and Germany.

The new 28,000 sq. ft Yorkshire centre is located in Belton and will serve a growing base of Northern-based SME retailers. The European centres in Lieusaint, France and Born, Netherlands provide fulfilmentcrowd with 150,000 sq. ft of additional space to support growing UK exports, as well as helping drive the company’s European expansion. 

Lee Thompson, MD at fulfilmentcrowd, commented: “During the past 12 months, we’ve seen 67% growth in the number of eCommerce SME retailers we’re working with. 

“We’re now picking, packing and moving products for more than 500 retailers across the UK, with projections for this rate of growth to continue over the next few years. 

“The new centres will enable us to effectively meet this demand, meaning we can sustain growth, whilst maintaining high-quality standards and providing customers with the expertise and confidence to scale their businesses. 

“UK-based SME retailers are increasingly targeting international eCommerce consumers and want this to be affordable and hassle-free. Growing our global presence achieves this by eradicating the need for British eCommerce retailers to worry about any complexities, excessive costs and delays of cross-border trading, whether that’s within the EU or beyond.”

Don’t be seduced by big-name brands

fulfilmentcrowd pinpointed the centres in France and Netherlands as prime locations for offering its services to European-based small and medium-sized eCommerce retailers. 

“France is Europe’s second largest eCommerce market, behind the UK,” said Thompson. “Having a base there will prove instrumental to our growth throughout the continent. 

“The location of Born, which is close to the borders of Germany and Belgium, will also enable us to efficiently and effectively strengthen our distribution routes across Europe.”

 

Born becomes fulfilmentcrowd’s second centre in the Netherlands, alongside its existing site in Aalten. Both new centres in Born and Lieusaint will be operated in partnership with De Boer Group, marking the first time fulfilmentcrowd has collaborated with the end-to-end supply chain operator.

fulfilmentcrowd’s Yorkshire site will be operated in partnership with Connect Warehousing, which has joined fulfilmentcrowd’s Fulfilment Partner Network. The Network provides warehouse operators with the opportunity to optimise warehouse space by cost-effectively allocating under-utilised space to SME eCommerce retailers, that they may not traditionally work with as they trade under specified minimum volume requirements.  

Earlier this year fulfilmentcrowd closed its financial year with a £7.5 million investment from growth capital investor BGF. 

For its year ending 31st March 2021, fulfilmentcrowd reported 71% growth in revenues, with turnover reaching £13m.