Unipart supply chain improvements awarded with new deal from Waterstones

The UK’s leading high-street bookseller Waterstones has extended its long-term partnership with Unipart Logistics for an additional five years.

Waterstones said the new deal was partly down to significant improvements in Unipart’s supply chain processes over the last 18 months.

Unipart will continue to distribute books and related products to 280 shops, and to customers at home, from their 150,000 sq ft hub in Burton-on-Trent.

This new contract builds on the strength and success of the long-term relationship between Waterstones and Unipart, which saw the two companies collaboratively win four awards at the European Supply Chain Excellence Awards in 2015.

Beccy Preece, Head of Supply Chain Services at Waterstones said: "We've extended our contract because Unipart really understands our business and provides an excellent service. 

“Over the past 10 years our needs have changed - along with the change in the way our customers buy books - and with the introduction of a greater, non-book range Unipart have adapted to support our needs and so have helped our business to grow."

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Waterstone’s said that key to the successful partnership has been Unipart's innovative supply chain thinking and agile delivery of change.

Over the past 18 months, Unipart has completely reconfigured the service to the stores to deliver a next day delivery service by harnessing the power of ‘The Unipart Way’, which is the company's proprietary business system for continuous improvement.

In addition, Unipart has also helped Waterstones increase availability of new and old titles whilst still reducing the overall inventory holding.  

Claire Walters, Chief Commercial Officer at Unipart Logistics said: “We are incredibly proud of our long-term partnership with Waterstones, and our contribution to the turnaround of the business over the last few years through intelligent supply chain decisions.”