Yodel invests to support continued growth in parcel volumes

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With its parcel volumes increasing by 13 percent year on year, UK carrier Yodel has invested in four new, strategically located sites for its service centre network providing additional capacity throughout the year, including the peak Christmas period.

Over the past 12 months, the carrier has opened new larger service centres in Northampton, Selby and Farnborough, with a fourth opening in May in Alfreton, Derbyshire. As a result of these investments, Yodel has created over 160 new jobs at the service centres for drivers, sorters, administrators and support workers.

Further sites are planned to be opened in 2015. The investment will enhance service levels throughout the UK with the new locations chosen for their proximity to major motorways and town centres. This will ensure Yodel has easy access to all of Britain’s town and cities, bringing great benefit to existing and potential clients and consumers across the country.  Yodel’s new service centre strategy also works towards removing the requirement for temporary additional satellite sites during peak times, such as Christmas, when parcel volumes increase dramatically.

Dick Stead, executive chairman of Yodel, said “These recent investments form part of a phased plan to increase the capacity and quality of Yodel’s service centre infrastructure, evidence of our long term aims within the UK parcel market. The developments demonstrate the on-going commitment of our Shareholders and are a vote of confidence for the team here who continuously strive to deliver a high quality service to our clients and their customers.”

Fully operational by the end of July 2015, the site in Alfreton, Derbyshire will be able to handle 34,000 parcels per day, allowing for business and volume growth in the Midlands region. 

Selby and Farnborough became operational in October 2014. The Selby site, located just off the Selby bypass, includes a 66,000 sq ft distribution facility. The centre currently handles 10,500 parcels per day and undergoing investment to raise its capacity to 22,000 parcels per day.

The new service centre at Farnborough, which supports deliveries into Yodel’s South East network, is anticipated to deliver over 22,000 parcels a day in the run up to Christmas with new jobs created across management, sortation, and administration with further driving based opportunities as the site develops.

The Northampton service centre, which opened in September 2014, currently processes an average of 16,000 parcels daily and has capacity to handle up to 35,000 parcels per day.

The multi million pound major investment programme extends across Yodel’s service and sort centre network including significant upgrades to IT and mechanical handling equipment.

Yodel’s network of service centres receives trailers of parcels from Yodel’s three central sorts, strategically sited at Shaw, Wednesbury and Hatfield. Parcels are then processed and sent out for delivery.

For an exclusive interview with Yodel’s Dick Stead, watch out for the July issue of Supply Chain Digital.