Midland Pallet Trucks, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of pallet trucks, stacker trucks and other warehouse equipment, has urged the industry not to panic in the midst of the shock closure of 10 of Travis Perkins’ small distribution centres, but instead focus on the positive direction of retail as a whole during testing time.
The announcement, which came just last week, sent shockwaves through the building industry as well as the warehouse, logistics and retail sectors. However according to the manual handling experts, the key to continued success is for managers to focus on their offering, and not be distracted by the news.
Phil Chesworth, Director at Midland Pallet Trucks, said, “It came as a surprise to us all when Travis Perkins announced it was to close some of its smaller distribution centres, however it’s important to remember that it is part of its plan to optimise its network as future demand is somewhat uncertain – and not as the result of it going under.”
Northampton-based Travis Perkins has been one of the leaders in the buildings sector since its inception in 1988 and as a result is one of the longest-standing builders’ merchant groups in the UK. The company currently employs 28,000 people across 2,060 stores and owns Benchmarx, BSS, PTS and Wikes. And the closure will affect all of the above, aside from the DIY store, affecting around 600 employees.
The retail industry has been under the spotlight over the last couple of months as a result of the Brexit vote, and since then there has been mixed reports regarding sales and demand. However the landscape is not showing signs of being affected a great deal, with consumers still spending at almost the same level as before the referendum.
Phil added, “Retailers have been waiting for the effects of Brexit to hit, and other than a couple of reports of falling sales, which have since been put down to external factors, the news has been relatively positive. This latest announcement from one of the building industry’s leaders is obviously going to make businesses proceed with caution going forward, but it’s also imperative that they focus on the upcoming busy festive period first and foremost.”
Midland Pallet Trucks stocks a wide range of quality warehouse equipment, ideal for use in a range of businesses – including the building, retail and logistics sectors. Investing equipment, although may seem like an expense, has actually been proven to increase productivity and improve profit margins as a result.