Hamburg/Valdengo, July 20, 2023 -Hermes Fulfilment is expanding its international network of locations. On 1 August, the Otto Group's central logistics service provider will take over a distribution center in Valdengo in northern Italy, around 100 kilometers west of Milan. The location specializes in the logistics handling of the small-volume product range. Around 230 people are employed at the logistics center.
"The modern distribution center in Valdengo fits in perfectly with our internationalization efforts," says Kevin Kufs, CEO of Hermes Fulfilment. In addition to Germany, the group already operates logistics centers in Pilsen (Czech Republic) and Otelfingen (Switzerland). A few months ago, Hermes Fulfilment began handling returned goods in a new returns facility in Ilowa (Poland). A shipping center for small-volume goods, which is still under construction, is also due to open there at the beginning of next year. "By taking over the operation in Valdengo, we can also establish ourselves on the southern European market," emphasizes Kevin Kufs.
The distribution center in Valdengo was built in 2007 and has a hall area of 12,500 square meters. A high-bay warehouse with a floor area of 1,500 square meters is integrated into the building complex. It has a capacity of around 5,000 pallet spaces. Order picking is digitally supported, and sorting is carried out using a 235-metre-long sorter system. There are 30 assessment stations in the adjoining returns facility, where returned goods are unpacked and checked and items classified as new are repackaged for restocking. "Our goal is to fully utilize the shipping center with its processing capacity of up to 30 million items per year with outbound and returns," says Kevin Kufs.
Until now, the facility in the Piedmont region was a location for the bonprix fashion brand. Over the coming months, their goods will gradually be relocated to Haldensleben (Saxony-Anhalt). Hermes Fulfilment operates one of Europe's largest distribution centers there, which will also supply bonprix's southern European market from September 2024. Most of the capacity freed up in Valdengo will be used to process returns from the Southern European business of the fast-growing online fashion retailer About You. Added to this are volumes from existing third-party business with two customers whose items are already being handled logistically in the northern Italian operation. "The established shipping center with its modern technical equipment and the experienced staff with their many years of expertise offer us the opportunity for further growth," says Kevin Kufs.
Hermes Fulfilment aims to double its turnover by 2028 and become one of the three most successful B2C fulfillment service providers in parcel and large item logistics in European e-commerce. Kevin Kufs is convinced: "The new location in Valdengo will play its part in achieving these growth targets."
About Hermes Fulfilment:
The Hermes Fulfilment Group , headquartered in Hamburg and with locations in Haldensleben, Löhne, Ohrdruf, Ansbach and Langenselbold, among others, handles the entire shipping process chain and returns processing for Otto Group retail companies. Hermes Fulfilment GmbH is a company of the internationally active Hermes Group, which is part of the Otto Group. The range of services offered by the companies operating under the Hermes brand includes globally sought-after services along the retail value chain - from transportation to fulfillment and parcel services to two-man handling. In the 2020/2021 financial year, the Hermes Group achieved a turnover of 2.54 billion euros. Hermes employs around 18,200 people worldwide and has its own parcel companies in the most important European e-commerce markets. Further information: www.hermes-fulfilment.de.
Further information for journalists:
Hermes Fulfilment
Holger Reher
Phone: +49 (0)40 646041-5461
E-mail: holger.reher@hermes-ws.com
www.hermes-fulfilment.de
Hermes Fulfilment Press Office
c/o AD HOC PR GmbH
Christian Jung
Phone: +49 (0)5241 903932
E-mail: jung@adhocpr.de
www.adhocpr.de