26.04.2017 –
The Easter 2017 period has seen a 20% boom in UK DIY and garden improvement products shifted around the country by Palletways, Europe’s number one and fastest growing palletised freight network. The network also moved a record 27,000 pallets in a single day and night on 11 April.
Bathrooms, turf and gravel were all high performing products compared to Easter 2016, as the UK public demand for DIY materials took-off to take advantage of the long weekend. DIY formed a significant proportion of the 500,000 pallets moved by Palletways 100+ member depots in March. The Palletways Team expect this number to hit 1.4 million pallets covering the quarter from March – May.
Dave Walmsley, Palletways UK Managing Director, said: “We’ve experienced a recent upwards curve in pallets containing items to improve the home, like bathrooms and outdoors. Newspaper headlines suggest that house sales and price growth are stalling. As a result, our pallet numbers provide tangible evidence that Briton’s are spending their cash on home improvements whilst they ride out the storm.
“A twenty percent year-on-year increase in DIY and garden improvement pallets surpassed our own expectations. Industry pallet volume records have also tumbled. On 1 December 2016, we shifted 25,000 pallets during the day and night for the first time ever. We’ve broken through this barrier twice already and expect to do so at least twice again during the Easter break. On one day and night we achieved an unprecedented 27,017. It’s testament to our commitment to innovative technology and working as a partnership with our members that we can deliver such high pallet volumes.”
The Easter success comes hot-on-the-heels of key early Spring announcements – the launch of our new South West Hub and new ETA system, which offers an industry-first two-hour time notification delivery window for Palletways customers and consumers.
Mike Harrison, Palletways UK Operations Director, said: “It’s been an exciting month for Palletways members and customers. Regional hubs which increase value for our customers combined with game changing technology which guarantees delivery time certainty have provided the springboard for attracting new customers and increasing pallet volumes.
“Our member depots continue to work day and night to deliver customer service excellence and deliver the pallets of goods which help to drive financial performance in important sectors of the British economy, such as home improvement.”