Hermes UK opens two parcel depots in South East England

Hermes UK has expanded the capacity of its parcel depot network in the South East of England, with a new depot in Essex and a replacement facility in Kent. The Leeds-based company, part of the international Germany-based group Hermes Europe, said the extra handling capacity was needed to deal with expected increases in parcel volumes during the coming Christmas peak and beyond.

Last year, the company’s pre-Christmas volumes grew 40% compared to the same period in 2010 thanks to the ecommerce boom, with the South East of England one of the key areas of growth.

Hermes said its new West Thurrock depot in Essex adds more than 52,000 square feet of warehousing, office and ancillary space.

The new facility at Weston Avenue is located close to one of Europe’s largest shopping centres, the Lakeside Shopping Centre, as well as important transport links including the QE2 Dartford Bridge and access to the A13 and M25 motorway.

The company said more than 60 jobs are being created at the site, in management, administration, warehouse and driver roles.

The new facility in Maidstone, Kent, replaces an existing depot at Rochester, with Hermes saying it doubles the company’s warehousing capacity compared to the old depot.

It offers 47,000 square feet of space, including 32,017 square feet of warehousing, six loading bays and more than 7,600 square feet of office space. The facility is capable of handling 40,000 parcels per night.

The replacement depot is located at the Quarry Wood Industrial Estate, close to the A20 and access to the motorway network via the M20.

Carole Woodhead, the Hermes UK chief executive, said: “We are experiencing considerable increases in parcel volumes within the South East of England, so we needed to increase capacity within the region to meet current and future requirements.

“These latest developments are part of a nationwide initiative that will see a number of enhancements to our depot and hub network in the build up to the peak Christmas period,” added Woodhead.

Expansion

Hermes UK currently handles more than 140m parcels a year across the UK, with a network of more than 7,500 subcontractor couriers delivering door to door.

Sales increased by 22% during 2011, with the company generating a EUR 303m annual revenue. The company’s festive volume growth appeared to more than double the 15% growth rate research suggested was seen for ecommerce parcel volumes as a whole in the UK during the last Christmas build-up.

Last year Hermes expanded its depot network by opening its largest depot in Bradford, a new hub in Warrington and two more depots in Rotherham and Crawley.

The firm’s plans include opening four new depots during 2012.

The company launched a network of 500 parcel shops around the UK back in June, offering parcel collection and drop-off points within convenience stores, with the intention of expanding to 1,000 pick-up points by the end of 2012.