Logistics & Supply Chain
The Superdrug Supply Chain makes sure that each of the 15,000 products is on the shelves in sufficient quantity to satisfy customer needs.
To enable this to happen within budget we are organised into two teams: Logistics, who manage the physical flow of products through the network of distribution centres, and Supply Chain, who place purchase orders for stock and interact with Buying teams to manage the automatic replenishment system.
Click on the links below to find out more about each team:
We have two distribution centres - Dunstable and Pontefract from where we pick and distribute all of our products. These sites are huge - especially Dunstable, inside which you could fit 10 football pitches.
Each year, we pick 80 million cases of stock - nearly 500 million units - which, if laid end to end, would stretch from Dunstable to Hong Kong and back and then some!
The teamwork in each of these warehouses is second to none, as are the standards. Although the work involved is a long way from the glamorous side of selling fine fragrances to customers in store, each team member knows what a vital part they play in the process of delighting our customers.
The Supply Chain function has two major and closely linked roles. The team is responsible for maintaining excellent availability on shelf for our customers so that they are always able to find the product that they want, whilst making sure that we don't buy too much stock at any one time.
The team liaises with all other departments, in order to understand marketing and commercial requirements and plan the flow of goods through the logistics network and into stores without bottlenecks.
All development is implemented from within. The team works closely with other functions to make processes faster and more efficient, works closely with suppliers to improve their delivery into the Company, and manages movement better in the distribution centres, ensuring that stock gets delivered to stores in a way that helps the store teams go the extra mile for our customers!