Lloyd Fraser Help Wickes to Mitigate Buncefield Impact

DIY Retailer Wickes was recently tested in a crisis situation when its Hemel Hempstead distribution centre was significantly damaged by the Buncefield fuel depot fire last December. Located just ½ a mile from the fuel storage depot, the site supplied stock to 176 Wickes stores across the UK. The sheer power of the blast caused damage to the interior and exterior of the building, meaning the site had to be evacuated for refurbishment.

Ross Eggleton, National General Manager of Lloyd Fraser (Supply Chain) who operates the Wickes Intermediate Warehouses, said: “The Buncefield oil depot fire was a massive disaster and could have caused severe problems to the Wickes supply chain without a disaster recovery plan being in place. Poor handling of the crisis could have severely damaged the Wickes offer to Customers and impacted upon sales.”

“It was essential all the store deliveries were relocated to another depot immediately to avoid potentially leaving some stores under stocked. By implementing the Business Continuity Plan on the first day of the explosions we were able to mitigate the impacts Buncefield had on the Wickes supply chain”.

“Although emergencies of this nature are rare, it was vital we had plans in place. Over the last few years we have developed an excellent partnership with Wickes, and throughout this incident we have worked closely to establish alternative delivery routes to stores and to get the Hemel Hempstead site back up and running as quickly as possible.”

“The Hemel Hempstead site re-opened on the 12th February and the Supply chain has returned to normal. The contingencies put in place were effective and stock availability was maintained.”