Following a management buy-out in January 2004, table-top and gift-related products provider Grenadier, has appointed Amethyst Group Logistics Division to deliver a complete logistics and distribution solution. As part of the agreement, Amethyst will provide purchase order processing, warehousing and sales order processing and invoicing support.
“This means that Amethyst plays an important part in getting goods from our suppliers and delivering them to our high street retail customers, which include such major names as John Lewis Partnership, Argos and BHS,” says managing director of Staffordshire-based Grenadier Peter Connor. “We will therefore be able to develop the business more effectively by concentrating on our core skills of sales and marketing.”
Grenadier has changed its business model and now imports the entire product range from China and the Far East. “In recent years, the growth of the Web and email communication has revolutionised the business of importing,” says Connor. “Today, potential and existing suppliers are just the click of a button away and, as a result, our markets have become much more competitive.”
In response, Grenadier has had to streamline the design, procurement and distribution of its product range to its UK customer base and selected Amethyst because of its specialist logistics expertise and IT systems support.
Using the Amethyst purchase order system, all goods are shipped to Amethyst’s nearby Fradley Park distribution centre. Similarly, all customer orders, via EDI, post or fax, are fed directly onto its parallel sales processing system and Amethyst also manages invoicing.
Grenadier will also benefit from a range of added value services which Amethyst provides. If goods arrive at the warehouse wrongly ticketed for example, Amethyst has the resources both in terms of manpower and systems support to put the problem right quickly and cost-effectively.
