Founded in 2011, My Jewellery has quickly become one of the fastest-growing jewelry brands in Europe. With more than 39 brick-and-mortar stores across the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and France, along with a robust online presence, the company has outgrown its existing warehouse.
“We had simply outgrown our old distribution center, which was around 2,850 m²,” said Vilmar Bliekendaal, CFO/CTO at My Jewellery. “To scale up our operations, we needed more space.”
Initially, the company had planned to build a new distribution center at a greenfield site in Den Bosch. However, Bliekendaal realized the project would require specialist logistics expertise to execute successfully. “We needed guidance on how to organize our logistics processes efficiently and how that would influence the design of the facility,” he explained.
The search for a logistics partner led My Jewellery to Groenewout, a leading consultancy firm in the logistics sector. “We wanted a consultancy firm with the expertise to optimize our logistics design and guide us through the entire implementation process,” said Bliekendaal.
Groenewout conducted a feasibility study for the logistics design of the new distribution center. They analyzed the data and developed a business case for two potential scenarios: the first, a manual system with pallet racking and shelving; the second, a more forward-thinking solution incorporating automation and robotization.
Following this, Groenewout created a Program of Requirements for the layout of the new facility and oversaw both the design and implementation of the logistics systems. “Groenewout was responsible for all logistics-related systems, including pallet racks, shelving, packaging machines, and goods-to-person (GTP) solutions,” Bliekendaal said. “They also managed the tenders for the various systems and played a key role in testing and implementation.”
This new distribution center will support My Jewellery’s continued growth, improving efficiency and allowing the company to meet the increasing demands of its expanding customer base.
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