Fancy dress designers, manufacturers and distributors Rubies and Smiffys agree deal for 170,000 sq ft Liverpool warehouse to store their costumes, wigs, accessories and make-up in time for Halloween. Tony McDonough reports
Logistics space specialist Mileway agrees letting deal with fancy dress designers, manufacturers and distributors Rubies and Smiffys for a warehouse in Liverpool.
Both firms have jointly signed a 10-year lease on the 170,000 sq ft facility in Old Swan in the east of the city. Called Space 170, the warehouse will now house fancy dress costumes, wigs, accessories and make-up.
Rubies and Smiffys will start operating from the premises in August, in time for the peak Halloween season. The new space will mark a significant step in improving their operational performance, fulfilment speed and customer service capabilities.
This includes being able to optimise the warehouse layout and racking for faster, more efficient order fulfilment, increasing its inventory capacity and enhancing delivery accuracy. B8 Real Estate were agents on the deal.
“We are thrilled to embark on this journey of enhanced operational excellence and improved customer service,” said Fran Hales, head of portfolio and marketing at Rubies.
“This strategic move represents our dedication to serving our customers better, especially in time for the Halloween season. The modern facility and upgraded technology will allow us to fulfil orders more efficiently.”
Space 170 is equipped with a warehouse management system to support real-time inventory tracking, streamlined workflows and improved system reliability. Other features include racking capacity for up to 14,000 pallets and two-storey office block.
Andrew Jones, Mileway managing director UK & Ireland, added: “We worked closely with Rubies and Smiffys to meet their specific and tight scheduling requirements, successfully ensuring disruption was kept to a minimum.”
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And Elliott Peckett, sales director at Smiffys, also said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and this move to our new Liverpool location will ensure an improved and optimised process for every order that leaves our distribution facility.
“This customised fulfilment centre has been developed with our product range in mind, allowing for an improved service and more efficient order fulfilment.”