Supermarket firms returning to distribution centres
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Major supermarket chains - Big C, Tops and Makro - are starting to resume operations back in their permanent sites in Ayutthaya's Wang Noi district as receding floods enable businesses to move back to their operating bases.
DHL, the world’s leading logistics company, says its supply-chain division has started to relocate the distribution centres of these leading retailers from the current temporary distribution centre at Hemaraj Industrial Estate in Chon Buri.
In the wake of the floods, DHL supported the government to set up temporary distribution centres in cooperation with Big C, Tops and Makro to ensure essential goods such as rice, drinking water and canned food remained available to consumers to reduce panic buying and prevent a run on the stores.
DHL offered its logistics expertise, deployed staff and vehicles and provided logistics solutions to distribute goods to the supermarkets’ retail outlets in affected areas.
In Bangkok, the first multiple-site distribution centre was established in Don Mueang Airport next to the Flood Relief Operations Centre, but when floods approached the Don Muang area, the government offered a new location at the Hemaraj industrial park.
The Hemaraj distribution centre, which has storage capacity of 35,000 pallets and occupies more than 35,000 square metres, has been stocking essentials including water, canned food, rice and instant noodles. The goods were then distributed to 400 Big C, Tops and Makro branches in Bangkok and throughout the country via 200 special high-capacity trucks.
Craig Hope-Johnstone, manager of DHL Supply Chain Thailand, said yesterday that as the floods begin to subside, the company was supporting major supermarket chains to resume operations in their distribution centres, reducing the need for the temporary distribution sites.
Paul Graham, chief executive officer of DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific, said DHL was always ready to do what it could to support relief efforts.
“In Bangkok, we assisted the Thai government in the transportation of essential supplies. We assigned 400 staff along with a management team to work at the Hemaraj distribution centre.
“Our DHL employees are regularly trained in emergency-situation logistics such as this. We’re glad we could be of assistance to the country and the government in time of need.”
