We work with forwarding partners to import products from international suppliers to our UK-based DCs, and with three different distribution operators to deliver bespoke orders to our customers within the UK and internationally. Meanwhile, The New Layout’s own fleet of vehicles deliver certain stock from our DCs to and from either distribution operators or ports across the UK, which is the only aspect of our logistics operations that we control directly.

Gross CO₂ emissions arising from TNL-owned distribution vehicles reduced by 7% in the most recent financial year.

We drive improvement by focusing on increasing the efficiency of our operations. For example, improvements in the way we plan and schedule our journeys has allowed us to increase average vehicle loading capacity to 90% (95% on some routes). This has helped us to reduce total mileage by 7% and fuel consumption by 4% in comparison to the previous year.

In order to maximise fuel efficiency, we always aim to schedule overnight deliveries when roads are quieter. In addition, as part of DHL’s shared user network, we combine deliveries with other retailers in our remote northern Scotland locations to save on transport miles and fuel.

Beyond scheduling, we provide training to encourage our core team of drivers to operate vehicles in a fuel-efficient and safety-conscious driving style. Driver’s undergo an assessment at least every six months to ensure that these skills are being put into practice.

In 2019, we have upgraded our fleet to ensure that we continue to meet Euro 6 emissions standards. New vehicles purchased are now more fuel efficient than ever before, and will provide the opportunity to phase in telemetric analysis of driver behaviour to encourage more efficient driving styles.

We have continued to work with our forwarding partners to reduce the distance that our products travel (particularly in Europe) by increasing capacity at our international DCs and by working with our forwarding partners to find more efficient routes to market. Through more efficient planning, we reduced the weight of goods shipped via air-freight by 17% in the latest trading year.

We also work closely with our shipping partners to understand our environmental impact. In 2019 we created a comprehensive baseline of carbon emissions associated with our logistics operations. In partnership with our forwarders, this exercise helped us to identify where greater efficiencies could have be made.