Distributor Ideal Bathrooms has moved its HQ and distribution to a purpose-built facility in Milton Keynes, which will improve the company’s stock holding and strengthen its next-day delivery.

The Milton Keynes distribution centre boasts 108,000sqft of warehouse space, with “significant” pallet locations and will serve as the company’s southern distribution centre.

According to Ideal Bathrooms, it means the company will improve its next-day delivery availability by more than 30%.

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All staff have been retained and the move has created additional job opportunities in the next distribution centre.

Operations director Kim Kirby-Earnshaw said: “Our new purpose-built distribution centre is equipped with the latest smart technology from a smart sensor suite to reduce our environmental impact to ride-on picking trucks, handheld terminals and wireless printers, which will ensure accuracy with picking and despatching our customers’ orders.

“The additional capacity enables us to increase our delivery time window for our suppliers – and therefore customers too – which has improved stock availability for next-day delivery and strengthened our product portfolio to support our suppliers and customers’ needs.”

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the centre also boasts 13 electric vehicle charging points and reindeer moss in the stairwell to improve air quality and absorb noise.

The company has recently changed ownership, following Saint-Gobain exiting the bathroom, plumbing and heating sector, and is now part of Wolseley.

Commenting on the relocation, sales and commercial director Danielle Lillis stated: “Ideal Bathrooms has traded successfully for over 40 years and has grown to become a leading player in branded bathroom distribution.

“We remain fully committed to our loyal customer base and will continue to deliver the best portfolio of branded products, available with next-day delivery from our new distribution hub.

“Despite the challenges presented during the pandemic, Ideal delivered a strong performance in 2021, and this level remains as we enter 2022, including a significant investment in our state-of-the-art, brand new headquarters and warehouse in Milton Keynes.

“We’re looking forward to building on this strong footing over the next 12 months and beyond.”