Midlands-based flooring manufacturer and retail firm Factory Direct Flooring (FDF) has invested in a new, purpose-built warehouse to increase its stock holding by 50% as the firm gears up for another year of record sales - high demand drove unprecedented sales in 2020. The move to the 20,000 sq ft warehouse, which is nearly 40% bigger than its former main unit, will facilitate cheaper prices for tradespeople as a result of bulk buying power. Additionally, this consolidation of its operation negates transport between units, so a reduction in delivery cost, lead time and environmental impact will be achieved.
Customers will enjoy faster delivery as a result of the state-of-the-art racking. It makes stock more accessible and picking therefore faster, accelerating dispatch by 24 hours or more. However, in line with the growing popularity of collection services, FDF is also launching a purpose-built click-and-collect facility at the warehouse, located at Hemdale Industrial Park, Nuneaton, with easy access and a large car park for loading. This offering will be available from May.
Demonstrating its commitment to evolution in line with both homeowner and trade sales trends, FDF identified an increase in consumer demand for easy and fast-to-install products as the pandemic took hold, and now stocks a high volume of DIY ranges. With luxury vinyl tile (LVT) soaring in popularity, FDF also stocks a wide range of these products, including its own Aqua Plank range - the UK’s first engineered LVT flooring, which flew off the shelves in 2020.
Factory Direct Flooring Founder and Managing Director, Paul Hambidge, said: “We are committed to listening to what our customers want and need, and to evolving the firm in line with consumer and market innovations. While 2020 was of course a key driver for sales as many people directed their income from things like holidays to home improvements, we were already ahead of the curve. We had identified the significant growth in LVT, and particularly DIY products, over alternatives such as laminate or engineered wood options, and catered accordingly.
“The efficiencies we’ve created will ensure that customers can access the flooring product they need, when they need it, and in the quantity they require – all while benefiting from lower prices. This warehouse purchase is an exciting development which is enabling us to really ramp-up our capabilities and take the business to the next level. Not only has our square footage increased significantly, but our racking height has doubled, so the increase in capacity is immense.”
Compared with 2019, the firm achieved 35% growth in transactions in 2020 – a record growth year which looks to be exceeded in 2021 as transactions are already up by 30% compared with the same period. The warehouse move has also created new jobs, as the company has increased its workforce by 25%.
FDF has fast become a market leader in flooring supplies since its inception in 2008, thanks to its model of working closely with manufacturers to remove the ‘middleman’ and bring products direct to customers at competitive prices – all underpinned by exceptional service. The company supplies wood, vinyl, including LVT, and laminate flooring to retailers, commercial sites and residential customers throughout the UK.
