The coronavirus epidemic and the associated confinements have had an impact on the way of working and getting around. Teleworking has become more democratic and the French have changed their travel habits. Leaving their car aside, the bike was the big winner of the COVID crisis. More ecological and allowing you to do a sporting activity, the bicycle market experienced an explosion in demand at the end of the first confinement. Government aid has also been put in place to encourage cycling (with the bike boost). We have also witnessed the diversification of bicycle models: electric bikes, cargo bikes, folding bikes, etc. Thus, in 2020, the French cycle market grew by 25% despite the closure of brands and stores. for several months due to the confinement and the stock shortages associated with this post-confinement growth. The players in the cycle therefore had to deal with numerous post-lockdown logistical problems to respond to this growth. The company Link which takes advantage of the boom in the bicycle market chooses Waresito to manage its overflow logistics. Indeed, Maillon is an SME based in Gironde which imports bicycle spare parts and accessories from Asia to distribute them on the European market. The company was created in 1992, about thirty years ago. But with the COVID crisis and the shortage of certain parts, the company had to adapt and adopt a new strategy to remain competitive.
We are fortunate to hear the testimony of Benjamin Kelsall, flow and purchasing manager and co-founder of the company, who talks about his activity, his logistical challenges and the role played by Waresito in the outsourcing of his logistics. On a daily basis, his role is to manage purchases, sales and the various resulting flows as well as to have an overall view of stocks. He therefore occupies a central position within the company, all the more so in the post-covid period. Discover without further delay his testimony.
What was your logistical challenge?
“In our business, especially over the past two years and the health crisis, we have had to respond to a very strong increase in demand. The activity exploded at the end of the containment. It’s a real challenge for us since we don’t have flexible logistics capabilities. We have a warehouse which was already too small just before all these events and which today is totally saturated. This is why we urgently needed an outsourced logistics solution. »
How did you manage this logistical overflow?
« At first, we did it with our own means. We sacrificed unloading space to add racks. We pitched a tent outside to store anything of no value. But that was not enough. When I saw the deadlines coming for all my containers that were going to be delivered in December, January, February, I was well aware that there was absolutely no room to store them in my warehouse. That’s when I found the Waresito solution. »
What does Waresito bring you?
“Waresito provided us with a turnkey logistics solution. It felt like a breath of fresh air for the warehouse. Following the covid crisis and the various shortages we have experienced, we have chosen to accumulate more stocks. We have ordered more goods which will be distributed later. On the other hand, we had to store them a little earlier, which was not possible in my warehouse. That’s why Waresito found us a remote warehouse right next to ours. We were therefore able to receive all the goods that we had ordered serenely.
The advantage of Waresito is really the simplicity with which the teams found a solution to my logistical problem. The price of the proposed overflow solution is surprisingly inexpensive. I expected a much higher budget for this type of service, I was pleasantly surprised.
Today, Maillon and Waresito, it’s a great story! I imagined at the beginning to deport about fifty pallets. Today, we have more than 170 remote pallets, and there will be more! »
Want to discover his testimonial on video? Watch the video below:
Also discover the case of Toughbuilt, the American company that chose Waresito to set out to conquer the French market.
