WOLVERHAMPTON, U.K. (BRAIN) — E-commerce vendor Wiggle is moving its distribution base 150 miles, from Portsmouth to Wolverhampton, U.K., in the West Midlands region.
The company said the move has been two years in planning and will cost several million pounds (The British pound is worth about $1.50). The new site adds 323,000 square feet of distribution space, three times the size of current warehouse space.
The new distribution center is situated two miles from the M6 highway and six miles from the M5. It has 95 truck parking spaces and 32 loading bays. The move will take place in August and September and Wiggle said it expects no noticeable change in customer service during the transition.
The new facility will add up to 150 jobs to the region. Wiggle said it will have a significant presence at the Wolverhampton Jobs Fair at Molineux Stadium this Friday.
Wiggle traces its roots back to 1899, to when it opened as a small independent bike shop called Butler Cycles in Portsmouth. It will maintain a presence in that city, where the company's headquarters and bike business center will remain.
According to Nick Pink, the operations director at Wiggle, "Over the last three to four years we have seen 15-20 percent growth, and we are investing in this site to support that level of growth in the future. We are here for the long term."
Wiggle claims it is now the world's largest online cycling and trisports retailer, with customers in more than 100 countries.
