Imperial nets Red Bull contract

Imperial Retail Logistics, a member company of Imperial Logistics, has won the contract for Red Bull’s national warehousing, as well as primary and secondary distribution services.

Imperial Retail Logistics will act as a single point of contact to provide Red Bull Holdings with national warehousing and secondary distribution services of all its finished goods. “This includes managing the organisation’s national distribution network in South Africa, where routes to market include retail, supermarkets, cash and carry as well as wholesalers,” explains Imperial Retail Logistics operations director, Friedel Spies.

“We needed a world-class, third-party logistics service provider that could further enhance and support our strategic objectives to enable future brand development and growth. We also needed an emphasis on technology integration to increase visibility throughout the distribution and warehousing process,” says Deon Brummer, operations manager at Red Bull South Africa.

Spies reveals that the partnership, between Imperial Retail Logistics and Red Bull, began in 2010 and that this contract is a renewal of the previous one.

He says: “Among the factors contributing to the successful contract renewal, is that Imperial Retail Logistics has the technical ability to provide Red Bull with a world-class warehouse management system, which can interface with its enterprise resource planning software, SAP.

“It is also crucial for Imperial Retail Logistics to be able to provide an accurate view of inventory, batch integrity and order status, as well as to use a transport management system with expected time of arrivals and timely proof of deliveries.”

Spies adds: “In addition, the company’s information management systems and business processes are critical elements of the new contract. Red Bull’s long-term strategy incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, which have made Imperial Retail Logistics a leading provider in southern Africa.”