Retail Partners Colruyt Group selects K. Hartwall Foldia® to replace their demountable roll containers in order to gain safety and reduce operational costs.
By Jan Dijkzeul, K.Hartwall Sales Benelux
Retail Partners Colruyt Group NV is a wholesaler in food & non-food and one of the license holders from Spar in Belgium. It includes all activities of the Colruyt Group with independent shop holders. The group counts 410 shops which are divided between Spar and Alvo, independent Mini Markets and small stores.
Retail Partners Colruyt Group discovered that their current demountable roll was inefficient along the supply chain in handling and moving goods. It was also too noisy when used for deliveries in urban areas. Their containers would not allow tracking because it consisted of 3 separate parts. The old fleet of roll cages was made from steel and wood which was no longer an option from a hygienic point of view.
“At the beginning of the project we only considered the benefits in improved safety and easier manual handling, but quickly realized that it affected other areas of the supply chain as well.”
The new unit had to be more efficient than the current demountable roll container and also safer, lighter and more hygienic for the transport of food.
During the project, Retail Partners Colruyt Group identified several areas that could be improved with a foldable roll container:
- Most ergonomic and safe roll cage – no loose parts like demountable sidewalls
- Less additional assembly for empties
- Faster handling – in shops and warehouses
- Fleet control with EAN and QR codes
Retail Partners Colruyt Group tested in collaboration with its independent shop holders roll cages from three different manufacturers and carried out numerous tests. After careful quality and concept consideration, K.Hartwall Foldia® roll cage was selected as the best fit for Retail Partners Colruyt Group.
Foldia® is a foldable roll container. 4 empty units can be folded inside an open one providing a 5:1 folding ratio.
Retail Partners Colruyt Group has been very satisfied with the performance and professionalism of K. Hartwall. They especially appreciated in this project the short answering times and high delivery accuracy. “The total package which K. Hartwall offers convinced us,” added Kenny Wyns – Van Thielen Logistic Teamleader for the return center, Retail Partners Colruyt Group.
Retail Partners Colruyt Group has already ordered 28,000 Foldia® roll containers and a few thousand more for their sister organization, Solucious. The new fleet rolled out for the Christmas peak season 2018-2019.