JW Filshill devises availability plan

Working closely with suppliers has been the key to JW Filshill handling the increased demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Retail-facing wholesalers have been dealing with an overwhelming amount of orders as consumer purchasing ramps up because of Covid-19 – and availability has become a key issue.

“Availability has been challenging but the main pressure has been volume,” said Retail Sales Director, Craig Brown (pictured). “There have been replenishment issues and it’s fair to say that everyone is struggling to keep up with demand.

“We have a clear business continuity plan in place that we are implementing in a phased manner to allow us to react to government daily advice.

“We’ve been working very closely with our suppliers so we can get deliveries out across the KeyStore estate, delivered customers, key accounts and through our click & collect facility at the depot in Hillington.”

To help with the issues, the Unitas member brought in a 50-case cap on click and collect orders to ensure a fair distribution across retailers, while new accounts aren’t currently being accepted.

Safety screens have been installed in the depot to protect staff still required to work in the depot, while distance floor vinyls have been added to promote the need for social distancing in the cash and carry. This advice has also been extended to retailers to adhere to in their stores.

As demand increased, the senior management team also donned their hi-vis jackets last weekend to fulfil orders.

“Everyone at Filshill is going that extra mile to ensure we provide the best possible service to our customers,” said Brown.

“Some staff are working from home and others have been deployed to other parts of the business to ensure as few disruptions as possible to the supply chain – it really is massive, ongoing team effort.”

coronavirus covid-19 JW Filshill retail wholesale