FACTORY DEDICATED TO PRIMARK STORE ROLL OUT
INTERNATIONAL TIME CRITICAL LOGISTICS FOR POS
Following a successful trial, Primark decided to roll out the Reflex Sign Holder across their store portfolio. But to meet the demands of all their stores, across 11 countries, in the timeline presented drastic action was needed.
The Reflex Sign Holder is a patented product that attaches to the end of rails or prong arms to display promotional graphic cards. They come in a range of sizes and are either injection moulded or fabricated from PETG. Primark had successfully trialled the 100mm x 100m injection moulded Reflex and now were ready to place an order.
DisplayMode received the detail of the order at the end of July 2016, with requested deliveries between August and October of 2016. There was also a need for additional stock to be manufactured and held as an on-demand product through 2017.
On the face of it this was an almost impossible task, there may be no other company in the UK that can meet such a large order. The volumes required were equivalent to around four months’ worth of planned production and DisplayMode had eight weeks to produce all the units – plus their regular orders.
We were proud to have delivered a superb service to Primark with the hard work going on out of sight.
ABOUT THE CLIENT
Primark is a well-known clothing store chain headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. First opening in 1969 they have since grown to become an international retailer. Currently, Primark has over 400 stores in 15 different countries.
CHALLENGES
Tight Deadlines - a key issue faced with product delivery was the tight deadline DisplayMode needed to work with to hit Primark’s challenging requirements. The product and logistics of such a task created a challenge that could only be met by DisplayMode’s unique expertise.
International Logistics - Primark is an international retailer. They operate stores in several different counties and needed DisplayMode to arrange individual store delivery to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, UK and USA. This created a situation where international shipping and quantities shipped had to be carefully overseen.
POS from Other Suppliers - the shipping time frame also had to be carefully aligned with other parts of the supply chain. The Reflex Sign Holders were part of a finished POS display which was reliant on materials from other suppliers. Careful coordination was required.
SOLUTION
Scaled Up Production - with such a tight deadline, a careful approach to production was a must. This was provided through exact scheduling and item production. DisplayMode took the decision to commission an additional six tools to guarantee the meeting of production goals well within the scheduled time frame.
A Multifaceted Shipping Approach - when shipping to multiple countries the first step was organisation. All produced items were properly labelled for distribution and shipping in the UK. Shipments were also aligned with other suppliers to save on client shipping costs. Each country also had their own invoices printed to clarify information.
Safety Stock - lastly, successful completion of this project relied on understanding customer needs. This was not a single purchase but a multi-step process. To accommodate this, approximately 80,000 spare units of stock were retained for future use after the initial delivery dates. This allowed Primark to meet deadlines for new store openings and refits of existing stores throughout 2017.
THE RESULTS
By implementing the above solutions, DisplayMode was able to meet Primark’s product needs and time frame. The result was a 100 percent success rate for on-time deliveries, allowing Primark to meet all their store needs and stay within the desired budget. Primark was also pleased with production flexibility, speed, and overall cost of the product, particularly that all the additional expense in tooling and detailed project management was not passed onto them.
DisplayMode achieved these results through their strong network of suppliers. When working with DisplayMode clients receive the benefits of not only product and IP development but also the support of a capable and resilient network of suppliers.
CONCLUSION
POS displays are no small thing; they are an important part of a business’s marketing and branding identity. When buying POS displays you want to partner with a company who understands the industry. DisplayMode has the industry expertise to provide POS displays in an affordable and organised way. The team at DisplayMode is also able to service the manufacturing and design needs of clients large and small no matter where they do business.
As evidence of the strong relationship, in 2022, DisplayMode and Primark worked together on introducing a new Reflex Sign Holder into their new stores. This new Reflex Sign Holder needed to be more eco-friendly and needed to be white to match their new fixtures. Coincidentally, DisplayMode were already in the middle of developing a new product range made with recycled and recyclable plastics so it made perfect sense to implement the new Reflex Sustain Sign Holders into these new Primark Stores.
