EDDIE Stobart vehicles have travelled more than 300,000 miles to deliver more than half a million Christmas trees for the UK’s largest provider, Needlefresh.
The distance is the equivalent of travelling all the way to the moon or covering the full length of the UK more than 340 times.
Work to deliver such a large quantity of Christmas trees started back in April with final orders completed by early November.
From the moment the tree is cut to when it is delivered, takes no longer than seven days and this effort requires staff at every stage – from picking and packing the trees to delivering them to major retailers around the UK.
Eddie Stobart supported this process by providing the company with over 800 delivery vehicles to meet Needlefresh’s strict customer fulfilment target of 72 hours. In total, Eddie Stobart transported 716 loads, including 90 batches by rail, travelling from Inverness to Daventry.
“Our aim is to ensure that our Christmas trees are delivered to our customers just as fresh as when they were first cut,” said George Hood, National Account Manager, at Needlefresh. “We use a bespoke software programme that’s linked with Eddie Stobart’s office in Carlisle, as well as the offices of all of our tree growers, to make sure the harvest, packing, transportation and delivery is absolutely seamless.”
With consumer spending increasing significantly over the festive period, having a reliable transport and logistics partner is crucial.
David Pickering, COO of Eddie Stobart said: “With the increased consumer demand that businesses face over the peak season, Christmas represents a very challenging but exciting time and we’re delighted to be supporting Needlefresh once more this year.
“We know how important Christmas is for retailers and we work tirelessly to ensure they can deliver to customers even at the busiest and most festive of times. Even if it means travelling the length of the UK over 325 times!”
