LONDON and ATLANTA, June 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Global supply chain optimisation provider Manhattan Associates (Nasdaq:MANH), and Europe's leading private logistics company Unipart Logistics, have successfully completed a joint project in record time, to deliver a scalable, menu-priced, e-fulfilment solution for specialty retailer Pets at Home. The innovative solution will allow Pets at Home to expand its "ultimate pet store experience" beyond its 200 plus UK retail outlets for the first time.
The joint project has involved the implementation of Manhattan Associates' Warehouse Management solution (WMS) for Open Systems at Unipart Logistics' 19,000 sq. metres Magna Park site in Lutterworth. The site, which also serves other Unipart clients such as 3, Apple and Play.com, was chosen as the optimum location to meet the current and future demands of the Pets at Home contract.
Magna Park, like all Unipart sites, operates in accordance with the Group's proprietary approach to delivering operational and customer service excellence, known as The Unipart Way. This is a philosophy of working underpinned by tools and techniques that inspire efficiency, flexibility and outstanding customer service across all working practices and has propelled Unipart to the forefront of the third party logistics sector in Europe.
Commenting on the successful project, Catriona Marshall, commercial director at Pets at Home, said, "With our main retail store business doing so well and growth for the full range of our products online as yet unproven, we were looking for a low-risk way to assess the potential of an online offering with a great customer experience. We are delighted that Manhattan Associates and Unipart have lived up to their respective reputations for innovation and robust delivery in the supply chain arena with the successful implementation of the e-fulfilment solution and we're confident that it has the capacity to expand seamlessly as our volumes grow and that it will enhance our customers' service experience."
Unipart Consumer Logistics has been working in collaboration with Manhattan Associates since the supply chain technology specialist implemented one of its solutions for Halfords at Unipart's Cowley distribution centre in 2004.
"When Pets at Home first approached us they had a demanding set of requirements both in terms of timescale and pricing structure," commented Ian Smith, managing director of Unipart Consumer Logistics. "By drawing on our depth of experience and ongoing efforts to continuously reduce the time it takes to implement solutions for clients, we were ready to go live in just six weeks. We were also able to respond to Pets at Home's need to 'test the waters' by working successfully with Manhattan Associates, to create a scalable, menu-priced e-fulfilment offering."
"Now that we have successfully implemented this new model, we are keen to continue our partnership with Manhattan to make it available to other prospective clients," he added.
About Pets at Home
Pets at Home is a specialty retailer offering a range of food, toys and accessories for pets and their owners in more than 200 stores across the UK. In 2007, Pets at Home was voted Retail Week's Speciality Retailer of the Year. For more information, please visit www.petsathome.com.
About Unipart Group
The Unipart Group employs more than 9,000 personnel worldwide and has an annual turnover of more than 1 billion pounds. Unipart Logistics provides retail logistics for Halfords, ASOS.com and Homebase, technology logistics for Vodafone, 3 and BSkyB, and aerospace logistics for Airbus, as well as managing worldwide logistics for all Jaguar aftermarket parts. Unipart also offers consultancy solutions in implementing Lean principles across a variety of industry sectors as well as providing supply chain specific expertise. For more information, please visit www.unipart.co.uk.
About Manhattan Associates, Inc.
Manhattan Associates(r) continues to deliver on its 17-year heritage of providing global supply chain excellence to more than 1,200 customers worldwide that consider supply chain optimisation core to their strategic market leadership. The company's supply chain innovations include: Manhattan SCOPE(tm), a portfolio of software solutions and technology that leverages a Supply Chain Process Platform to help organisations optimise their supply chains from planning through execution; Manhattan ILS(tm), a portfolio of distribution management and transportation management solutions built on Microsoft.NET technology; and Manhattan Carrier(tm), a suite of supply chain solutions specifically addressing the needs of the motor carrier industry. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.