Very Group bolsters deliveries thanks to Skygate fulfilment centre

The Very Group has extended the next day delivery cut off time for customer orders from 7pm to 10pm thanks to automated technology at its new fulfilment centre, called Skygate.

The company said the timing makes it “well-prepared” for the important ‘Golden Quarter’, which includes Black Friday and Christmas.

It comes after the British retail group, which owns brands Very and Littlewoods, last month announced it had completed the shift of all its clothing and footwear returns to Skygate, which is located in the East Midlands.

The 850,000 square foot fulfilment centre has orders ready for dispatch within 30 minutes, compared to around four hours at Very’s previous fulfilment centres, according to the group.

Skygate currently fulfils 95 percent of Very orders, houses six million items and processes 750,000 products every week.

“Fast delivery is vital for a great customer experience, and that’s what we focused on when developing Skygate’s technology,” said Very's chief operating officer Phil Hackney in a statement.

“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve managed huge volumes of orders and extending the cut off time was the next natural step.

“A later cut off for next day delivery gives even greater convenience to our customers and we’re particularly pleased to have it in place well in advance of Black Friday and Christmas. It’ll help us differentiate our offer even further during these crucial periods.”

Last week, Very Group reportedly lined up Barclays, Morgan Stanley and UBS to spearhead a potential flotation on the stock market which could take place as early as this year, according to Sky News.

The news came just days after Very Group announced it had raised 575 million pounds to refinance its debt through the issuing of senior secured notes due to expire in 2026.