Topps Tiles has credited supply chain resilience and flexibility as being key in the success of its interim results, revealed today.
“Supply chain resilience and flexibility have been core enablers of the business’s success in the first half,” said Rob Parker, Topps Tiles’ CEO. “Despite the challenges of Covid-19 and Brexit, we maintained continuity of supply to our stores and customers.”
He said management of stock ahead of Brexit had also resulted in positives. “As part of Brexit planning, we increased our inventory levels by £2.6 million (around 9%) as at 31 December 2020, including the use of third-party warehousing. We were able to utilise this stock, together with our strategic supplier partnerships, during periods of disruption at ports to maintain a good service to our customers and stores throughout the period. We finished the first half with £2.6 million more stock than at the year end, which will be sold through over the second half.”
Topps Tiles said that its supply chain quickly shifted from a focus on bulk picks for store replenishment to single picks for direct customer deliveries during lockdown. Although stores were closed to homeowners it said that 85% of sales were still collected from store in the second quarter. In normal times 98% of sales involve a store in some way.