Retailer completes £1.5m expansion to boost its warehouse capacity

Leeds-based fashion and lifestyle retailer Joe Browns have completed a £1.5m warehouse extension.

The company, which employs more than 150 people in Yorkshire, had just dug up its car park in preparation to extend its 60,000sq ft warehouse capacity by a further 27,000sq ft, when news of the first national lockdown hit last March.

The retail sector became volatile overnight and directors had to decide whether to pause the major investment or proceed. They took the decision to go ahead.

Darren Abbott, financial director, said: “Despite the challenges 2020 posed, and there were a few, we never lost faith in the strength of the Joe Browns brand and our extraordinary offering.

“The importance of investing in our future remained, and so our commitment to progression continued.”

He noted that as shopping behaviour becomes ever more digital, Joe Browns’ extra warehouse capacity is increasingly vital.

He added: “We now have an 87,000 sq ft warehouse with the potential to create a further 40,000 sq ft in the future with a double mezzanine.

“The difference the extra space makes to our operations is huge. It allows us to think even bigger when considering future plans and projects.

“I anticipate more investment in both staff and facilities in the year ahead to accommodate the increasing demand online.”

The warehouse extension was completed by HACS, and is a step towards future-proofing the business and continuing investment in the brand.

Projex Building Solutions was the appointed project manager, cost consultant and principal designer.

Senior surveyor, Glen Anderson, said: “It has been exciting to work with a leading Yorkshire brand to help facilitate increased demand and expansion, and great to see that the new 27,000 sq ft warehouse facility has already brought positive benefits to the business.”

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