Brexit Leads British Food Retailer British Corner Shop Opens European Distribution Centre to Meet Expat Demand
Bristol-based online grocery store, British Corner Shop, has announced it has opened a new warehouse in the Netherlands after Brexit caused a surge in demand across Europe.
The new 125,000 sq ft unit is the company’s first European warehouse and is set serve as a distribution centre for customers across Europe and beyond. The facility is equipped to hold an extensive selection of produce, with many items available that are not currently readily accessible in other supermarkets across Europe.
The opening of the new warehouse comes as the grocery store looks to combat the challenging effects that new import laws have had on the food and beverage industry. Having had to significantly reduce the product range available to EU customers throughout the Brexit transition period, the opening of the new European warehouse means that the retailer is once again able to resume the excellent service that its EU customers have become accustomed to.
The retailer, which currently has 2,000 products from Britain’s most loved brands available to EU destinations, has seen a surge in online retailing over the course of the last year, particularly as the recent Covid-19 pandemic has meant that many Brits have been left unable to travel back to the UK for extensive periods of time. The retailer believes that its European presence will support the company’s efforts to meet increased demands for British products within the global Expat community.
Jon Farrar, Head of Marketing at British Corner Shop said “Expanding our warehouse space is a crucial step in our growth strategy, so we can continue to support the expat community at a time when they need us the most.
“We have seen an influx of customers shopping online for both essentials and nostalgic items and the expansion of our warehouse space into Europe will have a massive impact on the speed and efficiency of our operation.
“The opening of our new warehouse means that we’re able to increase the product range available to our European customers whilst also significantly reducing our delivery timescales to EU countries.
“We’re thrilled to be able to once again serve our loyal customers, and in return we have ensured that all European Union orders will be free of any additional customs fees or duties.
“We have had to adapt very quickly to the changes brought on by both Brexit and the Covid-19 lockdown and are excited to be taking this swift expansion in our stride.”