Online sales prompt 80,000 square foot Graham & Brown expansion

Wallpaper maker Graham & Brown has completed a £3m logistics and distribution centre at its Blackburn headquarters to support its expanding Internet retail operation.

The 80,000 sq ft facility, part of the group's international e-commerce strategy, will fulfil the growing volume of orders placed via the websites of its retailer partners, which include B&Q, Homebase, Debenhams, Littlewoods and John Lewis.

Located alongside an existing 200,000 sq ft manufacturing, design and marketing centre, the new distribution centre will enable the business to fulfil orders placed directly on its own online platform, predominantly from overseas markets where the brand has significantly increased its presence in recent years.

Graham & Brown also plans to triple its range to 4,000 products. The company exports its British made wallpaper products to 75 countries. It manufactures products across a portfolio of brands, as well as ranges in partnership with some designers including Kelly Hoppen, Barbara Hulanicki, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Marcel Wanders, Steve Leung and Wayne Hemmingway.

Ian Brown, head of logistics at Graham & Brown, said: "Like every other area of retail, customer purchasing behaviour in the wall decoration sector is changing, with a growing number of people shopping online.

"Whilst we've had the capacity to fulfil online orders for many years, this investment recognises the increasing role that ecommerce is playing for our retail partners in the UK. It means we can offer them an unrivalled breadth of range across their online channel, with a high speed fulfilment operation that delivers on their customers' needs."

Source: Place North West