Wincanton wins expanded mandate for entire Halfords transport network

Wincanton, a leading supply chain partner for UK business, today announces it has been awarded a new five-year contract with Halfords, the UK's leading provider of motoring and cycling products and services, to manage its entire transport operations for UK and Ireland. 

Under the contract, Wincanton will transport over 63.5 million items per year from the retailer’s three distribution centres to its network of nearly 400 stores across the UK and Ireland. 

This contract builds on Wincanton’s existing eight-year partnership with Halfords, which has seen the Group use its transport management technology to deliver £10 million worth of continuous improvements to the efficiency and sustainability of Halfords’ transport operations. Wincanton has also introduced a fleet of eight LNG (liquid natural gas) vehicles to support Halfords’ net-zero ambitions, an initiative that has removed 628 tonnes of carbon emissions from Halfords’ transport operations. 

Wincanton will now support Halfords to deliver its network strategy. The Group will also deploy its Winsight technology. This innovation, unique to Wincanton, will further enhance customer experience, reduce costs and CO₂ emissions. 

Rachel Gilbey, Managing Director of General Merchandise at Wincanton, commented: 

“Halfords is a valued, long-standing customer and we are proud to be extending our partnership with them for a further five years. Today’s announcement is a testament to the great work that we do, delivering operational improvements for our customers, and we look forward to continuing to use our innovation and technology to drive efficiency in Halfords’ transport operations in the years to come.” 

Ian Ridley, Head of Logistics at Halfords commented: 

“Following a comprehensive market review, we are pleased to announce that we are continuing our partnership with Wincanton with the award of new 5-year contract. Having held a very successful and long-standing partnership, we are delighted to be able to continue our efforts in delivering further service and cost improvements.  

Our jointly agreed strategic road map will allow us to deliver numerous Continuous Improvement projects that are focused on; enhancing services to all of our stores and customers; identifying greener solutions for delivery; and committing to drive tangible commercial benefits throughout the term of our contract. With the Wincanton leadership team now fully integrated into our operations, we are pleased to be able to retain this dynamic that has proven successful to date.”