Imagine for a moment that you’re in an airplane flying at 30,000 feet on the way to a sunny beach resort in the south of Spain. For many of us, holiday indulgences start from the moment we board an airplane. Chocolate has never tasted better than when it signals the start of a two-week break from the usual routine – like calorie counting.
But, have you ever stopped to think about how that wickedly satisfying soft drink, cake or chocolate bar makes it onto the plane? Sure, you’ve probably seen catering trucks loading aircraft, but what happens before that moment? How do all of those chocolate bars make it from Willy Wonka’s chocolate river to seat 23B?
At Retail inMotion, we know exactly how the “logistics of delicious” help get your snack, drink or meal from A to Z. Towards the end of 2016, Retail inMotion launched its latest distribution center (DC) in Eindhout, Belgium. As business continues to grow in the onboard retail market, Retail inMotion saw the need to expand its distribution network in mainland Europe – making sure that the items you love to eat are delivered to your flight as efficiently as possible.
Setting up the new facility involved a lot of work from our team here in Dublin. Supply chain planning from inbound suppliers had to be established, stock lists needed to be compiled, and the new distribution routes to all of mainland Europe had to be organized.
The facility in Eindhout is Retail inMotion’s seventh distribution center, joining a range of ambient and frozen DC’s across Europe. At the DC, Kühne + Nagel uses Retail inMotion’s proprietary software – Vector – to collect the appropriate items for flights. From that point, more 80 products from over 30 suppliers get packed and distributed to airport locations across Europe.
It’s a lot of work, but it’s definitely worth it so that you can sit back and enjoy some chocolate on the way to your holiday in the sun – and, perhaps, also on the way back.