Fortnum & Mason switches EU online deliveries back on as Brexit creates “huge amount of complexity and regulation”
Luxury food and drink retailer Fortnum & Mason has, for the first time in more than three years, resumed its exports to the European Union.
It stopped its delivery service to the EU in March 2021 due to Brexit associated customs challenges.
In a LinkedIn post, Iain Robertson, Chief Operating & Innovation Officer at Fortnum & Mason, said: “I am so proud to be part of the team switching EU deliveries back on for Fortnum's for the first time in over three years.”
During that time Brexit created a huge amount of complexity and regulation, he noted, and with no rule book to follow it created a challenge when initiating this project.
The retailer had to: create a new company and find a new warehouse in Europe; secure licenses to operate; build a new website and translate regulations for shipping complex food products across EU borders.
Robertson said: “With the help of 50 Fortnum's staff, over 15 third party suppliers, lots of friends and family tester groups, weekly working groups and specialist focus groups, we applied a learn fast fix fast approach.”
“With a new operation and a new team in place in the EU, our warehouse in Genk in Belgium is now delivering to 15 countries across the EU and this is just the start. We have plans to expand the offer, reach more of our customers across more countries and elevate our service proposition to deliver Fortnums Joy as far as possible.”
He concluded: “This would not have been possible without the positive, creative, ‘anything is possible’ approach of our teams and our fantastic external partners. Now onto the US.”
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