Whittard of Chelsea keeps faith with Wincanton as it extends supply chain and fulfilment tie up

Wincanton has announced the extension of its partnership with tea and coffee retailer Whittard of Chelsea.

The tie up, which began in 2012, will now support Whittard’s UK and international growth across both e-commerce and physical retail. Under the renewed contract, Wincanton will continue to manage both B2C and B2B fulfilment operations from its e-fulfilment centre, DC7, in Northampton.

On B2C operations, Wincanton will continue to handle online order fulfilment for customers across the UK and international markets, managing everything from storage and pick-and-pack to multi-carrier delivery services.

For B2B, it will oversee stock distribution to Whittard’s UK stores and, e-commerce fulfillment and international wholesale partners, ensuring shelves are restocked efficiently and reliably throughout the year.

The contract also includes a range of specialist services. These include managing the certification requirements for international shipping - critical for efficient and regulation compliant international trade - and Whittard’s personalisation services, from bespoke blending and packaging of tea and coffee products to packing gift orders and personalised gift messages.

Carl Moore, Managing Director - eFulfilment, at Wincanton, comments: “Whittard is a truly iconic British brand and we’re proud to continue supporting their growth in the UK and beyond. This contract renewal reflects the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to innovation and an exceptional customer experience. As Whittard looks to expand its retail footprint, our logistics expertise and scalable fulfilment solutions will continue to play a vital role in enabling their success.”

Tom Baker, Chief Financial Officer at Whittard, says: “As we continue our strong growth in the UK and globally it is key to have reliable logistics partners that can scale with us, and we are pleased to continue our partnership with Wincanton.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online fulfilment will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.