The Perfume Shop invests £2.5m to 'future-proof' warehouse operations

The Perfume Shop has invested £2.5 million into a new "industry-leading" automation system at its Dunstable warehouse, allowing the business to future proof its distribution capabilities.

The British fragrance retailer said the new system will lead to improved efficiencies with three times quicker processing of customer orders and a reduction in packaging of 40%.

As a result, the technology will increase The Perfume Shop's packing capacity to over 1,500 orders per hour to help meet current and future customer demand for both online and offline products and services.

It will also further accelerate the retailer's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its outbound supply chain.

The packing machines can fold boxes to the size of the content included, reducing the overall cardboard and parcel size.

This means a reduction in reduced carbon emissions as less delivery trucks will be required on the road.

Gill Smith, Managing Director from The Perfume Shop, said: "This scale of investment demonstrates The Perfume Shop’s commitment to our customers, our communities, and our colleagues.

"While we remain committed to delivering a brilliant customer shopping experience, we’re also seeing our e-commerce business move from strength-to-strength.

"Investment into warehouse automation will ensure we’re keeping up with the increasing demands of our online business."

Following a record year of sales, The Perfume Shop last week highlighted the key drivers behind its success in 2023.

Among the retailer's achievements was its biggest-ever price freeze, which saw over 138 bestselling fragrances on offer.

It also benefited from the continued expansion of its store estate, opening of over 27 new experiential stores in 2023.

Last year, The Perfume Shop sold over 500,000 fragrances in the week leading up to Christmas, with the busiest day for its website on 10 December 2023 with over 31,748 bottles sold.