Fulfilment provider Huboo opens biggest warehouse to date

One of the UK’s fastest-growing fulfilment providers, Huboo, has continued its UK expansion trajectory by opening a vast new 106,000 sq ft warehouse in Chippenham - its biggest so far.

Creating over 400 new jobs, the St Modwen Park warehouse has the capacity to cater for hundreds of clients and is twice the size of any facilities Bristol-based Huboo has previously implemented.

A dedicated on-the-ground team has been appointed to manage the launch, while BNP Paribas Real Estate represented Huboo on the acquisition.

Huboo selected Chippenham as the location for its latest warehouse because of excellent transport links to all conurbations along the M4 and M5 corridors, up to and including the M62, as well as its access to and from major ports such as Southampton and Bristol.

In recent years, notable employers have chosen to grow their operational bases in Chippenham, which is – says the firm – why Huboo decided to follow suit.

Roles generated, which will enable Huboo to provide its pioneering microhub technology in its new location, include dedicated Warehouse Hub Managers, Hub Supervisors and Site Managers, as well as positions in boosting operational excellence, such as logistics and business improvement roles.

Huboo recently increased its overall European footprint with the opening of a new 10,000 sqm warehouse in Leipzig, Germany, which is its largest territory to date and enjoys good strategic transport links to Berlin and other key areas within the country.

The opening of the Chippenham base comes after Huboo made a significant number of new hires, taking the team from 257 in February 2021 to more than 650 people and counting.

Recent months saw year-on-year revenue increase by 124 per cent between January 2021 and January 2022. In addition, warehouse space increased from 186,508 sq ft to 378,469 sq ft over the past 12 months, representing a rise of 203 per cent.

The company has grown from two employees, 60 customers and £20,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) to more than 1,000 customers and £1.7 million MRR in just five years.

Huboo’s co-founder and CEO Martin Bysh said: “Our UK growth trajectory is a vital part of our strategic plans and we’re delighted to mark this with the opening of our biggest facility to date, despite recent market uncertainties.

“We’re confident that the UK’s retail sector will make a strong post-pandemic recovery and, in the meantime, we’re happy to support regional talent and the local economy with the creation of a wide range of new job opportunities, all driven by our leading technology and world-first microhub model.”

Allan Blakeley, chief operating officer, added: “We recognise that Chippenham is a thriving town with a growing business community and we look forward to contributing towards its future success, while we remain focused on serving our existing customers and exploring new opportunities. We chose this as our ideal location because of its strong transport links to a host of major UK cities and ports.”

Josh Gunn, head of industrial & logistics South West for BNP Paribas Real Estate, said: “The strength of the regional economy is driving competition amongst occupiers for high-quality warehouses in excellent distribution locations.

"To allow aspirational businesses like Huboo to expand and grow, greater supply must be addressed across the South West market. St Modwen’s Park in Chippenham provides an excellent solution for those desired occupier amenities, adding to its already established logistics facilities throughout the UK and Europe.”

Huboo is renowned for its intuitive ‘microhub’ technology, which enables online retailers of all sizes to access a complete end-to-end fulfilment operation within minutes. It also utilises software to drive a smarter, more productive and human-centric warehouse.

Each ‘hub’ replicates the inputs, processes and outputs of a complete warehouse within a few hundred square feet, with Huboo’s management software keeping tabs on every item throughout the fulfilment process, with a dedicated Hub Manager running each one.