GXO Expands Partnership with Abercombie & Fitch to the U.K.
Following successful operations in the U.S., GXO to handle 100% of Abercrombie & Fitch’s ecommerce operations, including returns, in the U.K.
GREENWICH, Conn. and LONDON, U.K., June 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO), the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced today that it has expanded its partnership with leading global specialty apparel and accessories retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.), managing its ecommerce fulfillment and returns in the U.K. from its dedicated, newly refurbished 170,000-square-foot facility outside London. The expansion follows the success of GXO’s partnership with A&F Co. in the U.S. where the company operates a high-tech distribution centre featuring advanced automation and goods-to-person robotics, intelligent analytics and AI.
Gavin Williams, GXO’s Managing Director, UK and Ireland, commented, “After sucessfully launching a major warehouse operation in the U.S. last year, we’re excited to bring Abercrombie & Fitch to the U.K. with a dedicated warehouse, underpinned by our WMS, to seamlessly manage their fulfilment and returns. Our facility puts stock closer to Abercrombie & Fitch’s U.K. consumers, improving delivery and returns processing speeds and reducing environmental impact. This is a long-term, global partnership, and we’re looking forward to supporting their growth plans in the U.K.”
By moving services to the U.K., Abercombie & Fitch, the adult apparel brand of A&F Co., will expand its ecommerce offering, increase service flexibility and reduce inventory concentration from a sole location.
GXO currently employs over 60 team members at the site who provide picking, packing and sortation services using modular technology, with plans to more than quadruple that number in line with Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s growth plans. In addition, GXO will leverage its industry leading reverse logistics solutions to process returns within 48 hours of receipt, maximizing value through recovery by making products available for resale, while reducing waste and delivering significant cost savings. GXO will also progressively implement goods-to-person automation and adaptive technology into the operations to improve efficiency and quality.
Larry Grischow, EVP Supply Chain of A&F Co., said, “Staying close to our customers is top priority at A&F Co. By expanding our partnership, GXO will support our efforts to improve ecommerce experiences for customers globally. We are confident that the additional fulfillment capacity will improve speed and the overall omnichannel shopping experience for our U.K. customers.”
In late 2021, GXO opened a new, highly automated 715,000-square-foot distribution center in Goodyear, Arizona that serves as Abercrombie & Fitch Co.’s hub for its West Coast operations. The facility features hundreds of goods-to-person robots that process millions of items a year, while helping team members increase productivity and improve safety. GXO is also leveraging intelligent analytics, including AI and machine learning, to deliver fast, efficient distribution of products to customers.
In 2022, over half of GXO’s annual revenue came from customers that, like Abercrombie & Fitch Co., work with GXO in more than one country, a testament to the global scale, trusted expertise and technology advantage that make GXO the partner of choice for the world’s leading brands.
About GXO Logistics
GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totaling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the world’s leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
About Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (NYSE: ANF) is a leading, global specialty retailer of apparel and accessories for men, women and kids through five renowned brands. The iconic Abercrombie & Fitch brand was born in 1892 and aims to make every day feel as exceptional as the start of a long weekend. Abercrombie kids sees the world through kids’ eyes, where play is life and every day is an opportunity to be anything and better anything. The Hollister brand believes in liberating the spirit of an endless summer inside everyone and making teens feel celebrated and comfortable in their own skin. Gilly Hicks, offering intimates, loungewear and sleepwear, is designed to give all Gen Z customers their daily dose of happy. Social Tourist, the creative vision of Hollister and social media personalities, Dixie and Charli D’Amelio, offers trend-forward apparel that allows teens to experiment with their style, while exploring the duality of who they are both on social media and in real life. The brands share a commitment to offering products of enduring quality and exceptional comfort that allow consumers around the world to express their own individuality and style. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. operates approximately 770 stores under these brands across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as well as the ecommerce sites www.abercrombie.com, www.abercrombiekids.com, www.hollisterco.com, www.gillyhicks.com, and www.socialtourist.com.
Media contacts
Anne Lafourcade
+33 (0)6 75 22 52 90
anne.lafourcade@gxo.com
Matthew Schmidt
+1 203-307-2809
matt.schmidt@gxo.com
