Delhaize-owned Greek retailer Alfa-Beta Vassilopoulos (ABV) has experienced a 16 per cent year-on-year increase in the number of Chep pallets that it has handled, up to over 200,000 per year, as suppliers switch to the pallets to ship goods to distribution centres and stores across the country.
Chep noted that it has worked closely with ABV over several months to develop a plan to optimise the retailer's supply chain operations, involving a conversion of suppliers to Chep pallets.
'Using a pallet pooling service creates supply chain efficiencies and allows our suppliers to concentrate on manufacturing their products, rather than having to be concerned with pallet availability,' said ABV warehouse manager Alexandros Anagnostopoulos. 'The high quality of Chep pallets helps protect products in transit, compared with white wood pallets, which are generally in poor condition from being used numerous times in different industries without being inspected or repaired.'
Meanwhile, ABV has introduced Chep display pallets into its stores to increase product visibility and help reduce stock-out occurrences.
'We are delighted AB Vassilopoulos is experiencing an increase in the use of CHEP pallets by its suppliers,' said Chep Greece country manager Stavros Kazakos. 'We have been able to demonstrate to AB Vassilopoulos and its suppliers the actual costs associated with using white wood exchange pallets and the efficiencies to be gained by switching to CHEP.
'The significant increase in the volume of CHEP pallets AB Vassilopoulos is handling demonstrates that an increasing number of its suppliers are acknowledging the advantages of switching to CHEP,' he added.
