Logistics provider facilitate FUNKIN’ growth

Specialist third-party logistics (3PL) provider, Europa Warehouse, continues to facilitate the business expansion targets of cocktail retail brand, FUNKIN Cocktails (FUNKIN), with stronger inventory management and daily stock processes.

FUNKIN, a well-established brand name in the food and drink sector, has become the first cocktail company in the UK to be granted B CORP certification for its social and environment performance. Founded in 1999 with bartenders in mind, the company is the number one cocktail brand in the UK on and off trade, with its extensive range of purées, mixers, syrups and ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktails.

Following an initial contract with Europa Worldwide Group in 2015, award-winning Europa Warehouse continues to deliver pick, pack, warehousing and transport services to FUNKIN, on a contract now worth over £1m.

A dedicated team at Europa Warehouse in Birmingham, supports the brand all-year round, both operationally and through administration support. It provides a highly personalised service, allowing FUNKIN to meet customer demand and expand its consumer and business-to-business portfolio.

Lukas Skowron, General Manager at Europa Warehouse, is responsible for overseeing the warehouse operations in Birmingham. He explained: “Our approach is very much about working in partnership with FUNKIN as an extension of their own team. We make every effort to understand their needs and flex our service accordingly.

“Just this past year, we have been able to allocate additional space in our warehouse to support FUNKIN with their business expansion targets. We have also strengthened our inventory management and daily stock take processes to improve accuracy to within a 0.009 per cent margin.

“FUNKIN is an incredibly valued customer, and we look forward to working alongside them to provide an even better service, wrapped in passion and personality, which will enable them to scale-up in line with their ongoing growth plans.”

On an ‘average’ week just under 48,000 cases are despatched from Europa Birmingham to FUNKIN’s wide range of customers across both the On and Off Trade. This is up from 41,500 case per week in 2021 as the business continues growth of just over 15 per cent year on year.

FUNKIN is also likely to see a continued increase in online sales because of the cost of living crisis where, according to the British Retail Consortium, people are more likely to entertain at home. Plans are quickly put in place by Europa to boost team capacity when order levels spike, ensuring fulfilment continues in the most timely and cost-effective way.

Simon Barnes, Operations Manager at FUNKIN, commented: “It’s the people at Europa who really make a difference to our business proposition. The team there show a real willingness to help and support us as we look to meet the ever-changing demands of the marketplace in the coming years.

“The introduction of a team leader on our account has helped us to take a big step forward in creating a more efficient operation. More recently, perpetual inventory checks from the stock team have also been a real success in minimising picking errors overall.

“At FUNKIN, we see this relationship going from strength to strength, because under the current management there is the right attitude of cooperation and understanding, and just as importantly a desire to make continuous improvements to the service provided.

As well as managing outbound goods, Europa looks after any returns customers wish to make on FUNKIN’s behalf. These arrive from pallet networks and hauliers before being reworked into the inventory, with suitable stock being returned to the racking for use across future orders.

Europa Warehouse provides a range of value-added capabilities at its award-winning, integrated and bonded sites in Dartford, Birmingham, and Corby, with a combined one million sq. ft of dedicated warehouse and logistics space. The sites are strategically located to optimise supply chains.

Europa Worldwide Group is an ambitious independent logistics operator with three divisions, Europa Road, Europa Air & Sea and Europa Warehouse. The company has been featured in The Sunday Times Top Track 250 for three years. Europa has invested £5 million in its innovative market-leading product, Europa Flow, providing a frictionless flow of goods between the EU and the UK post Brexit. The group employs over 1,400 people with 29 international sites in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong, China and the UAE. The global operator recently reported a record turnover of £316m for the last 12 months, as of August 2022, and remains on track with its ambitious investment programme.

*Nielsen PRE MIXED ALCOHOLIC DRINKS Total Coverage Data MAT