Palmer & Harvey has clinched a deal with Morrisons to provide logistics services to ten Morrisons Daily convenience stores set to open at Rontec filling stations.
The contract win follows Palmer & Harvey’s appointment of former Tesco convenience store director Tony Reed in October this year. Reed was responsible for 2,800 Tesco One Stop, Tesco Express and Tesco Metro stores.
The deal is part of a pilot by Morrisons that could lead to the retailer opening further stores across Rontec’s portfolio of 240 petrol station sites.
It will see Palmer & Harvey begin deliveries of a full range of goods (ambient, chilled, frozen etc using thermotainers where required) from December when the first four Morrisons Daily stores open. A further six stores will be opened in January.
The move is part of a wider strategy by Morrisons to expand its convenience store footprint. In October Morrisons announced a pilot of five Morrisons Daily stores in five Motor Fuel Group fuel stations.
The stores will open in December, with deliveries supplied by Palmer & Harvey too.
Palmer & Harvey operates a fleet of around 1,300 vehicles from 14 regional and 48 local depots across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, employing 4,000 staff.
It delivers to 90,000 retail customers ranging from corner shops to petrol station chains, major supermarkets and Coca Cola Enterprises and specialises in the daily delivery of chilled, frozen and ambient goods.
The Hove-based firm extended its contract with petrol forecourt giant MRH in May this year, sealing a £90m five year retail delivery deal.
Chris Etherington, Palmer & Harvey executive deputy chairman, said: “We are very excited by the opportunity to work with Morrisons to develop Morrisons Daily with Rontec.
“Palmer & Harvey have worked with the Rontec team for over 40 years and we are very much looking forward to building a long, successful relationship with Morrisons."
