Fulfilment of Holland & Barrett’s Irish online orders will move from the UK to Ireland next month through an expanded three-year partnership with Irish logistics firm Road Truck Services (RTS), building on an eight-year relationship spanning import, customs, warehousing and distribution.
Announcing the move today (28 October), the health and wellness retailer said the strategy will see €8.2m (£6.9m) invested in a new digital fulfilment model, alongside €9.3m (£7.8m) relating to existing retail fulfilment operations with RTS, bringing the total investment to €17.5m (£14.7m) over the next three years.
As part of the move, around €1.5m (£1.3m) of additional stock will be held locally, bringing Holland & Barrett’s total Irish stockholding to approximately €4.7m (£3.93m).
Around 328,000 orders and 1.8 million units are expected to flow through the Irish logistics network each year, the retailer added.
The expanded partnership is also expected to support around 20 additional RTS roles, alongside agency support during peak periods and a further six to ten indirect roles, with recruitment focused on Kildare town and surrounding areas.
Holland & Barrett said the move will give customers greater choices on online orders from 1 November, with the existing 5kg weight limit lifted and additional products from 34 Irish brands available online. Next-day delivery is planned to launch from 1 December.
The investment comes as Holland & Barrett continues to see strong growth in Ireland, where approximately 2.8 million customers shopped with the business over the past year, including 300,000 online. During the latest financial year, Ireland revenue was up +6.2%. Store sales increased 3.6% and digital sales grew 17.9%.
The business now operates 70 stores and employs 419 colleagues across the country, with headcount increasing by 4% over the past year. It has opened three new stores and completed three relocations, with 90% of its Irish estate now modernised, including the recently opened 5,909sq ft Galway store.
Vineta Bajaj, Holland & Barrett group chief financial officer, said: “Ireland is one of our strongest-performing markets and an important part of Holland & Barrett’s growth story.
“We’re seeing real momentum across both stores and digital, and we want to build on that by continuing to invest in the people, infrastructure and partnerships that will support our ambitions in Ireland for the long term.
“Our relationship with RTS has grown over eight years, and this next step means we can bring even more of our Irish operation closer to our customers.
Holding more stock locally will help us deliver faster and offer greater choice and availability, while allowing us to continue investing in Ireland and building our presence in what is a very important market for us.”
Mick McConnell, Road Truck Services MD, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our partnership with Holland & Barrett, which has gone from strength to strength over the past eight years.
“Growing together has enabled us to expand our warehousing and transport capabilities, strengthen our business and secure other high-profile contracts.
“This latest investment marks an exciting new chapter in our relationship, creating jobs locally and allowing us to play an even bigger role in supporting Holland & Barrett’s growth in Ireland.”
