Wholesalers win the battle against snow

Delivered wholesalersand cash and carries were battling to keep their customers supplied in the most severe weather many had faced in their careers.

While staff at delivered companies were doing everything in their power to ensure vital deliveries were made, cash and carries were battling to keep going during a period when independent stores were proving crucial to their local communities.

Mark Aylwin, managing director of Booker Direct, said: "Booker is coping very well in the exceptionally difficult conditions. All sites have continued to operate throughout the period. It has been very challenging for all our colleagues but they have put in a fantastic effort for our customers.

"A great number of colleagues have been real heroes, whether it has been walking long distances just to get to work or our drivers making heroic efforts to get to our customers. One of our drivers drove for hours to get to Inverness only to be turned back by police when he got there. A number of our drivers have also had to stay out overnight after running out of hours or being stuck in severe weather, but each time they have gone on to make their deliveries.

"Salt, cat litter, bread, milk and many other staples have seen big increases in demand."

Bestway reported the weather conditions generally made business difficult. "All depots remained open and traded as normal despite Batleys in Edinburgh which was temporarily re-named Blizzard Control," said Martin Race, operations director for Batleys.

He added: "Suppliers have had issues getting deliveries on time and some customers have had difficulty actually getting to some of the depots some deliveries have been delayed but we have re-organised and delivered on weekends to catch up."

Mark Watson, managing director of Hancocks, said: "Things tend to slow down when the snow first comes but then everyone gets used to it and carries on as best they can. For independent retailers, the opportunity is to support their local shoppers who might be more inclined to walk to a smaller shop instead of de-icing the car to go further."

In the delivered sector drivers faced particularly challenging conditions. Sutherland Brothers at Wick in the north of Scotland, which delivers as far as the Western Isles, has faced some of the most extreme weather. They are used to snow the company uses 26-tonne rigid bodies rather than articulated lorries for exactly this reason but managing director David Sutherland said it was the worst conditions he had faced in 20 years. He said: "We have managed most deliveries but we have had to turn back on a few occasions where roads have been blocked."

He said customers had been understanding, and in some cases where roads were blocked deliveries were made to the nearest village and customers drove over in their 4x4s to pick them up.

Also in Scotland, there was a burst pipe at Iain Hill's depot while it was closed over Christmas, but no stock was damaged. It managed to make all but one of its deliveries before Christmas, with one driver arriving back six hours late at the depot at 10pm.

At the other end of the country DBC Foodservice's Petersfield depot was hit particularly hard with 50 staff snowed in and sleeping there overnight.

Michael Barrett, sales and marketing director of DBC Foodservice, said: "High levels of communication are key to getting through the unusual weather conditions we've been experiencing. DBC's short lines of communication mean that we are able to react quickly to events such as these, and our dedicated teams ensure customers are always informed of the situation and of additional contingency plans"

James Armitage, Brakes marketing director, commented: "Road conditions this winter are proving on occasion to be extremely challenging. Our drivers are making extraordinary efforts to ensure customers receive their deliveries. Our depot management teams always ensure the safety of our drivers. They are empowered to take appropriate action on a local level to minimise the effect that any difficult road conditions may cause to the delivery schedule."

Country Range Group reported that the freeze brought with it regional difficulties. Managing director Colin Birchall said: "Our staff recognise the importance of our role in food supply and have showed real commitment to ensure that essential deliveries were made. The closure of many schools helped ease the pressure on delivery schedules."

Creed Catering, a member of the Country Range Group, reported that while it continued to make deliveries it found that when they arrived some businesses were shut. Drivers were turning up at work at 3:30am rather than 5:30am, aware they would need the extra time on the road.