Coco Republic
New Distribution Centre to meet current and future needs
For over four decades, Coco Republic has proudly stood as a family-owned and operated pillar in the furniture and design industry, solidifying its reputation as a leading brand across Australia and New Zealand. With an extensive presence in retail showrooms across key cities like Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast, Coco Republic has consistently offered a curated selection of sophisticated furniture and stylish homewares.
As the brand’s retail growth surged, the limitations of its existing Sydney Distribution Centre (DC) became apparent, unable to cope with the surging nationwide demand. In May 2021, Coco Republic embarked on a transformative journey, engaging ThreeSixty Supply Chain Group (ThreeSixty) to pave the way for a new distribution centre in Victoria.
ThreeSixty facilitated the design, procurement, project management and fit out of Coco Republic’s new DC. The DC is now fully operational, servicing Coco Republics clients in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.
Challenge
Due to significant national growth, Coco Republics Sydney DC could no longer meet client demand expectations nationally.
There were several challenges including the sourcing and delivery of equipment due to supply chain disruptions driven by the Covid 19 pandemic. Issues with the availability of new MHE, racking materials, security cameras and safety signage resulted in a delay in the completion of the new DC.
Delays in build completion and early access of the new facility, meant that Coco Republic had to source an interim storage location in Victoria. This facility provided a temporary solution until the new site was ready.
Solution
ThreeSixty facilitated the design, procurement, project management and fit out of Coco Republic’s new 7,325sqm distribution centre in Epping, Victoria.
The solution included the design review and provision of design documents, engaging with the local council to obtain the required permits, conducting design reviews with the Coco Republic team and property developers.
ThreeSixty designed the DC layout, racking solution, the racking labelling and numbering structure, electrical and data layout, office layout, in-rack sprinkler layout, safety and operational signage.
An important part of the design was including a 200sqm carpeted area within the new facility to accommodate quality control activities, a craftsman’s area and a spray booth for paint works, as well as a polystyrene machine and plastic compactor for waste disposal and recycling.
ThreeSixty procured all the fit-out items required for the new DC, this included the site services and consumables. As part of the procurement process the ThreeSixty team managed the approvals, budget spend and purchasing.
ThreeSixty facilitated the engagement with the property developer during the property handover process, ensuring a seamless transition. This included managing the weekly steerco meetings with Coco Republic and key suppliers. ThreeSixty managed the project timeline, the suppliers and contractors post practical completion activities (inductions, Covid safety procedures) and supported the transition to the new DC.
Outcome
ThreeSixty delivered a successful project for Coco Republic from procurement through to steady state operations providing a seamless transition with minimal disruption
The new distribution centre is now fully operational servicing Coco Republics customers in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand. ThreeSixty coordinated the new site design and transition, allowing Coco Republic to focus on their business. With over 3,318 pallet storage capacity, the new DC has reduced the congestion issues in Sydney and has allowed Coco Republic to better service their clients in ANZ.
Professional, experienced & practical! We engaged the Team at ThreeSixty to project manage the build and commissioning of our Southern Region Distribution Centre (SRDC) and our experience was first class. This site was commissioned during the height of COVID disruption (Melb) which further added complexity, time and cost. ThreeSixty guided us seamlessly through these challenges and we couldn’t have been happier with the result!
Dean Walker Head of Logistics – Coco Republic
