Internationally famed Marks and Spencer has nominated Global Park, Seeduwa as its International logistics hub. Global Park, a BOI-approved venture, is the first international Logistics hub in the world. The total value of the project is estimated to be around $15 million.

Under the project Global Park will provide Marks and Spencer with storage and other infra structure facilities.

Global Park receives garments from 21 countries world-wide and subsequently redirects them to global destinations as directly marketable commodities after value addition.

The venture has opened up about 1000 employment opportunities especially for the youth and Global Park expects a 20%increase in revenue as a result of this initiative.

UK retailer Marks and Spencer today (May 08, 2008) launched the ‘M&S International Logistics Hub’ in Seeduwa, Sri Lanka, which is to start operations in June this year.This is the M&S’ second such hub in Asia, with one already operating in Hong Kong.

“This is very important for M&S overseas expansion and retail plans,” said Simon Doyle, the head of international operations of M&S, speaking at the launch.

Specialised logistics services, known as ‘multi-country consolidation’, are to be provided for M&S under a special arrangement with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka.

M&S programme manager Kieran Donovan said the logistics hub is important in relation to the company’s recent entry into Indian retail through the partnership with Reliance_Industries of India.

“We are manufacturing in India but we are also entering the Indian retail market,” said Donovan. “This operation will provide a key part of logistics infrastructure to support our growth plans in South Asia.”
The M&S hub is located inside Global Park, a 400,000 square foot logistics complex operated by the Sri Lankan company Global Transportation and Logistics.

The M&S clothing will be stored inside warehouses at Global Park and will be re-distributed to M&S International Stores, mainly in Asia and the Middle East.

Global Park will provide warehousing and value-added services for M&S while another Sri Lankan company, RJV International, has been designated as its logistical partner.

Chandana Punchiheva, a director at RJV International said that the hub aims to distribute 5m garment pieces over a nine-month period.

M&S currently has around 260 international stores in 37 countries

Colombo, 13 April, (Asiantribune.com): Marks & Spencer (M&S), a British centered, global garment giant has selected for the first time in Asia, Sri Lanka’s Global Park – Global Transportation and Logistics (GTL) as their outlet store division to pick, pack and ship operations of garments from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka.

M&S has a vast number of garment factories in the Indian sub-continent and GTL functions as its sole warehouse provider.

The launch took place last week at GTL Katunayake and to grace the occasion there were Dr Sarath Amunugama, Minister of Enterprises Development and Investment Promotion, Prof Lakshman R Watawala, Chairman, BOI and Ravi Karunanayake MP and CEO, GTL.

Speaking at the occasion Dr Amunugama said that being a small country Sri Lanka cannot think big, but in this highly competitive world, the country must identify and take advantage of its strengths, such as the location – only a very few countries could offer such a vast expanse of land so close to the international airport with all the modern facilities.

He said if such land is available in Singapore or in Hong Kong there would be multi-billion projects. He said “So we have to capitalize these advantages”. He said that our people are also another strength as they are not second to anywhere in the world. The hub status in the region is also another advantage that could be exploited.

Global Park is a 400,000 sq ft purpose built state of the art warehousing complex conveniently located a few kilometers from the Katunayake International Airport with equal easy access to the Colombo Port. It operates as one stop shop for end to end logistics by providing regional and global facilities in transportation combined with local value added logistic services.

GTL also offers a huge Garment on Hangers (GOH) facility for over two million garments, the largest in the country, combined with the most modern vacuum packing plant, finishing and consolidating services.

By Quintus Perera – Asian Tribune

Head of International Operations of Marks & Spencer UK on a brief visit to the Country last week had extensive talks with representatives of Global Park and RJV International to finalise the next phase of their logistics operations in Sri Lanka. Marks & Spencer (M&S) with an annual turnover of over Sterling Pounds 8 billion (US $ 16 billion) is a UK based retail giant with over 400 stores located throughout the UK and 150 stores worldwide including over 130 Franchise businesses operating in 35 countries.

M&S has already selected Global Park to house their Regional Logistics Hub where currently M&S brand garments purchased by RJV International from Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh are stored for onward distribution to M&S outlet stores in UK based on their stock levels and sales requirements.

This novel concept tried for the first time in the industry by M&S was possible with the appointment of RJV International as their supplier for all surplus garments for its outlet stores from factories manufacturing for M&S brand in the Indian sub-continent and also with the appointment of Global Park as the warehouse provider to facilitate the project.

The initial operation commenced last year with RJV International purchasing garments in Sri Lanka for M&S outlet stores. Marks & Spencer moved to the next stage of the operation this year by making a strategic decision to use the Global Park Complex to house their regional logistics hub which began with the importation of garments by RJV international from factories producing for M&S in India and Bangladesh with necessary approvals from the Government of Sri Lanka. For the first time in history, an export consignment of garments was shipped to M&S outlet stores, UK in May this year by consolidating garments made in 3 different countries.

With the success of the Regional Hub that is now geared to handle complex multi country consolidation, M&S is now planning to use this hub to handle distribution to their international stores including franchise stores located in Asia and Middle East. The Logistics Hub in Sri Lanka is expected to service over 15 countries in Asia and Middle East by next year which is another first for the country under this unique logistics concept that is being handled by Global Park and RJV International exclusively for Marks & Spencer.

Industry heavy weights such as Hidaramani, Brandix and MAS Holdings are large direct suppliers to M&S and with the addition of this Regional Logistics Hub, Sri Lanka will be an important base for Marks & Spencer.