Coty Polska is part of an international corporation that has been operating for over 100 years in 91 countries, and it is one of the four largest players in the Polish retail cosmetics market. The company holds a leading market position in segments such as deodorants, fragrances, makeup cosmetics, and shower gels. The Coty Polska portfolio includes both prestigious cosmetic brands: Calvin Klein, Davidoff, Lancaster, Joop, Jil Sander, as well as mass-market and semi-selective cosmetics, including: Adidas, Astor, Rimmel, Miss Sporty, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, The Beckmans, Esprit, Celine Dion, and Pierre Cardin.
Coty Polska fulfills orders for thousands of smaller and larger stores and wholesalers, which contain items characterized not only by a significant variety of dimensions and packaging but also by different language versions of packaging and varying customer requirements regarding product packaging methods, labeling of shipping units, preparation of loading lists and shipping documents, organization of the shipment itself, etc. The changes in distribution strategy implemented over the last few years were related to the opening of borders following the expansion of the European Union. According to Leszek Szelerski, Logistic Director Eastern Europe at Coty Inc., the company quickly realized that the quality and cost-effectiveness of the distribution network contribute to strengthening its competitive position. Experience from Western Europe showed that the centralization of logistics allows for cost synergies and greater efficiency in the use of available resources. On the other hand, building a modern logistics center in accordance with the latest global standards is a costly undertaking that is only worth pursuing if it benefits from so-called economies of scale, which guarantee efficiency. This is possible when the scope of the investment is transnational. The optimal location was calculated based on the volume of material flows in door-to-door deliveries to distribution regions represented by postal codes. Calculations made by the Miebach Logistik company indicated that the most suitable region is the one covering the border area of Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The new distribution center replaced the three previously operating Coty Eastern Europe distribution centers: Raszyn near Warsaw, Kladno (Czech Republic), and Nitra (Slovakia). From Bielsko-Biała, stores in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia are supplied directly without any intermediaries, with nearly 100% of perfumeries covered by the newly established distribution system.
Warehouse
A warehouse with an area of over 16,000 square meters was built in Bielsko-Biała. It has been equipped with 3 types of racks. Pallet racks allow for direct access by forklifts. The zero level of these racks is used for picking products in collective packaging. The rack aisles were selected to allow for safe picking and for two forklifts operating in the same aisle to pass each other. The construction of these racks is standard, but special anchors installed using epoxy filling were used to secure the steel profiles to the floor, ensuring their stable operation. Shelving racks are used for storing slow-moving stock and for piece picking. Goods are located in cartons placed on five shelf levels. This solution ensures easy access and the ability to pick from all shelf levels. These racks were placed on the warehouse floor level and the mezzanine. This resulted in optimal use of the warehouse volume while maintaining an ergonomic rack height (top shelf level at 1.65 m).
The article comes from the magazine “Logistyka” 4/2008.