The John Lewis warehouse in Aberdeen has been given a new purpose to help distribution firm M&H Carriers expand its north-east operations.
The George Street department store closed its doors in January and has remained shut permanently since.
The distinctive concrete building is now home to the Aberdeen City Vaccination Centre – administering a range of immunisations including flu and Covid jabs.
And now, the firm’s Aberdeen warehouse has too been given a new lease of life as a the Scottish distribution firm is due to make use of the space.
M&H Carriers has partnered with the retailer to expand its capacity and cater for an increased demand for deliveries in the north-east.
The company deliver both parcels and larger items – including furniture and household appliances – on behalf of retailers such as B&Q and Marks & Spencer.
Under the arrangement, the John Lewis team will handle all warehousing, picking and loading of M&H Carriers’ home deliveries in the north east.
Home deliveries from the department store will also continue to run through the Altens Industrial Estate site.
Demand for delivery ‘through the roof’
It comes as home delivery manager Mike Buchan says the demand for delivery has “gone through the roof” due to a change in shopping habits and more people ordering large and bulky items online.
It’s allowed the firm to hire three new two-man delivery crews to carry out the larger deliveries – with hopes to employ more by the end of the year.
Mr Buchan said: “By moving into these new premises, we are not only able to provide a greater delivery service to customers across the north of Scotland – but we have also been able to help provide work and employment for all those who worked in the warehouse while John Lewis’ Aberdeen store was open.
“We’ve had a long relationship with John Lewis, having carried out their local deliveries for a number of years. This is the first time they have partnered with an external business in this way, so we are delighted to have this opportunity to expand our operations and enhance our service offering.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.