Kuehne+Nagel to bring Swarovski crystals to EMEA customers

Swarovski, the crystal manufacturer and jewellery brand, is partnering with Kuehne+Nagel for an Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) fulfilment and distribution centre in Tessenderlo, Belgium.

The highly automated distribution centre will improve lead times to the market, consisting of Swarovski stores, retailers as well as direct-to-consumer e-commerce, according to a statement from K+N.

"Next to managing Swarovski's entire B2B and B2C supply chain, including quality control management and reverse logistics, Kuehne+Nagel also handles value-added services in terms of outbound packaging for which a delicate human touch remains essential. This includes refined gift wrapping and customised gift cards typical for Swarovski's luxury customer experience."

"We are delighted to be able to start this long term partnership with a prestigious client like Swarovski," says Gianfranco Sgro, member of the Management Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, responsible for Contract Logistics. "Together we have created an absolutely state-of-the-art solution in terms of customer service for all sales channels."

Brian White, SVP, Supply Chain Management and Managing Director, Swarovski AG Principality of Liechtenstein added: "Building on the strong competencies of both Swarovski and Kuehne+Nagel, we are looking forward to bringing this cooperation to life to deliver increased service and experience for our customers. The partnership that has grown over the past months has created a solid foundation for a long-term commitment."

The hub is part of a 70 m² fulfilment centre that is fully operated by Kuehne+Nagel. For Swarovski, the company invested in a fully automated shuttle technology and established a central end-to-end transportation management service that covers inbound flows, distribution to the stores and B2C delivery flows. The scope of the operations leads to the creation of 100 jobs in the area in the course of 2022, the statement added.