Louis Vuitton chooses Kuehne + Nagel to provide integrated showcase warehouse solutions

JOC Staff |
Tokyo, March 8, 2010 – Louis Vuitton Japan, a subsidiary of the LVMH Group, one of the world’s most prestigious companies in the retail industry, has awarded Kuehne + Nagel Japan a contract for the management of its regional distribution centre in Osaka. Based on the systems and processes customised in this facility, Kuehne + Nagel will further be responsible for setting up showcase warehouse operations for all of Louis Vuitton’s outsourced distribution centres worldwide.

As a major part of the agreement, Kuehne + Nagel has leased a dedicated logistics facility in Amagasaki, conveniently located between the seaports of Kobe and Osaka. In order to enable maximum flexibility and efficiency, Kuehne + Nagel provides a comprehensive warehouse solution, covering layout design, material flow planning as well as the installation of ultramodern security measures and advanced information systems fully integrated with Louis Vuitton’s worldwide operations. Particular emphasis is placed on the fulfilment of the latest environmental standards; the facility is among the first in Asia-Pacific that are accredited with an ISO14001 certification.

At the premises with a handling and storage capacity of 5,600 sqm, Kuehne + Nagel’s services will cover the inbound receipt of goods by sea and air, label scanning, quality and quantity checks, pick-and-pack operations, sales-ready preparation as well as reverse logistics for the entire range of Louis Vuitton leather goods and accessories. In addition, Kuehne + Nagel will provide value-added services, such as pre-wrapping and care label tagging. A dedicated competence team of around 20 experts will support Louis Vuitton on a 24/7-basis with the most stringent standards in security and operations.

Dave Goualier, Manager of Logistics, Supply Chain & Quality for Louis Vuitton Japan, comments, “The sophisticated nature of our supply chain requires a logistics provider to be capable of maintaining a reliable balance between efficiency, flexibility and quality. The showcase operations deployed in our new state-of-the-art distribution centre underlines the competence of Kuehne + Nagel as a logistics service provider.”

“We are pleased to have been able to deliver significant improvements to Louis Vuitton’s supply chain. With our innovative portfolio of IT-based integrated services, our goal is to support the retail giant in meeting its existing and future logistics requirements,” said Holger Beyer, National Manager of Kuehne + Nagel Japan.

About Kuehne + Nagel

With approximately 55,000 employees at 900 locations in over 100 countries, the Kuehne + Nagel Group is one of the world’s leading logistics companies. Its strong market position lies in the seafreight, airfreight, contract logistics and overland businesses, with a clear focus on providing IT-based supply chain management services. In Japan, Kuehne + Nagel operates at 10 locations and employs around 250 people. Further information can be found at www.kuehne-nagel.com