Design 911 opens new distribution centre in the Netherlands

For many British businesses, especially those trading overseas, the fallout from Brexit has been an administrative nightmare. “Trade with customers in the European Union presently accounts for approximately thirty percent of our turnover,” says Karl Chopra, founder of independent Porsche parts and accessories retailer, Design 911. 

“Previously, we could fulfil orders for clients in mainland Europe within two or three days. Following Brexit, however, these deliveries can take anything from a week to ten days, a consequence of delays caused by buyers having to communicate with couriers regarding additional paperwork and extra charges, such as the carrier’s administrative fees, which can be significant.” Not ideal when your business supplies professional Porsche garages relying on speedy delivery to complete jobs on cars in their workshops.

As a direct consequence of the impact Brexit has had on Design 911’s ability to service its European customers in the manner they expect, the company has invested in a new storage and logistics facility in the Netherlands. Covering 25,000ft2 , the site affords Karl’s team the opportunity to supply genuine and aftermarket Porsche parts to customers all over mainland Europe even quicker than before. “Whether you’re in France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands or any of the twenty-seven countries currently in the European Union, Design 911 can now provide next-day delivery direct to your door,” Karl smiles. “Our new site features six goods-in stations and a matching number for goods out, enabling us to ramp up activity as trade gets even busier. We’re importing direct to this new warehouse, though it’s important to be aware its operations will focus solely on picking, packing and delivery. All sales, payment processing and other administrative functions will continue to be taken care of from our headquarters in the United Kingdom, but when an order is placed by a customer in the European Union, despatch will be from our new Netherlands outpost.”

DRIVEN BY CUSTOMER DEMAND FOR SPARES NO LONGER SUPPLIED BY PORSCHE, OE MATCH IS ALREADY PROVING A HIT

Next-day delivery for Design 911’s customers in mainland Europe — whether trade or end user — has been something Karl has wanted to achieve for some time. “Half our orders are placed by professional workshops,” he tells us. “For obvious reasons, it’s vital these customers are able to receive parts without delay. I’m delighted Design 911 can now facilitate even faster delivery for order requests in the EU.”

Some of the parts to be shipped will be from Design 911’s newly launched OE Match range. “Essentially, we’re remanufacturing many no longer serviced OEM Porsche products for all models up to the 997-generation 911,” Karl confirms. “We’ve already catalogued close to two thousand part numbers catering for a wide variety of components, from gaskets to suspension hardware, engine apparatus, interior trim and everything in between.” Driven by customer demand for spares no longer supplied by Porsche, OE Match is already proving a hit.

“Owners and professionals alike get rightly frustrated by not being able to complete work on an older Porsche because of a vital component missing from the manufacturer’s currently available catalogue of spares for legacy models,” Karl continues. “We have been working hard to identify gaps in what’s on offer and to remanufacture previously absent parts to OEM standards.” Currently available products in the OE Match range can be viewed by visiting the Design 911 website at design911.co.uk.