Dachser DIY-Logistics, the world’s biggest industry-specific solution for the construction, DIY, and gardening sector, is celebrating its twentieth anniversary in 2018. As a partner of the Heimwerken, Bauen und Garten e.V. (BHB) trade association, the logistics service provider is once again making an appearance at the International Hardware Fair (Cologne, March 4-7, Hall 5.1, Booth D105).

“The DIY industry has to constantly reinvent itself to stay competitive,” says Ralf Meistes, Department Head Dachser DIY-Logistics. “But that means more than simply innovating new products and services. The entire logistics chain, from production to shelf and—if necessary—back again, has to be developed further, and must reliably support the industry’s reinvention.” This is where Dachser DIY-Logistics enters the picture as the sector’s logistics partner.

Twenty years ago, Dachser pooled its expertise in construction, DIY, and gardening logistics in a central team, located in Cologne and led by Ralf Meistes. The team met with great success: today, the industry-specific solution covers all of Europe as well as the key intercontinental markets in Asia and the U.S., moving over 4.6 million shipments each year. Optimum bundling and firm delivery windows for all 18,000 DIY stores in Europe ensure efficiency at the loading dock; a merchandising service even puts the products right on the shelves.

Merchandising, internationalization, omnichannel
“We have successfully supported our customers, on both the manufacturing and the retail end, through all the changes of the past twenty years,” Meistes continues. “They include the grouping and efficiency improvement of deliveries, plus merchandising, internationalization, and returns of seasonal goods. Current challenges are e-commerce, omnichannel concepts, and sustainable deliveries to city centers, where DIY stores are increasingly becoming pure showrooms. One trend is quite plain to see: in the past two decades, logistics has gone from being a cost factor to a success factor for the companies in this industry.”

For Dachser, logistics means always staying up to date with economic challenges. In keeping with this approach, digitalization is at the top of the trade fair agenda. At the Dachser booth, the DIY-Logistics team will be sharing with visitors how its closely integrated transport and warehouse management systems—developed in-house—enable unimpeded data flows and transparent tracking & tracing along the DIY supply pipeline.

With its years of commitment to the industry, Dachser is a perfect fit for the theme of this year’s hardware fair: “Work hard! Rock hard!”