XPO Logistics Awarded GS1 UK contract for grocery standards validation
NORTHAMPTON, UK – 21 February 2018 – XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of transport and logistics solutions, today announced that it has entered into a pioneering partnership with supply chain standards organisation GS1 UK. XPO will manage physical compliance checks against product data standards for a new service run by GS1 UK on behalf of leading grocery retailers and suppliers. productDNA:hub simplifies the sharing and management of trusted product data for use in-store and online, providing the industry with a single agreed way of working and improving the shopper experience.
GS1 UK, a not-for-profit organisation, together with the retail industry, has developed a common language for manufacturers and retailers to use in defining more than 150 data product attributes, including weight, volume, servings, calories, allergens and nutritional values. productDNA:hub is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2018 and is led by grocery giants such as Nestlé, PepsiCo, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Unilever and Waitrose. The new standards are expected to boost traceability while saving UK retailers and manufacturers more than £200 million a year in costs and lost sales.
John Martin, Head of productDNA:hub, GS1 UK, said, “The retail industry has long acknowledged a common need for high quality data and standardized information that builds consumer trust. The productDNA:hub validation process will improve product safety, storage, inventory accuracy and supply chain visibility, while bringing greater transparency to the grocery marketplace. XPO’s extensive experience with leading supermarkets and food and beverage manufacturers gives us full confidence that they can act as an impartial third party in upholding these new standards.”
XPO will manage productDNA:hub operations at its multi-temperature warehouse site in Easton, Lincolnshire. A dedicated team will test grocery products to ensure that the labels accurately reflect the contents according to the GS1 catalogue, using specialized software to collect data and validate results. XPO will establish three laboratories at the site, one for each temperature regime — frozen, chilled and ambient.
Richard Cawston, managing director–supply chain, XPO Logistics Europe, said, “We are proud to be at the forefront of launching productDNA:hub in partnership with GS1 UK. The new standards solve a critical gap in the grocery supply chain: that is, to make absolutely certain that what a manufacturer has sent to a retailer is exactly what it says on the label. Our team will be triple-checking product attributes with catalogue data to ensure compliance with productDNA:hub requirements.”
- ENDS -
About XPO Logistics and XPO Logistics Europe
XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a top ten global logistics provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company operates as a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets in 32 countries, with 1,455 locations and more than 95,000 employees. XPO uses its network to help more than 50,000 customers manage their goods more efficiently throughout their supply chains. The company has two reporting segments, transportation and logistics, and within these segments its business is well diversified by geographies, verticals and types of service.
XPO's corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Conn., USA, and its European headquarters is in Lyon, France. The company conducts the majority of its European operations through its subsidiary, XPO Logistics Europe, in which it holds an 86.25% controlling interest. The remaining stock is traded as XPO on Euronext Paris ¬- Isin FR0000052870.
About GS1 UK
For further information or requests for interviews, please contact Tim Haidar: 020 7092 3584 / Tim.Haidar@gs1uk.org.
GS1 UK is a community of over 34,000 members working in retail, foodservice, healthcare and more. GS1 UK is one of 112 independent, not-for-profit GS1 organisations operating across 150 countries worldwide. GS1 UK helps everyone involved in making, moving and trading goods, automate and standardise their supply chain processes using the common language of GS1 global standards.
Media Contacts:
XPO Logistics Europe
Anne Lafourcade
Corporate Communication Manager Europe
anne.lafourcade@xpo.com
+33 (0)6 75 22 52 90
Golin London for XPO Logistics
xpologistics@golin.com
+44 (0)844 875 15 32