Leaping over the Pyrenees

"There is a perceptible mood of anticipation," is how Ralf Meistes decribes the environment on the Iberian peninsula where Dachser, the globally operating provider of logistics services, is actively involved. As head of the DIY logistics division he is in close contact with both the manufacturers and the DIY retailers. "The Spaniards are convinced that the crisis has been overcome," he reports.From a Spanish point of view the manufacturers want to make the leap over the Pyrenees and sell more to Europe - and they must do so. Conversely the Spanish retailers want to source much more than they have done so far in Europe.Both sides require reliable transport routes to achieve their aims. "The supplier must be able to explain to the buyer for a DIY chain that he will definitely keep to his delivery obligations," says Meistes.Dachser was quick to invest in this market. Just one year ago, before anyone in southern Europe dared to believe that the crisis might come to an end, the logistics provider acquired the remaining 90 per cent of Akzar, its long-standing Spanish partner in a cooperation that began with a ten per cent stake in 2008. A further addition at the same time was that of Transunion, a Spanish sea and air freight forwarder that operates today under the name of Dachser Spain Air & Sea Logistics. Now these two companies are working together with their German parent company to further expand their customer base in the DIY sector.One starting point for this is the Spanish tile industry, which believes there is a considerable potential for sales to German DIY store customers. So far its export activities in the DIY retail sector have reached mainly no further than France.

Here there is an interesting example of modern business-to-consumer logistics: the stores belonging to a major French DIY chain are offering high-quality Spanish tiles, which they do not actually have in stock, however. The customer details his order in the store, then Dachser undertakes delivery direct from the Spanish supplier to the private address in France.Akzar, the Spanish subsidiary of Dachser, already has considerable experience with B2C forwarding on the home market as well. In Spain it is far more common for customers to specify…