DHL, the express delivery and logistics company, has signed a three-year agreement with worldwide retail chain Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
DHL will provide Wal-Mart with air express and ground shipping throughout the US, supporting the retail giant’s 4,000 stores nationwide.
The new contract nearly doubles the volume and revenue generated through the firms’ previous seven-year relationship.
“We’ve managed several programs going back about seven years for Wal-Mart, and so we have demonstrated our ability to provide unique solutions,” said Robert Mintz, public relations manager for DHL. “We’ve aided them in an optical program as well as [the] repair and return of merchandise. Now we will be handling transportation on an exclusive basis out of some states [Washington, Oregon and South Carolina]. Wal-Mart wanted to diversify their small package transportation program and they believe DHL can help.”
Previously, DHL managed several transportation and logistics programs for Wal-Mart.
DHL will continue its exclusive specialty product repair and return delivery service for Wal-Mart, and has also been awarded responsibility for all specialty product transportation for Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Clubs nationwide.á
In addition, Wal-Mart has added DHL as one of its primary carriers for its state transportation program for all outbound shipments from assigned states, including transportation between and among Wal-Mart retail stores, distribution centers and suppliers.áá
DHL also continues its exclusive management of several customized services for Wal-Mart, including its optical product logistics program; fulfilling major online holiday floral distributions, such as Valentine’s and Mother’s Day; and handling all express transportation from Wal-Mart mailroom distribution centers.
With the new agreement, Wal-Mart will now utilize the DHL optical program to consolidate specialty item shipments for deliveries to its stores and clubs. This further leverages DHL’s logistics capabilities, DHL Solutions at DHL Optical Village.
DHL Optical Village is a 3.5-million-square-foot facility designed for manufacturing, packaging, storing and distributing lens and eyewear. All orders for eyeglasses from Wal-Mart’s four US optical labs are transported to DHL’s Optical Village, where they are sorted and packaged for each of its retail stores and then shipped for next-day delivery.
Close proximity of DHL Optical Village to the DHL air and ground hub in Wilmington, OH, enables overnight and same-day delivery every day of the year.
