Focus on transit times to your primary customer clusters, carrier density and SLA guarantees, dock and throughput capacity, inventory visibility tools, and total cost-to-serve (rent, labor, inbound/outbound transport). Validate peak season performance, returns handling, and integration with your OMS/WMS before contracting.

Key factors include proximity to the A55 and connections to the M56/M6 for road freight, access to nearby ferry and port gateways for international lanes, availability of local carrier networks for LTL and palletised freight, and options for consolidation or cross-dock services to reduce rate volatility.

Prioritise robust order management and inventory visibility, intelligent order routing, multi-temperature storage, pick-and-pack efficiency, returns processing, kitting and labeling, and proven carrier integrations for parcel and pallet delivery to ensure consistent omnichannel execution.

Lower rents and competitive labour rates enable larger footprints and flexible storage options, which can reduce unit costs during peaks. However, evaluate contract flexibility, SLA penalties, recruitment seasonality, and transport lane costs to ensure scalability without compromising service levels during demand surges.