Rocketing growth over the last 18 months left Stevensons, the UK’s largest independent school outfitters, running its own space race ahead of the 2021 autumn Back to School peak. Ensuring vital, additional warehouse and office space was available ahead of the increase in stock and staffing required to serve its hundreds of new school partners proved a challenge for the business.

The company’s long-term property acquisition and development strategy had already targeted leased space adjacent to the current St. Albans Head Office. However, delivering a £400k property conversion, refurbishment, and refit project in just a few weeks, while the pandemic continued to push many other companies off their plotted course, was a substantial risk.

“It was touch and go if the refurbishment and racking build would be ready before our worldwide supply chain wagons rolled in,” says James Harding, operations manager at The Stevenson Group. “In the end, it was mission accomplished.”

Stevensons embraces a ‘people first’ approach

Having committed to investing in new space, the conversion to working from home as the pandemic continued threw up more human challenges. The Stevenson family, the third generation of which currently owns and runs the company, has now embraced the positive feedback it received from many employees; encouraging a change to the underlying presenteeism that pervades traditional office working.

The company is now introducing a fresh approach. For instance, staff at Head Office can complete their contracted hours at any point between 7.00am – 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. This gives rise to the advent of a potential four-day week, with an allocation of the work undertaken from home where the role allows.

Commenting is Ian Blazeby, Stevensons’ head of marketing. “I’ve been able to ditch the daily two-hour commute, along with the financial costs of train and bus travel. I’m sure I’m now more productive and focused. I’m trusted to do my job almost exclusively from home, which is far better for me, my family and my mental health.”

What has physically changed?

An additional 7,500 sq. ft. of warehouse space provides room to house over 150,000 more garments. There is also an additional 1,800 sq. ft. of office space, with room for an additional 22 employees. This offers the gradually returning Head Office Team new spacious, socially distanced work and backstage areas.

 

 

Key benefits of the changes:

• Improved logistics along with a larger stock holding capacity will facilitate the flow of garments into English stores; particularly for key items like blazers, skirts and trousers, which will greatly improve availability for parents.
• With the current rate of increase in new school partners, there is now the space to recruit more people; particularly to expand the account management, wholesale, buying and operations teams.
• A reduced environmental footprint for the many employees working from home more. This includes reducing the use of single-person car commutes.
• Empowering staff to actively manage their workload. Staff can, for example, take a flexible approach to deliver their responsibilities across a shorter or longer working day.
• Increased use of timesaving and more environmentally friendly technology to enable both secure and more efficient remote working.
• Happier and healthier Stevensons staff.
• Also, a more comfortable, modern working environment for those who choose to work from the office.

Work on the warehouse completed in late spring 2021, just ahead of the bulk Back to School supplier deliveries. This will ensure there are no bottlenecks in this year’s supply chain management. Flexible working is being agreed upon with individuals as the company moves to a new ‘office’ normal.

John Stevenson, co-CEO of The Stevenson Group, concludes; “Seeing the dedication and increased productivity of many of our employees who were unable to travel into the office has given me a new perspective, encouraging me to take a healthier approach to how we manage.”