Transporting Toys to new Middle East markets

As a major toy retailer, our client has one of the oldest toy shops in the world and is one of the world’s best-known retailers of toys. Its flagship store in London is across 7 floors and attracts over 6 million visitors a year.

Situation

CKA (Charles Kendall Ayezan) has been working within their supply chain since 2009 and currently receives 3 to 4 containers per month from the UK and China, delivering these to local Arabic markets on a weekly basis.

In 2011 the client decided to expand their empire to the Middle East by opening three franchise stores in Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Solution

1. Inbound Shipment

CKA arranges both air and sea freight services for all toys to be shipped into the United Arab Emirates.

2. Products Storage

CKA stores a variety of around 1,300 toys. With 10,000 sq feet of warehousing space including cool areas and cold storage facilities, CKA is more than capable of increasing the number of goods in stock.

3. Deliveries to Local markets

All deliveries to local Arabic markets are organised by CKA. This includes the transportation of all toys through the Jebel Ali Free Zone (South) location where CKA has a purpose-built facility. With 17 loading bays on site, some with dock levellers, they are able to load and unload efficiently.

CKA currently delivers the stored toys to the two main outlets in the Middle East: Dubai Mall and Mirdif Mall. “Dubai Mall clinches the title of the most visited retail destination in the world for the third consecutive year.” The latter has been attracting enough traffic to warrant its own link to the Dubai Metro.

4. Special delivery to Saudi Arabia

All goods destined for Saudi Arabia are first transferred to their forwarder as requested and then exported to the top Saudi Arabian malls; Mall of Dhahran, Panorama, Salaam Mall and Dammam. CKA provides a streamlined and extremely controlled service to ensure no unpredictable obstacles take place.