Britain’s largest crate rental supplier PHS Teacrate has signed an exclusive deal with top sports retailer JJB Sports PLC to supply crates for its nationwide supply chain. The three-year agreement will provide JJB with up to 50,000 crates for its distribution centre in Wigan, which dispatches goods to 430 stores throughout the United Kingdom.

The company offers a wide range including tiramisu, profiteroles, panna cotta, dolce limone, and rum babà, in various sizes and formats for many of Britain and Europe's leading chains. UK customers include Asda, Budgens, the Co-op, Londis, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Somerfield and Waitrose.

One reason JJB renewed the contract with Teacrate was its unique Dynamic Pooling system that guarantees continuity of supply during seasonal peaks and major sporting events. Teacrate’s national sales manager Nick Burke explained how the system works. “We look at optimum usage levels and work out the size of the product pool. To guarantee supply during seasonal peaks we agree to hold a buffer stock of crates that can be called upon at short notice. This worked particularly well, for example, during the World Cup last year when demand was very high.”

JJB Sports’ distribution manager Malcolm Bannister said; “We’ve dealt with Teacrate for over ten years now and their service has been invaluable. Their ability to deliver crates at short notice is something that we’ve come to rely on, it means that our products can be delivered to our stores on time, even during exceptionally busy periods.”