Courier Logistics Ltd - News #Case Study

How Gala Tent Scaled Their Business with 20+ Years of Reliable Delivery Support

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:37:16 +0000

Background on Gala Tent

Gala Tent is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial marquees, gazebos, and event equipment. Founded in South Yorkshire in 1999, the business has grown rapidly by combining quality products with fast, dependable service, including free delivery as standard.

With larger, more ‘bulky’, high-volume products and time-sensitive orders, logistics has always been a vital part of their customer promise. To deliver on that promise, they’ve relied on Courier Logistics as their trusted delivery partner for over two decades.

More about Gala Tent

The Challenge

As a company built on providing great products, great service and a quick turnaround time from order to delivery, Gala Tent had to ensure they partnered with a carrier who could provide a service and ownership wouldn’t be a threat to their reputation.

Delivering heavy, bulky products like marquees and gazebos to functions, weddings, and celebrations comes with challenges. With a potentially emotional purchase, Gala had to ensure they didn’t continue to suffer from:

Damaged deliveries: Marquees and gazebos are bulky and sensitive to handling. When items arrived damaged, replacements had to be shipped at their own cost.

Delivery delays: Missing delivery windows meant ruined event plans, unhappy customers, and extra operational strain.

Frequent product loss: Goods were going missing during transit, often with little traceability.

“We faced recurring challenges such as product loss, damaged goods, and delays to customer shipments all of which had the potential to seriously affect customer confidence.”

— Andrew Scott, Operations Director at Gala Tent

Each issue came with a cost, not just financially, but to their brand reputation.

To scale their service and keep their customer promises, Gala Tent needed a logistics partner that could bring control, consistency, and care.

Partnering with Courier Logistics

Courier Logistics began working with Gala Tent over 20 years ago. As a Yorkshire-based logistics provider with national coverage, we brought the flexibility, communication, and care they were missing.

“Their dependable, professional approach has become a core part of how we deliver value to our customers.”
— Andrew Scott, Operations Director at Gala Tent

We worked closely with Gala Tent’s operations and customer service teams to redesign their delivery workflow, ensuring smoother operations, better communication, and fewer surprises. And because our customer service team is local, knowledgeable, and easy to reach, Gala Tent always has a direct line when it matters most.

We provided:

Real-time updates and communication between teams

Tailored pallet and parcel delivery solutions for large, fragile goods

A proactive, people-first approach that aligned with Gala Tent’s customer values

“With strong communication from their customer service team, we’re able to deliver timely updates and fast resolutions if required.”

— Andrew Scott, Operations Director at Gala Tent

Impact and Outcomes

Today, Gala Tent’s delivery model is one of their biggest strengths and a true competitive advantage in the events and hospitality industry.

Key Results:

A logistics setup that supports their brand and bottom line.

The ability to offer fast, free delivery across the UK.

Fewer delays, fewer damages, and fewer customer complaints.

“Their service enables us to offer fast, free delivery, a promise that very few of our competitors can match. This has a direct impact on buyer trust and conversion rates.”

— Andrew Scott, Operations Director at Gala Tent

Why the Partnership Still Works 20 Years Later

The relationship between Gala Tent and Courier Logistics goes beyond transactional service. It’s a partnership grounded in shared values: honesty, consistency, and customer-first thinking.

We’ve grown together over the years, adapting to seasonal peaks, new product launches, and shifting customer expectations. And throughout, both companies have kept one goal in mind: delivering a first-class experience to the end customer.

“Above all, what we value most is the peace of mind their partnership brings. Fewer losses, fewer delays, and dependable delivery performance have allowed us to scale without sacrificing service.”
— Andrew Scott, Operations Director at Gala Tent

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Improving Customer Satisfaction and Delivery Rates: How Apelson Optimised Their Supply Chain with Courier Logistics

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:15:04 +0000

Background on Apelson

Apelson are a leading name in the home appliance industry, specialising in providing a wide range of kitchen and household solutions. Operations Manager at Apelson, Greg Ward oversees supply chain and customer service operations, ensuring smooth logistics, timely deliveries, and maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction. The core focus for Greg was choosing the right logistics partner and focusing on optimising their end-to-end supply chain.

More about Apelson

The Challenge

Before partnering with Courier Logistics, Apelson faced increasing difficulties and problems as their business grew. Their previous logistics partner could not deliver when it came to Apelsons specific needs: visibility, technology and reliability. Greg and Apelsons needed a logistics partner that could help in maintaining a frictionless operations process from start to end.

Greg Ward, Operations Manager at Apelson:

"Before we partnered with Courier Logistics, we had a solid existing solution, but visibility and technology were becoming increasingly important. As our business grew, we needed a logistics provider that could keep up with the size of our shipments and our complex fulfilment needs."

Apelson's key challenges included:

Limited visibility: A lack of real-time tracking hampered customer service and logistics planning.

Delayed deliveries: Unreliable schedules affected customer expectations.

Inventory management issues: Products weren’t always available at the right locations.

These issues led to growing customer dissatisfaction, operational inefficiencies, and lost time addressing logistics problems instead of focusing on core business functions.

Partnering with Courier Logistics

Apelson turned to Courier Logistics, a company known for its expertise in managing large pallet deliveries and providing comprehensive logistics solutions. With innovation and customer satisfaction being 2 core values for Courier Logistics, we could offer Apelson the technology, transparency and flexibility that they needed.

Greg Ward, Operations Manager at Apelson:

"Partnering with Courier Logistics has greatly improved our ability to meet customer demand. Their overnight pallet service ensures that even large shipments are delivered promptly, allowing us to maintain stock levels and reduce delays."

Key benefits of the partnership included:

Real-time tracking: Apelson could now monitor shipments as they happened, providing customers with up-to-date information.

Improved delivery speed and accuracy: Courier Logistics’ system, being part of the Pallet-Track network, significantly reduced late or incorrect deliveries.

Efficient storage and fulfilment solutions: Apelson's stock levels became more manageable, cutting down on over-ordering and wastage.

Impact and Outcomes

After partnering with Courier Logistics Apelson immediately saw changes in their delivery times, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. With delivery rates improving by 2.4% from 96.9% to 99.3% and cost per delivery significantly dropping it is clear to see that Courier Logistics’ solutions are the perfect fit for Apelson’s needs.

Greg Ward, Operations Manager, highlighted the most noticeable change:

"With faster deliveries and more reliable fulfilment, we’ve seen a rise in positive feedback. Our customers now trust that their appliances will arrive on time and in good condition, and they appreciate the transparency in the process."

Key Results:

Reduced delivery times: Overnight pallet service ensured products arrived faster, helping Apelson maintain its stock levels and better meet customer demand. Delivery rates improved by 2.4%.

Cost savings: Improved efficiency in logistics reduced unnecessary storage costs and cost per delivery significantly.

Enhanced customer experience: Apelson’s customers could track their deliveries in real-time, giving them confidence in timely arrivals, which improved trust in the brand.

Greg Ward, Operations Manager at Apelson:

“Without a doubt, we’d recommend Courier Logistics to other companies in the home appliance industry. Their expertise in handling large pallet deliveries, combined with their reliable storage and fulfilment services, has transformed our logistics operations. They’ve proven to be a trusted partner who truly understands our needs.”

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