The Hut Group combats air travel disruption with own air cargo service

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Apr 30, 2020

Lookfantastic owner The Hut Group is fighting the coronavirus-related disruption across the airline industry with the launch of its own dedicated cargo planes.

The Manchester-based business has partnered with Singapore Airlines to speed up the global distribution of goods and remove its reliance on scheduled passenger services. 

In addition to chartering more than 100 Singapore Airlines flights, the group said it will purchase and operate two cargo planes, branded with the “THG Air” livery. The planes will take flight for the first time in October, operating out of Manchester Airport, where the company has its headquarters 

The announcement comes amid unprecedented disruption to supply chains globally and strong international sales growth. The Hut Group, which owns a stable of beauty, wellness, luxury and lifestyle brands, is also expanding its global distribution infrastructure.

In recent months, three new centres have opened in the US, one in Singapore and one in India. A further six distribution centres are planned in overseas markets before the end of the year. 

“The recent disruption across the airline industry has brought huge challenges in the movement of goods across the globe. This led us to accelerate our trials for dedicated cargo planes to link together our own global manufacturing and distribution centres,” explained Matthew Moulding, founder and CEO.

He added: “The partnership with Singapore Airlines places us in the strong position of having secured routes from UK to Asia for the foreseeable future, enabling us to keep our supply chain moving and delivering goods – including essential items such as vitamins, personal care and hygiene products.”

Already one of the UK’s fastest-growing private companies, The Hut Group wants to become a global leader in e-commerce and technology. In addition to various direct-to-consumer brands, the company operates THG Ingenuity, a fully serviced global e-commerce platform for third-party retailers.

The air cargo deal with Singapore Airlines will allow it to further improve its technology services, especially for clients seeking market access in the Asia region. According to a previous press release, THG dispatches over 68 million items to customers globally from partners including Procter & Gamble, Walgreens Boots Alliance and Johnson & Johnson.

Commenting on the agreement, Sherine Teo, vice-president of digital and e-commerce logistics at Singapore Airlines, said: “We welcome this partnership with THG, which facilitates the movement of goods across Asia and supports global supply chains. This collaboration will leverage Singapore Airlines’ flight network to ensure timely and efficient supply and delivery of THG goods to its customers.”