Arvato has taken over the complete logistics and fulfillment for Tonies, manufacturer and supplier of the Toniebox and the accompanying figurines. The supply chain and e commerce service provider will be responsible for both the e-commerce and B2B business. In addition to warehousing and inventory management, order picking, transport and distribution management, the logistics services also include returns management as well as refurbishment and value-added services, for example customer-related special services and requests such as the compilation of assortment packaging.
Tonies has been successfully conquering children's rooms with its Toniebox since 2016. This is a digital, easy-to-use audio cube for children over the age of three and the associated Tonies figurines that are placed on the box to play audio plays or songs. "We wanted to reorganize our logistics, as our company is growing very successfully not only in Germany but also internationally," says Martin Fichter, COO at Tonies. "The thoroughness of their approach and the professionalism demonstrated throughout the entire contract award process convinced us to trust in Arvato’s expertise across logistics, technology products and also toys. "
The central location for the distribution of the popular audio cubes, Tonies figurines and related products like headphones or transport cases into the DACH region is Arvato's logistics campus in Guetersloh, which spans across a total area of 132,000 square meters and functions as a multi-user site with several halls. Arvato also processes orders from Tonies' European web shop from this site and ensures delivery to end customers in Benelux, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Cyprus, the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Moreover, the next step is already scheduled. "From August, we will also be handling logistics for the UK and Ireland. We will be using our modern East Midlands Gateway distribution center, which is conveniently located in the triangle formed by the cities of Nottingham, Leicester and Derby", explains Jörn Hermelbracht, Senior Director Account Management at Arvato.
To ensure efficient and smooth logistics processes for Tonies, Arvato not only uses EDI-based communication and data exchange with the client at the Guetersloh site, but has also invested in automation technology such as fully automated carton erectors and closers. Arvato utilizes a state-of-the-art pick tower with multiple storage levels in the distribution center, from which the goods are picked. A total of around 15 million units from the Tonies product portfolio will be shipped per year – from boxes and figurines to headphones and transport cases. "The go-live went just as smoothly as the handling of the enormous Easter peak, where orders exceeded the forecast by more than 50 percent," says Jörn Hermelbracht, pleased with the successful start. "In total, we have already delivered more than 1.5 million units to date."
Tonies is currently active in 26 countries on three continents and has sold more than 6.8 million Tonieboxes and 82 million Tonies figurines worldwide to date. The range includes more than 1,100 hand-painted figurines and more than 4,700 digital titles – ranging from Tonies’ originals productions to content from more than 200 licensing partners worldwide, including Disney, Warner, Universal, Sony Music and many more. Jörn Hermelbracht: "Tonies is currently expanding very successfully with its business model, especially internationally. As we ourselves operate a very large network with worldwide distribution centers at around 100 locations, we definitely see further opportunities to elevate our partnership to a global level in the future."
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