Poundland takes on extra Linde forklifts to prepare for Christmas.

Europe's biggest single-price discount retailer, Poundland, has given its forklift fleet a boost in preparation for the pre-Christmas peak period.

In the three months before Christmas, Poundland faces extra challenges when demand for its 4,000 product lines increases significantly. The products are handled at two purpose-built warehouses totalling 517,050sqms (5,565,480sqft), close to Wolverhampton.

Kevin Gillespie, Linde Creighton Ltd's corporate account manager, says Linde has worked with Poundland since it opened. "We supply the company with over 120 trucks in normal conditions and an additional 60 or so trucks to cope with its peak demand for Christmas orders."

The Poundland warehouse team uses low-level order pickers and reach trucks. The additional short-term rental trucks that are brought in from October to December have specialist features.

"We fit radio data terminals to the order pickers, which are configured to carry two pallets at once. We also send a team to the warehouses to fit the masts on the reach trucks as they are too high to be transported in one piece," Gillespie explains.

Linde also organises and supplies the additional batteries and battery charging stations that are needed for the peak period.

"We match the short-term rental trucks as closely as possible to the existing fleet and we supply the trucks early to train the operators on any differences," Gillespie says.

Poundland, founded in 1990, is one of the UK's fastest-growing businesses, opening an average of two new shops each month. It now has over 280 stores in the UK, which serve about 3 million customers weekly.