What Bartholomews does

Bartholomews Specialist Distribution Limited is a UK-based storage and distribution company operating as part of the Bartholomews Group, a fourth-generation family-owned independent with origins over 130 years ago in the handling, storage and transportation of goods. The specialist distribution entity itself was established in 1978 and has provided storage and distribution solutions for 30+ years, currently operating from two strategically located sites in Eastleigh, Hampshire and Chichester, West Sussex on the M3/M27 corridor close to Southampton docks. Its service portfolio spans six core offerings: Distribution Services (palletised and carton delivery), Pallet Storage (10,000+ pallet capacity), Order Fulfilment (B2B for major UK retailers and D2C to UK, Europe and worldwide), Warehousing Services (100,000 sq ft with 12,000 racked pallet spaces and ambient with freeze prevention), Value Added Services (kit assembly, quality control, labelling, customisation, sortation, display unit assembly), and Freight Services.

The technology platform is built on Microsoft Dynamics 365 as the warehouse management system with barcode scanning, FIFO/FEFO inventory controls, traceability and automated reporting, supplemented by Navman telematics for vehicle tracking and routing, an in-house transport operations software for planning through to financial operations, and the Guardian Strapping System for load safety. Distribution capacity combines a captive fleet of 70+ vehicles (60 HGVs) operated by sister company Churchill Freight Services from five UK sites, Pall-Ex network membership for UK and European overnight palletised freight, and courier partnerships with Royal Mail, DPD and Arrow Logistics for carton, parcel and two-man delivery services.

The go-to-market is sales-led B2B, targeting UK retailers, suppliers and brands with new customer acquisition through a quote request form on the corporate website and direct engagement. The business model is a mix of transaction-fee distribution/fulfilment services and managed-services warehousing/storage, with quote-based pricing and no public pricing. The Bartholomews Group as a whole reports turnover in excess of £36m, group net assets close to £20m, and 200+ employees across five trading subsidiaries. The customer base spans grocery, medical, audio and retail verticals, with Bowers & Wilkins named publicly and several major UK retailers referenced anonymously.

Name

Bartholomews

Legal name

Bartholomews Specialist Distribution Limited

Website

https://bartholomewsdistribution.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bartholomews Specialist Distribution is a UK-based storage and distribution company providing warehousing, pallet storage, B2B and D2C order fulfilment, freight, and value-added services, primarily serving UK retailers, multi-vertical suppliers, and consumer brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chichester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Distribution Services: Palletised distribution via sister company Churchill Freight Services and Pall-Ex network; carton deliveries via courier partners (Royal Mail, DPD, Arrow Logistics)
2. Warehousing Services: 100,000 sq ft of warehousing space with 12,000 racked pallet spaces; ambient warehousing with freeze prevention
3. Pallet Storage Services: Storage capacity for over 10,000 pallets accepting both loose-loaded and pre-palletised deliveries
4. Order Fulfilment Services: B2B fulfilment to major UK retailers and D2C fulfilment to individual customer addresses in UK, Europe and worldwide
5. Value Added Services: Kit assembly, quality control, product labelling, customisation, sampling, sortation, floor standing display unit assembly, and product pack filling

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Bartholomews Specialist Distribution provides end-to-end storage and distribution services from two strategically located UK sites in Chichester and Eastleigh. Its core offerings include warehousing (100,000 sq ft with 12,000 racked pallet spaces), pallet storage (10,000+ pallets), order fulfilment to UK retailers and direct-to-consumer destinations, value added services such as kit assembly and labelling, and freight services via its sister company Churchill Freight Services and the Pall-Ex network.

Product overview

Bartholomews Specialist Distribution is a logistics and warehousing company offering a unified suite of distribution services. The core portfolio consists of Distribution Services (delivering goods via own vehicles and partners), Pallet Storage Services (10,000+ pallet capacity), Order Fulfilment Services (B2B and B2C), Warehousing Services (100,000 sq ft across two sites with Microsoft Dynamics 365 WMS), Value Added Services (kit assembly, labelling, quality control), and Freight Services (via sister company Churchill Freight Services with Pall-Ex network membership). These services work together to provide end-to-end supply chain solutions, from storage through to final delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Distribution Services Distribution services ensuring goods reach their end destination via the company's own vehicles and well-established delivery partners; serves businesses requiring reliable outbound delivery.
• Pallet Storage Services Storage capacity for over 10,000 pallets accepting deliveries in either loose-loaded or pre-palletised format; serves suppliers needing scalable palletised warehousing.
• Order Fulfilment Services B2B order fulfilment to major UK retailers meeting national retailer specifications, plus D2C fulfilment to UK, European and worldwide customer addresses.
• Warehousing Services 100,000 sq ft of warehousing across Eastleigh and Chichester sites with 12,000 racked pallet spaces, ambient warehousing with freeze prevention, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 WMS.
• Value Added Services Kit assembly, quality control, product labelling, customisation, sampling, sortation of defective products, floor standing display unit assembly and product pack filling performed on-site.
• Freight Services Palletised delivery services via sister company Churchill Freight Services fleet (70+ vehicles), operating within the Pall-Ex UK and European overnight delivery network, with carton deliveries handled via Royal Mail, DPD and Arrow Logistics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Storage capacity of 10,000+ pallets and 12,000 racked spaces
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Churchill Freight ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company within the Bartholomews Group that undertakes the majority of Bartholomews Specialist Distribution's palletised delivery requirements. Operates a fleet of over 70 vehicles including 60 HGVs from five UK sites.
• Pall-ExcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK and European overnight delivery network. Churchill Freight Services is part of Pall-Ex enabling efficient, flexible and first-class service on palletised deliveries and collections across the UK and Europe.
• Royal MailminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier partner for UK parcel deliveries covering small packets to oversized items.
• DPDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier partner for UK, European and worldwide parcel deliveries covering small packets to oversized freight.
• Arrow LogisticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCourier partner providing two-man delivery freight for oversized items alongside UK, European and worldwide parcel delivery services.
• Freight Forwarders and Delivery AgentsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelect freight forwarders and delivery agents partnered to provide full end-to-end distribution solutions in combination with Churchill Freight Services.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Culina Group: Culina Group is a major UK logistics and temperature-controlled distribution specialist operating warehousing and shared-user transport across multiple sectors. Directly comparable to Bartholomews' warehousing, distribution and fulfilment services, but with national scale and temperature-controlled capability.
• DHL Supply Chain UK: DHL Supply Chain is the global contract logistics division of DHL, providing warehousing, distribution and value-added services across all major UK retail and industrial verticals. Overlaps broadly with Bartholomews but operates nationally and globally with substantially larger resources.
• Eddie Stobart Logistics: Eddie Stobart is a long-established UK haulage and contract logistics group providing warehousing, distribution and transport services. Comparable to Bartholomews in transport-and-storage integration, though at much larger scale with a national depot network.
• Wincanton: Wincanton is one of the largest UK third-party logistics providers, offering warehousing, transport and contract services to retailers and manufacturers. Highly comparable to Bartholomews but at significantly greater scale, with national rather than regional coverage.
• Yusen Logistics UK: Yusen Logistics is a global freight forwarding and contract logistics provider with established UK warehousing and distribution operations. Comparable to Bartholomews in offering integrated warehousing, fulfilment and value-added services, with cross-border and European expertise.
• CEVA Logistics UK: CEVA Logistics is a global 3PL offering contract logistics, warehousing and finished goods distribution across the UK. Comparable to Bartholomews in serving major retailers and brand owners, but with global scale and broader service depth.
• XPO Logistics: XPO Logistics is a global provider of contract logistics, warehousing and last-mile services with significant UK operations. Competes with Bartholomews in retail and B2B fulfilment but with much broader geographic reach and technology investments.
• Kuehne+Nagel UK: Kuehne+Nagel is one of the world's largest logistics companies, with UK contract logistics operations spanning warehousing, distribution and fulfilment. Overlaps with Bartholomews in retail and consumer contract logistics but at global scale.

Direct peers

• Gist: Gist is a UK temperature-controlled and ambient supply chain specialist providing warehousing, distribution and value-added services, predominantly to UK grocery and retail clients. Directly comparable to Bartholomews in retailer-focused fulfilment and value-added services.
• Unipart Logistics: Unipart Logistics provides contract logistics, warehousing and value-added services to UK and European retailers and manufacturers. Closely comparable to Bartholomews in scale and end-to-end service mix including VAS and fulfilment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bartholomews-specialist-distribution

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bartholomews