Littlewoods Shaw National Distribution Centre

Shaw National Distribution Centre is the main distribution and order processing centre for British retailer Shop Direct Group, and is located in Shaw and Crompton, a town in Greater Manchester, England. Shaw NDC is a "state-of-the-art facility" which "stores over 1000000sqft of products", ready for delivery through the group's distribution arm, Business Express. Shaw NDC spans, making it one of Europe's largest warehouse distribution centres. Shaw National Distribution Centre opened for business as a warehousing and returns centre for Littlewoods in 1979. It occupies three converted former cotton mills and two purpose-built stock-handling and sortation facilities. It dominates the skyline of Shaw and Crompton, and is the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham's largest private employer. In 2006 it distributed around 18 million items to customers, and in 2007 processed more than 39 million customer orders. In early 2009 the peak amount of staff at the site was reported to be 1, 250 people. The centre is also used by delivery company Yodel. HistoryOrigins to 1977Shaw and Crompton developed as an important mill town, and the Shaw National Distribution Centre traces its origins to a cluster of cotton mills in the central part of the town—Lily, Lily (No. 2), Newby, Rutland, Ash and Dee. Rutland Mill was built in 1907, taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930s and absorbed into the Courtaulds group in 1964. It closed for business in 1966. The Lily mills were designed by G. Stott, and built in 1904 and 1917 respectively. They were both cotton mills until they were purchased in the 1950s by Cyril Lord. They were taken over by Carrington Viyella in around 1970, but closed for business in 1977 when they were purchased by Littlewoods and converted into an "ultra-modern mail-order warehouse".

Shaw National Distribution Centre is the main distribution and order processing centre for British retailer Shop Direct Group, and is located in Shaw and Crompton, a town in Greater Manchester, England. Shaw NDC is a "state-of-the-art facility" which "stores over 1000000sqft of products", ready for delivery through the group's distribution arm, Business Express. Shaw NDC spans, making it one of Europe's largest warehouse distribution centres. Shaw National Distribution Centre opened for business as a warehousing and returns centre for Littlewoods in 1979. It occupies three converted former cotton mills and two purpose-built stock-handling and sortation facilities. It dominates the skyline of Shaw and Crompton, and is the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham's largest private employer. In 2006 it distributed around 18 million items to customers, and in 2007 processed more than 39 million customer orders. In early 2009 the peak amount of staff at the site was reported to be 1, 250 people. The centre is also used by delivery company Yodel. HistoryOrigins to 1977Shaw and Crompton developed as an important mill town, and the Shaw National Distribution Centre traces its origins to a cluster of cotton mills in the central part of the town—Lily, Lily (No. 2), Newby, Rutland, Ash and Dee. Rutland Mill was built in 1907, taken over by the Lancashire Cotton Corporation in 1930s and absorbed into the Courtaulds group in 1964. It closed for business in 1966. The Lily mills were designed by G. Stott, and built in 1904 and 1917 respectively. They were both cotton mills until they were purchased in the 1950s by Cyril Lord. They were taken over by Carrington Viyella in around 1970, but closed for business in 1977 when they were purchased by Littlewoods and converted into an "ultra-modern mail-order warehouse".