Case study · Bristol retail onboarding
Bristol retail onboarding: 120 new-starter kits in 3 weeks
Anonymised Bristol-based retailer with 120 seasonal new starters across named regional offices. Per-kit spend: cotton T-shirt screen-printed with the firm's seasonal artwork (£5.50), reusable coffee cup (£4.20), branded notebook (£3.80) — per-kit total £13.50; programme total £1,620 exclusive of VAT. 3-week production window on a repeat-order pattern. Independent external supplier — no partnership or sponsor claims.
Engagement summary
Anonymised Bristol-based retailer with 120 seasonal new starters across named regional offices in Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea. Per-kit budget: £13.50 per kit (cotton T-shirt + reusable coffee cup + branded notebook). Programme total: £1,620 exclusive of VAT / £1,944 inclusive of 20% VAT. The named regional distribution centre was in Bristol (BS1) with named secondary distribution to Cardiff and Swansea offices.
Programme calendar: brief submitted 3 weeks before the planned start date; artwork approved 2 weeks before; production completed 1 week before; despatch on the Friday before the named start date. 3-week production window from approved artwork to delivery into the named regional distribution centre.
Programme structure
The programme was structured as an onboarding kit for the autumn seasonal intake. The cotton T-shirt was the anchor product, screen-printed with the firm's seasonal campaign artwork in two colours. The reusable coffee cup and branded notebook were the supporting products for each new starter. The named kit recipient list was confirmed by HR in the week of the brief with the per-starter size distribution (small / medium / large / extra-large) noted per recipient.
Each kit was packed at our Midlands hub and despatched to the named regional distribution centre in a single named courier slot. The named regional distribution centre coordinator confirmed hand-over against the named packing list on arrival, with named per-office breakdown for the named Cardiff and Swansea offices. Named secondary distribution from the regional distribution centre to the named offices ran over the following 48 hours via named courier slots.
Production and delivery
The production flow ran as follows. Screen preparation for the cotton T-shirts over the first week. Production run for all 120 kits in week 2, with a sample run at the start of the run signed off by the brief owner. QC run in the final days before despatch against the named packing list with the per-starter size distribution cross-checked.
Despatch ran on the Friday before the named start date against a single named courier slot into the named regional distribution centre. The named regional distribution centre coordinator confirmed hand-over against the named packing list on arrival. Of the 120 kits despatched, 120 confirmed delivered in the despatch window; 0 lost in transit.
Documented outcome
The named regional distribution centre coordinator (Bristol, BS1) confirmed hand-over against the named packing list on the Friday afternoon. The named itemised despatch note was filed in the firm's HR onboarding file with the named per-recipient row covering date, recipient name (where shared) and dispatch reference.
Post-programme reconciliation showed: 120 kits packed, 120 kits despatched, 120 confirmed delivered in the despatch window, 0 lost, total spend £1,620 exclusive of VAT, total invoice value £1,944 inclusive of 20% VAT. The HR team reported a 22% uplift in named new-starter satisfaction against the prior season's off-the-shelf welcome kit, with the named cotton T-shirts singled out as the named standout item.
Compliance and documentation
The programme was run with full UK GDPR alignment, ICO-registered data flow, and Modern Slavery Act 2015 Section 54 evidence supplied at the firm's onboarding. UK VAT 20% standard applied to the merchandise; printed matter (the branded notebooks) was zero-rated under HMRC criteria. UKCA marking applied to the drinkware cups placed on the GB market. Per-starter name data was treated as personal data under UK GDPR and processed under a documented agreement with the firm's HR team.
Four named written records were maintained: the brief (with named regional distribution centre, named per-office breakdown, named per-starter size distribution), the artwork approval (signed off by the firm's marketing director), the despatch note (with named per-recipient row), and the receipt (with named payment confirmation against the named PO). All four records were filed in the firm's HR onboarding file.
What made the programme run cleanly
The strongest inputs were: (1) a tight 3-week brief window with the named regional distribution centre and the per-office breakdown set in writing; (2) the named per-starter size distribution confirmed by HR in the week of the brief; (3) a sample run at the start of the run signed off; (4) a named courier slot into the named regional distribution centre; (5) named regional distribution centre coordinator confirmed hand-over.
The strongest outputs were: 120 of 120 kits delivered in the despatch window, zero lost in transit, and 22% uplift in named new-starter satisfaction against the prior season. The learnings were: the named per-starter size distribution required a same-week confirmation from HR; named secondary distribution from the named regional distribution centre to named offices required 48 hours of named slack.
Programme parameters at a glance
Audience: 120 named new starters across named regional offices. Programme total: £1,620 exclusive of VAT / £1,944 inclusive of 20% VAT. Production window: 3 weeks from approved artwork to delivery into the named regional distribution centre. Per-kit budget: £13.50 per kit (cotton T-shirt + reusable coffee cup + branded notebook). Compliance: UK GDPR, ICO, Modern Slavery Act 2015 Section 54, UKCA marking, HMRC zero-rating on notebooks. Despatch success: 120 of 120 delivered in window, 0 lost. Outcome: 22% uplift in named new-starter satisfaction against the prior season.
Frequently asked questions
Can the programme run in 2 weeks instead of 3?
Yes, but only on repeat blanks and repeat decoration. First-time programmes with new decoration methods run on a 3-week lead time. For named last-minute requests within 7 working days, named ready-stock products with named minimal decoration are the standard approach.
Can kits ship to named regional offices?
Yes. We coordinate with the named regional office loading bay (London, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast) and the named receiver on site.
Can kits ship direct to home addresses?
Yes. Direct-to-home delivery is available for firms that ship kits in the week before the in-office start date, with mobile contact confirmation per recipient.
Can we hold stock for recurring intakes?
Yes. Bonded warehouse storage at our Midlands hub is available for cotton apparel, drinkware and print blanks in the named standard range, against a named 12-month forecast with a £1,500–£3,000 holding fee per programme.
What payment methods do you accept?
BACS, Faster Payments, CHAPS, Visa, Mastercard, AmEx, Apple Pay and Google Pay, all settled in GBP. Invoices carry 20% standard VAT.