Global eCommerce fulfilment provider Huboo is expanding its support for alcohol brands everywhere with the introduction of a dedicated, excise duty suspended warehouse, one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
An excise warehouse is a secure, HMRC approved space in which goods that are liable to excise duty and VAT - such as alcohol - may be held with both the excise duty and VAT suspended.
Huboo’s approved premises, located at its 103,000 sq ft Chippenham warehouse, mean that alcohol brands can defer the payment of excise duty and VAT on their products, rather than paying all duties prior to the arrival in the warehouse. For example, goods sold and removed on June 15 need only pay the excise duty due on July 29.
Using Huboo’s excise warehouse, alcohol producers free up cash flow by only paying duty to HMRC once items are dispatched. They also reduce the red tape involved in processing duties, with Huboo’s team of beer, wine and spirits (BWS) experts able to log and declare all removals from the warehouse to HMRC on the producers’ behalf and provide answers to any complex excise duty-related questions that brands might pose. Huboo can advise alcohol brands on their own HMRC licensing and compliance requirements.
It’s an approach that frees up time and resources for alcohol brands to focus on other aspects of their day-to-day business and offers a welcome boost to operational efficiency following months of rising inflation and operating costs, not to mention UK Government’s pending plans to increase duty rates on alcohol from August 1, 2023.
The Wiltshire-based warehouse is strategically located near the thriving market town of Chippenham on account of its excellent transport links to all conurbations along the M4 and M5 corridors, up to and including the M32, as well as its access to major ports such as Southampton and Bristol. Thanks to this domestic and global connectivity, Huboo’s excise warehouse helps brands achieve significant supply chain savings by delivering goods closer to their final destination, reducing transport costs and potential damages, and allowing storage under excise duty suspension.
Huboo’s warehouse offers a compliant storage solution for all alcohol products, ensuring they hold their value for longer, while Huboo has batch control and quality assurance measures in place, ensuring that products do not exceed best before dates. Warehouse staff are able to respond to alcohol orders with 99.9% accuracy, resulting in faster deliveries, while ensuring minimal breakages and a seamless returns process.
The warehouse has the capability to release alcohol bottle by bottle, rather than just per case, or at the pallet level - ideal for bespoke eCommerce orders. With just a minimum of five orders required per day, it is perfect for aspirational startup alcohol brands, while offering a scalable solution that can meet even the needs of large, well-established brands with high storage requirements.
Martin Bysh, Co-Founder and CEO, Huboo, said:
“Our goal is to offer unparalleled support to alcohol clients, regardless of their size and specialism, giving them a fulfilment platform from which they can keep on growing and harness every new commercial opportunity. By launching one of the UK’s largest excise warehouses, we’re able to give more alcohol brands the chance to reach their full eCommerce potential, helping them reduce red tape, free up cash and continue to prioritise market expansion - at home and overseas.”
The launch of Huboo’s first excise warehouse closely follows another key milestone for the business, with the announcement that Huboo has become a fully-certified TikTok Shop partner, placing the fulfilment provider at the heart of the UK’s burgeoning social commerce movement.