Enhancing efficiency and customer value in the logistics sector

Inefficiencies as an obstacle for growth
Stop Start is a next-day delivery specialist focused on transporting high-value, fragile goods – primarily bathroom products such as heavy shower screens and baths. When Storskogen acquired the company in 2022, it had good profit margins but relied on traditional, labour-intensive operations and lacked formal systems, factors that were hindering its potential for expansion. As an experienced CEO across a range of industries, I stepped in as acting CEO during 2023. In our work with Stop Start, we identified four key areas to professionalise the company and increase revenue and efficiencies:

1. The warehouse was outdated and inefficient, struggling to accommodate the increasing volume of deliveries.
2. Route planning was a manual and laborious process, taking a team of three to manually plan over several hours. This method was inefficient, especially given the complexities of logistics – optimising for minimal mileage and route density is essential for vehicle efficiency.
3. Customer pricing followed an informal methodology rather than a data-driven approach with market analysis.
4. Customer satisfaction received insufficient attention.

To unlock growth, it was clear that each of these areas required dedicated investments and strategic improvement.

Targeted efforts towards modernisation
We made significant efforts in all the identified focus areas during 2023-2024.

1. Warehouse upgrade – we relocated to a new larger, modern warehouse, specifically designed for optimal truck access and efficient goods handling. This improved workflow, allowed for business growth without space issues, and provided a better work environment for employees.
2. Automated route planning – an advanced AI based digital system was implemented to plan routes across the UK in just 45 minutes, replacing the previous extensive manual effort that took several hours. Fewer staff are now needed, route density and mileage have improved, and live tracking for customers has added value and supported higher pricing.
3. Data-driven pricing – a new pricing model provides a full profit and loss view for each customer, shows how prices compare between customers, and enables flexible pricing based on route density. Annual price adjustments are clearly aligned with the enhanced value delivered to customers through the various improvements.
4. Customer success focus – a proactive approach has been adopted, by using a CRM system to track interactions, monitor damage rates, and keep communications open. Marketing efforts have been carried out, notably on social media, and the business development team has been enhanced to grow and diversify the customer base, yielding new customers.

A professional business with solid growth
The outcomes of these strategic investments in the past few years have surpassed expectations. The number of daily deliveries on a peak day has more than doubled, with route planning automated, yielding greater efficiency. Route density has improved, supporting increased customer numbers, competitive pricing, and stronger margins. The data-driven pricing model aligns price increases with added value, and customer retention is high, with the base nearly doubling month-over-month. Finally, we hired an outstanding and experienced permanent CEO to take the business forward.

Then, building on our positive experience in this industry, Storskogen also acquired Carry Gently in 2025, a niche logistics company with similar characteristics, providing potential for synergies and further expansion.

Chris Pullen
Interim EVP, Head of Storskogen UK

Chris Pullen is interim EVP, Head of Storskogen in the UK. Before joining Storskogen, he served as an officer in the British Army and as CEO of a variety of businesses in different industries.

Read more about Stop Start Transport: https://www.stop-start.co.uk/

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