Hancocks depot in Loughborough reopens after flooding

The Hancocks depot in Loughborough is due to reopen today (10 January) after being flooded earlier this week.

The store, and World of Sweets head office which is located next door, were submerged under water after the River Soar broke its banks.

Flooding hit huge parts of the East Midlands on Monday, with Leicestershire Fire and Rescue declaring a major incident. The flood waters forced local residents out of their homes and businesses to close.

But the team at Hancocks and World of Sweets were quick to dig out their wellies, and once it was safe, headed to the store and head office to begin the clean-up.

Hancocks staff cleaning up the Loughborough depot

Fifty members of the businesses’ team from the store, HR, customer services, finance, marketing, new product development, sales and buyers joined forces to tackle the clean-up.

They filled six skips, walked thousands of steps, consumed hundreds of mugs of tea and coffee and got very muddy but ended the day with a store cleaned and ready to stock.

The fully restocked store will reopen to customers on 10th January, with head office staff back working in the office on13th January.

“We have an amazing team here at Hancocks and World of Sweets who all pulled together to get the Loughborough store and the head office back in business,” Jonathan Summerley, Hancocks chief operating officer, said

“Clearing up after flooding is difficult. The damage and destruction left by the water is hard to take, but our incredible team handled it with smiles on their faces and lots of dirt on their clothes by the end of the clean-up.

“Here at Hancocks and World of Sweets we pride ourselves on our strong culture and the togetherness we’ve created. The efforts of the whole team show their commitment to the business and the customers we serve.”