VVA reports record volumes

VVA, the publishing distribution unit within Arvato, has reached a significant milestone: For the first time in the company’s history, more than 11 million books were shipped from a single site within one month. This record volume marks an important achievement in the organization’s 66-year history.

In addition to the main hub in Gütersloh, locations in Verl and Munich also operate at consistently high capacity levels. To reliably manage rising order volumes, the Gütersloh site moves into a three-shift model as needed.

The exceptional performance was driven by a strong mix of new releases, including titles such as the latest Asterix, Hera Lind’s Silent Hero, and bestsellers by Dan Brown and Ken Follett. During peak seasons, order volumes typically spread across the more than 100,000 available titles.

The Verl site also reports strong throughput. This location specializes in games and toys and benefits from the sustained popularity of the Pokémon franchise, for which VVA handles the exclusive nationwide distribution on behalf of rights holder Amigo. Additional strong brands such as Kosmos and Moses also contribute to this segment’s continued growth. Annual outbound volumes in toys will surpass 50 million units for the first time.

At Verlegerdienst Munich, current priorities include the planned modernization of conveyor technology to increase operational flexibility and maintain market-leading turnaround times.

“Despite our high degree of automation, it is our people who make the difference,” says Stephan Schierke, Managing Director of VVA. “I would like to thank all colleagues across our three sites. Their commitment and flexibility are the foundation for achieving volumes of this scale while maintaining the exceptional quality VVA is known for.”

VVA is one of the leading publishing distribution providers in the German-speaking market and has established itself as a clear market leader through quality, capacity, and operational excellence.