Independent retailer Leekes has ordered 26 Mercedes-Benz Sprinters for operation from department stores and building centres across South Wales, Wiltshire and the West Midlands.

Provided by Euro Commercials, all are Sprinter 313 CDI models with state-of-the art 129 hp common rail turbodiesel engines. Leekes has specified BlueEfficiency packages which combine a raft of measures designed to reduce fuel use and exhaust emissions.

Most of the new vehicles are long-bodied panel vans with external glass-carrying frails and internal racking, which are being used by its double-glazing fitters.

The line-up also includes an Extra-long van which is based at its store in Melksham and used primarily to deliver furniture, much of it to London, and six Long chassis cabs with dropside bodies, the latest three of which were fitted on the production line at the Mercedes-Benz factory. These are used by Leekes’ conservatory base installation teams.

Euro Commercials has additionally supplied a nine-seat Mercedes-Benz Vito Traveliner minibus which is now in service at The Vale Resort on Hensol Park, Vale of Glamorgan, a sister company to Leekes.

The retailer, which also has concessions in other stores and garden centres, runs 70 vans, the vast majority of them Sprinters. Mercedes-Benz Atego rigids also account for the greater part of its truck fleet and are used both for trunking to stores and deliveries to customers.

“Mercedes-Benz is a premium brand with an image of quality that can only enhance our own reputation,” said director Stuart Leeke.

“We bought our first Sprinters in 1998, since when they have always proved outstandingly reliable, cost-effective to operate and popular with our drivers. Safety is of paramount importance to our company, so the fact that Mercedes-Benz leads the field in this respect is also key to its appeal.”

The new vans replace older vehicles that have been stood down, including several by another manufacturer.

“Our experience of disposing of these vehicles confirmed that the Sprinter continues to command high residual values compared to other types of van,” added Leeke.