Shaw and Crompton has become a base for distribution companies as a result of the town's good transport links, its supply of large, disused mill properties, and its situation between Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire. It is home to Shop Direct Group's Shaw National Distribution Centre, one of the UK's largest warehouse distribution centres. The company occupies three former cotton mills and state-of-the-art purpose-built storage and sorting facilities on a complex within the town. In 2007, the site became the retail company's only packing and distribution centre for non-bulk items. It employs nearly 1,000 staff, making it the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham's largest private employer. The N Brown Group, and children's toy distributors Toy Options have distribution centres in the town.