Marks & Spencer partners with TGW Logistics to develop a £340 million, state-of-the-art automated distribution hub in Daventry, aiming to revolutionise grocery supply chains and significantly boost its food retail growth.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) and TGW Logistics have embarked on a landmark collaboration to develop a groundbreaking grocery fulfilment centre in Daventry, Northamptonshire, set to be completed by the spring of 2029. This ambitious project repres...
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ents one of the most significant undertakings in TGW Logistics’ 55-year history and marks the largest-ever investment in M&S’s food supply chain. The retailer is committing £340 million to the facility, which will become central to its strategy for doubling the size of its food business.
Spanning an impressive 1.3 million square feet, the new National Distribution Centre (NDC) will be a beacon of innovation and efficiency in the grocery retail sector, setting new benchmarks for shop replenishment across Great Britain. It will feature two distinct temperature zones, ambient and chilled, connected by an energy-efficient conveyor network. The ambient zone will house a high-bay pallet warehouse and a tray-based shuttle system supported by autonomous robots. These robots will take on a variety of tasks including transporting pallets from goods receiving into storage and automatically compiling roll cages for store replenishment. The chilled zone will include a high-performance shuttle system to buffer and sequence trays, feeding automated dolly building machines designed to enhance throughput and accuracy.
Automation lies at the heart of the project, aiming to minimise manual operational steps, improve picking precision, and significantly reduce long-term logistics costs. By deploying robotics and intelligent automation technologies, M&S expects to not only streamline its operations but also enhance customer service through improved product availability and faster replenishment cycles.
Joel Garbutt, Chief Sales Officer for the Customer Unit North Europe at TGW Logistics, has expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, noting that: “Together, we have developed a solution that is geared to the future requirements of grocery retail and will set new standards in innovation and efficiency. TGW technology will enable and support the long-term growth of M&S Food.”
The facility’s scale and technological sophistication indicate a major step forward in retail logistics. Situated approximately 100 kilometres north of London at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT), the centre will provide sustainable design elements and will integrate returns and recycling operations alongside its core fulfilment activities.
Moreover, M&S anticipates that the facility will create around 1,000 permanent jobs, alongside a further 2,000 positions during the construction phase. This investment underscores the retailer’s commitment to bolstering its food supply chain and supporting both regional employment and economic growth.
The project represents not only an operational transformation for M&S but also a pivotal moment for the British grocery retail industry, spotlighting how advanced automation and robotics can sustainably reshape supply chains, reduce costs, and meet evolving consumer demands.
Source: Noah Wire Services
