M&S have announced plans for a new multi-million pound food distribution centre on the outskirts of Northampton.
The retailer have announced plans for a 1.3 million sq-ft facility in Northamptonshire to open in 2029, which will be based near the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal.
The investment is around £340 million, which M&S says is the largest in its food supply chain sector in its history. The site, which M&S bills as an automated National Distribution Centre (NDC), is intended as part of the strategy M&S have said they are pursuing in their ambition to double the size of the M&S Food business.
In a statement, Alex Freudmann, MD at M&S Food, said, “We’re transforming M&S into a destination for the weekly shop and modernising our supply chain is central to that ambition.
“This investment will boost capacity for future growth, lower our cost to serve over the long-term, and improve product availability – ensuring customers find the right products in the right place at the right time.
“Our new site will strengthen our network and help us get ahead of the volume curve as we build a bigger, better Food business. By using the latest, proven automation, we are future-proofing both our business and UK retail logistics, as well as creating 1000 jobs permanently on site and 2000 during the construction phase.”
Spanning 1.3 million square feet, M&S declared that the new facility will feature advanced automation to significantly enhance operational efficiency, improve product availability on shelf and support the growing number of customers choosing M&S for their weekly shop.
The news follows an announcement earlier in the year to open a new 390k square foot distribution centre at Avonmouth in Bristol, intended to serve stores in the Midlands, South-west England and South Wales.
The construction phase of the new NDC will create over 2,000 jobs, with around 1,000 permanent roles once the site is fully operational, covering driving, logistics, management and more technical roles such as automation technicians.
Prologis is the development partner and TGW Logistics has been appointed as the automation partner for the project.
Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said, “This development goes beyond real estate – it’s a long-term infrastructure platform tailored to M&S’ future supply chain. Together, we’re combining automation sustainability and smart energy systems to deliver a site that supports growth, resilience and net zero ambitions.”
Craig Mitchell, Sales Project Manager TGW Limited at TGW, added, “TGW is extremely proud to be partnering with M&S on this transformation journey. Our collaboration is built on mutual trust, shared ambition, and a commitment to delivering state of the art automation to support M&S’s long-term growth. Together, we are creating a logistics warehouse fit for future retail demands, one that sets a new benchmark for innovation and efficiency in the UK grocery sector.”