Aldi begins operations at ‘UK’s largest supermarket warehouse’
Aldi has begun the first phase of operations at its new distribution centre in Leicestershire, which it says is the UK’s largest supermarket warehouse.
The 1.3 million square foot facility in Bardon will employ around 1,000 people, including some staff relocating from Aldi’s sites in Sawley, Derbyshire, and Atherstone, Warwickshire. Recruitment is also underway for new roles at the site.
Aldi has invested more than £500 million in the development. Once fully operational, the centre will support nearly 350 stores across the UK and have the capacity to process almost seven million pallets of stock annually.
Subscribe to TRBThe site will also operate as a national replenishment hub, supporting Aldi’s wider warehouse network.
Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “The state-of-the-art technology in Bardon will significantly increase the efficiency of our warehouse network, meaning we can continue to deliver the best possible prices for our customers, every single day.
“Our ambition is to make quality groceries affordable and accessible to all, and that can only happen when everybody in Britain has an Aldi store on their doorstep.
“That’s why we’re committing significant investment in opening new stores and distribution centres up and down the country, taking us closer to our goal of having 1,500 stores across the UK.”
Planning for the site was approved in August 2020 and construction of the main building was completed in 2024.
The development comprises five interconnected buildings, featuring four ambient storage chambers and six temperature controlled chambers for chilled and frozen products. The facility also includes 100 HGV loading bays at the front of the site and a further 40 bays at the rear.
