Fast-growing discount chain Home Bargains has announced the construction of a new “state-of-the-art” distribution centre is officially way, which will further strengthen its supply chain when operational in mid-2028.
T J Morris, the owner of the Home Bargains brand, stated that the development was a significant milestone in the expansion of its national distribution network. The site will be highly automated and service over 300 Home Bargains stores when completed.
The new distribution centre is being built near Doncaster on a mixed-use regeneration development directly off junction 5 of the M18/M180 motorway interchange. Spanning around 1 million sq. ft., it will incorporate sustainable building practices and utilise the latest order-picking technology from WITRON.
The facility in Doncaster will have the same design as one in St Helens, which becomes operational in May this year, with all product groups and logistics areas – from receiving to truck loading – integrated end-to-end into the highly automated overall process. All processes are controlled by an intelligent warehouse management system from WITRON.
“In addition to the benefits for consumers in the stores, a decisive criterion for TJ Morris was also the focus on the employees who will work with WITRON technology in the logistics centre in the future. They will benefit from state-of-the-art, ergonomic workstations, which is an enormous competitive advantage in times of labour shortages”, said Duncan Pointon, WITRON’s UK Sales Manager.
“In addition, the issue of sustainability is addressed in many different ways – for example through significant CO2 savings due to densely packed load carriers, optimal truck utilisation, and fewer trucks on the roads. Furthermore, through space savings in construction and by significantly reducing excess goods, breakage, and waste.”
The most recent accounts for T.J. Morris show the discount retailer’s turnover climbed 11.7% to £4.21bn over the year to 30 June 2024. The group stated that growth was driven by new openings, store re-sites, and an increased contribution from existing sites.
Operating profits jumped 34.2% to £434.4m, while pre-tax earnings rose 35.2% to £454.8m.
Home Bargains ended the year with 617 stores, up from 594 in the previous period.
The company confirmed that it planned to continue increasing the number of outlets during its current financial year, with it reiterating its aim to have between 800 and 1,000 stores in the longer term.
