Lidl’s new £70m regional distribution centre in Peterborough will officially begin operations from tomorrow.
The new facility is part of the discounter’s commitment to invest £1.45bn in the UK during 2019 and 2020. Spanning 45,000 sq. m., the centre is replacing an existing smaller Lidl warehouse at Lutterworth which will continue to operate as a non-food hub.
Situated next to the A1(M), the facility will initially serve 48 stores and will use a natural refrigerant system that heats and cools the entire building. It also features solar panels that will generate 10% of the total electricity required by the building.
Meanwhile, Lidl stated that its wider warehouse expansion plans are continuing throughout the pandemic with new DCs planned for Luton and Bolton. It is also planning to expand existing warehouses in Belvedere and Bridgend.
Lidl GB Chief Operations Officer Matthew Heslop said: “As a supermarket, it has been our priority over the past months to ensure that the communities we serve continue to have access to much needed food supplies and essentials. This is very much still our focus, and with the addition of our new Peterborough distribution centre, we are further strengthening our logistics and operations to ensure that we can continue to serve as many customers as possible with quality food at Lidl prices.”
Earlier this month, Lidl revealed that it will be opening an average of one store per week in the UK over the next six months. The discounter also plans to open a further 100 outlets in 2021 and 2022 as part of its drive to have 1,000 stores operating in the country by the end of 2023.
