Marks & Spencer is set to make a £340m investment in its food supply chain – the largest in its history. This multi-year investment will fund the development of an automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire.
Spanning 1.3 million square feet, the new facility will feature advanced automation to significantly enhance operational efficiency, improve product availability on shelf and support a growing number of customers.
Based at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, the depot is expected to open in 2029.
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.
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.”
