UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg officially opened Sainsbury's new Thameside Distribution Centre in South East London on Tuesday 25 June. The 250,000 sq. ft facility, which is to be operated in partnership with supply chain solutions specialist Wincanton, will support 200 Sainsbury's convenience stores from London to Brighton and represents an investment of £30 million by the retailer.
According to the retailer, the new distribution centre has four chambers (ambient, produce, chilled and frozen) and features internal racking at a height of 14 metres. In line with Sainsbury’s 20x20 sustainability targets, all Thameside depot’s general waste - including paper, cardboard and plastic - is recycled or put to positive use, such as being turned into fuel. Other energy saving measures include LED light fittings in the chilled & frozen chambers, rainwater harvesting on the roof plus car charging points in the colleague car park.
Commenting on the launch of the new distribution centre John Rogers, Sainsbury’s chief financial officer, said, "Thameside is our second dedicated convenience depot and this state of the art facility gives us superb support for our exciting plans to grow our convenience business. This growth is good news for communities across London and the South East as we know that a new Sainsbury’s Local not only brings jobs but also increased footfall to an area, something that benefits nearby retailers on our high streets."
"Customers tell us that they like to shop little and often to save money and reduce food waste. Our convenience store business is meeting these trends and the team here at Thameside are perfectly placed to support the growth of our stores," he added.
Sainsbury’s opened its first convenience store in Hammersmith in 1998 now has over 540 Sainsbury's 'Local' convenience stores nationwide, which achieved sales of over £1.5 billion in 2012. Earlier this year, Sainsbury’s announced plans to open 50 new convenience stores in the London and South East region by early 2014, creating over 1,000 local jobs. (25 June)
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
