Lidl GB has officially opened the doors to its massive new distribution centre in Luton, where it expects to deliver more than 9,400 pallets per day to 150 of its nearly 1,000 stores in the UK.
At 1.2 million square feet, it is triple the size of any of its other facilities. But two features truly set it apart: automation and sustainability.
At times, this behemoth in Houghton Regis will operate on 100% solar power, while its biogas (food waste)-driven fleet of vehicles will mean the RDC will be diesel-free in just seven years.
“The opening of this new RDC in Luton is a seminal moment for Lidl GB,” Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB, said. “Demand for Lidl has never been higher. The fact that Lidl’s largest RDC in the world is here in Great Britain speaks for itself not only in terms of us needing to meet the growing demand from customers, but also in terms of our ambition to grow that demand in the future. It is a spectacular state-of-the-art site that our team has worked incredibly hard on to get to where we are today.”
Its scale is off the charts. At triple the size, it will also service more than double the amount of supermarkets that its others can. Expansion is absolutely a necessity as Lidl is planning 19 more stores this year after unveiling 50 new ones in 2022.
The new warehouse will create as many as 1,500 new positions. Those workers will experience a UK-best £11.00 per hour and as much as £12.30, plus benefits.
“To see the culmination of all the work that’s gone into it and knowing the boost that it’s going to give to the local economy including the 1,500 jobs created, is truly something,” Jennifer Davidson, Lidl’s Regional Director responsible for the new distribution centre, said. “We have an exceptional team here, and I’m excited about what the future has in store for us, and Lidl in general.”
