Woolworths customers in South Australia are set to benefit from faster and more frequent deliveries of fresh food and groceries to their local store following the expansion of the Adelaide Regional Distribution Centre (DC).
The site is expected to handle 2500 extra product lines and improve supply chain resilience, while improving service to 250 retail stores across South Australia and NT.
Woolworths Group’s supply chain and logistics arm, Primary Connect, formally unveiled the $57 million upgrade yesterday with South Australian Premier Steven Marshall and the Mayor of Port-Adelaide Enfield Claire Boan.
The footprint of the DC has grown by around 30 per cent and is now 94,000 square metres, equivalent in size to four Adelaide Ovals. With the extra space, the DC can sort and distribute additional volume and an expanded range of products.
“The importance of our supply chain infrastructure has come into sharp focus during the pandemic,” says Woolworths Group Primary Connect Managing Director Paul Graham.
“With this $57 million upgrade, we’re better placed than ever to support the essential food and grocery needs of South Australians.
“The extra capacity at the site will allow us to hold even more key essentials such as pasta, noodles, breakfast cereals and baby food in South Australia. This will shorten delivery lead times on thousands of products across the state – allowing us to better respond to any future surge in demand.”
Mayor of Port Adelaide-Enfield Claire Boan says: “This significant investment by Woolworths builds on the momentum of positive news stories for the Port Adelaide Enfield region and cements the importance of our city as a logistics hub for all of South Australia.”
Renewable energy will help power the DC with a 1.6MVA solar array comprising 3500 panels. The energy output is equivalent to around 300 Australian households’ consumption and the largest solar installation in the Primary Connect network.
“As the operators of Australia’s largest retail supply chain, we want to help build a better tomorrow for generations to come,” says Mr Graham.
“We’ve made a multi-million dollar investment in renewable energy at this site with a massive solar installation, which is set to offset around 20 per cent of our annual energy needs.
“We’re also continuing our food rescue partnership with FoodBank South Australia and expect to donate around 250 tonnes of product to help those in need over the next 12 months. We’re proud to be the largest donor to FoodBank in Australia and continue to provide pro bono freight to support their important mission.”