ALDI has unveiled new details surrounding a new automated distribution centre (ADC) in western Sydney, representing a combined investment of more than $1 billion.
Now under construction at Bradfield, the Sydney ADC will double ALDI’s warehouse capacity in NSW, allow it to handle more than 680,000 product cases a day at peak and 2.5 million pallets a year, up to 30% more than today.
Scheduled to open in 2030, the centre will replace ALDI’s existing distribution facilities at Minchinbury, Prestons and Eastern Creek. Once operational, it will supply ALDI stores across NSW and the ACT, with capacity designed to meet forecast demand through to at least the mid-2040s.
A similar facility is also under construction in Tarneit in Victoria, to service the state and taking ALDI’s total investment in automated distribution centres to more than $2.5 billion.
ALDI Australia CEO Anna McGrath says the retailer has always taken a long-term view of its investment in Australia.
“The ADC in Bradfield will support our growth ambitions for the future, as we add approximately 100 additional ALDI stores nationally. This will help us bring our great-quality, low-price offer to more Australian communities,” she says.
“Our enduring commitment to our customers, is that we will not be beaten on the cost of their weekly shop. We’re investing in technology, automation and more sustainable infrastructure that will enable us to keep delivering on that promise in the future.”
Automation to keep products moving
The new centre will incorporate advanced robotics technology, with 80% of operations expected to be automated, including storage and retrieval systems that will help manage inventory and move products through the facility.
Automation will run 24 hours per day, seven days a week to distribute products “more efficiently” from suppliers to stores, according to ALDI.
“This will not only support future store growth and operational efficiency, but it will ensure that we can continue to deliver everyday low prices and quality products to customers,” says the retailer.
The development
ALDI is partnering with Richard Crookes Constructions to deliver the facility. At more than half a kilometre long, the distribution centre will be built on a 22-hectare site with 108,000sqm of floor space.
The centre will mark the first major development within Ingham Property Group’s broader 182-hectare industrial estate. It’s also one of the first major logistics projects associated with the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, expecting to add over 3000 construction jobs and more than 500 ongoing operational roles once its running.
