Coles has secured long-term pre-lease commitments for two new high-tech online customer fulfilment centres in Sydney and Melbourne.
Leased through Charter Hall, both facilities are anticipated to be operational by 2022 and will focus primarily on fulfilling online food and grocery orders. Both will feature UK based Ocado Group’s automated single-pick fulfilment technology and end-to-end online shopping solutions.
The Melbourne facility will be located at the Midwest Logistics Hub in Truganina and will comprise up to 30,000sqm while the Sydney facility, of similar size, will be located within an industrial estate at Wetherill Park.
Cols has said both will generate significant jobs during construction and skilled technology jobs on completion.
Charter Hall Managing Director and Group CEO David Harrison said they were ‘delighted’ to grow their cross-sector relationship with the retailer, who is one o their largest tenant customers.
Coles CEO Steven Cain said the centres will deliver an ‘unrivalled’ online grocery experience for customers.
“We remain committed to our strategy of Smarter Selling through efficiency and pace of change, while partnering with world-class technology partners to provide the capability we need for a second century of sustainable growth,” he said.