Marks & Spencer has begun construction on a new £340m automated food distribution centre in Northamptonshire.
The 1.3m sq ft site, which is set to open in 2029, marks the retailer’s largest ever supply chain investment and will support more than 1,000 jobs.
The facility will serve more than 200 M&S Food stores and is designed to increase capacity, reduce long-term costs and improve product availability as the retailer pushes ahead with plans to grow its food business.
M&S said the new national distribution centre would help store teams receive faster deliveries and simplify stock and replenishment processes, giving colleagues more time on the shop floor.
The site will use automation including pallet cranes, high-speed shuttles and hands-free picking to improve efficiency and accuracy across the network.
M&S Food logistics arm Gist chief executive Kevin Bennett said the start of construction marked “a major step” in the retailer’s ambition to become a bigger player in the weekly grocery shop.
“This investment will boost capacity for future growth, lower our long-term cost to serve, and improve product availability so customers get the right products in the right place at the right time,” he said.
“With construction underway, this new site strengthens our network and puts us ahead of the volume curve as we build a bigger, better Food business.”
The start of construction was marked with a steel-signing ceremony attended by M&S Rugby store colleague Michelle Elliman, Bennett, Daventry MP Stuart Andrew and Prologis.
Prologis UK vice president of capital deployment James Hemstock said the project had been shaped by “a shared commitment to quality, sustainability and long-term value”.
The facility is being built to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating and will include rooftop solar, rainwater harvesting, EV charging, recycled materials and a dedicated vehicle maintenance unit.
The investment forms part of M&S’s wider plans to modernise its supply chain, rotate and renew its store estate, and invest in digital and technology.
The retailer is targeting 420 larger Food stores and a more productive estate of 180 full-line stores by 2027/28.
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