Morrisons will support the expansion of its M local convenience stores in the North with a new distribution centre in Bury, Lancashire.
The 150,000 sq ft site will be leased for five years and will be operated by logistics specialist Wincanton on behalf of Morrisons. The new hub is expected to open in October and will create 100 jobs, the retailer said.
The Bury site will be the supermarket’s second dedicated convenience distribution centre, after it opened a hub in Feltham, West London in March.
The move is part of Morrisons’ major push into convenience retailing, with plans to open 100 M local stores by the end of the year – many of them in former Blockbuster or HMV shops.
“This is a big year for M local as we expand at pace. The convenience market is a fantastic opportunity for us and, as we expand our store offering, we’ve got to make sure we have the infrastructure to support it,” said Morrisons’ group logistics and supply chain director Neal Austin.
“We have spoken at length about the importance of us developing a presence in London and the South East, which will be our initial focus, but it’s crucial to us that we also bring our great M local offering to our customers up here in our heartland as well.”
The Bury facility will have the potential to support up to 100 M local stores in the north of England. Morrisons announced in May it had acquired 80 sites for M local stores in its first quarter of the year, with a roughly 50/50 split between the North and the South.
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