ALDI unveils $1 billion-plus automated logistics hub in Western Sydney
ALDI has unveiled plans for a $1 billion-plus automated distribution centre in Bradfield, Western Sydney.
Opening in 2030, the facility will double the retailer’s NSW warehouse capacity and be able to handle up to 680,000 product cases daily at peak and 2.5 million pallets a year – a 30 per cent increase over current operations.
Spanning over half a kilometre on a 22-hectare site, the 108,000-square-metre facility – equivalent to more than 18 Sydney Opera Houses – will replace the supermarket chain’s existing hubs at Minchinbury, Prestons and Eastern Creek.
Once up and running, the centre will supply ALDI stores across NSW and the ACT, with capacity designed to meet forecast demand through at least the mid-2040s.
A similar facility is under construction in Tarneit, Victoria, taking ALDI’s total investment in automated distribution centres to more than $2.5 billion.
The centre will incorporate advanced robotics technology, with 80 per cent of operations expected to be automated, including storage and retrieval systems that will help manage inventory and move products.
Automation will run 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“The automated distribution centre in Bradfield will support our growth ambitions for the future, as we add approximately 100 additional ALDI stores nationally,” says ALDI Australia chief executive Anna McGrath.
“Our enduring commitment to our customers is that we will not be beaten on the cost of their weekly shop.
“We are investing in technology, automation and more sustainable infrastructure that will enable us to keep delivering on that promise in the future.”
As the first major development on Ingham Property Group’s 182-hectare estate, the centre is expected to create over 3000 construction jobs, and more than 500 ongoing operational roles once it’s running.
The centre comes 25 years after Aldi opened its first Australian stores in Sydney.
