Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim says expansion plans already in pipeline to create fully automated facility manned by robots
Retail giant Majid Al Futtaim has unveiled its new Carrefour Regional Distribution Centre at National Industries Park (NIP) in JAFZA, Dubai.
The facility is four times larger than any of Carrefour’s previous distribution centres in the region and represents an investment of AED300 million ($82.2 million) by Majid Al Futtaim, which comes as part of its AED30 billion investment plan for the UAE, announced in 2016.
The centre is the latest milestone supporting Carrefour’s ambitious regional growth plans and is critical to Carrefour’s ongoing determination to serve its customers with the freshest produce available at the best value prices.
It is now the central receiving and quality control point for all fresh food and other items, either sourced locally or imported into the UAE, to be sold by Carrefour.
Goods received will go on to be redistributed to Carrefour’s 90 stores in the UAE, to Dubai or Abu Dhabi-based customers who have made online bookings via Carrefour’s website or mobile application, or on to the regional network of Carrefour stores that Majid Al Futtaim operates.
Inside the centre, there are seven temperature zones, ranging from 0-2 degrees Centigrade to 25 degrees, designed to ensure food is stored in the optimum temperatures to preserve its freshness.
The centre is expected to process 42 million cases of products each year, handling more than 100,000 orders per day and storing up to 200,000 items at a time.
Plans are already in place for a future expansion of the centre, which will see the creation of a fully automated extension facility, manned by the latest in retail industry robotics.
Hani Weiss, CEO at Majid Al Futtaim Retail, said: “The Carrefour Regional Distribution Centre represents the future of grocery retailing logistics. We are investing heavily into cutting edge infrastructure that will serve us not only today but well into the future, supporting our ambitious growth plans. This is the largest centre of its kind in the region and one that we will continue to invest in and expand, as our operation grows further.”
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