Marks & Spencer is investing £340 million in a new automated National Distribution Centre in Northamptonshire. It represents the largest single investment in its supply chain to date.
The 1.3 million sq ft facility, located at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, is scheduled to open in 2029 and will be central to M&S’s strategy to double the size of its food business.
The site will showcase cutting-edge automation, including pallet cranes, high-speed shuttles, and hands-free picking systems, all designed to boost efficiency and speed up product delivery to store shelves.
M&S Food MD Alex Freudmann said: “We’re transforming M&S into a destination for the weekly shop and modernising our supply chain is central to that ambition.
“This investment will boost capacity for future growth, lower our cost to serve over the long-term, and improve product availability – ensuring customers find the right products in the right place at the right time.”
The high street retailer expects the construction phase to generate more than 2,000 jobs, with approximately 1,000 permanent positions once the facility becomes operational.
M&S stated that the depot is being designed to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating, placing it among the world’s most sustainable warehouses. Sustainability features will include solar panels, rainwater harvesting, EV charging stations, and the use of recycled materials.
This investment comes after the opening of a 390,000 sq ft depot in Avonmouth earlier this year, which serves the Midlands, South West, and South Wales.
The investment coincides with M&S’s accelerated store renewal programme, which aims to deliver 420 “bigger, fresher” food stores and 180 full-line stores by 2027/28.
Prologis has been appointed as the development partner for the new site, while TGW Logistics will supply the automation systems.
Paul Weston, Regional Head at Prologis UK, said the scheme was “a long-term infrastructure platform tailored to M&S’ future supply chain”, while TGW’s Craig Mitchell added that the partnership was built on “mutual trust, shared ambition, and a commitment to delivering state-of-the-art automation”.