Colruyt opens non-food distribution centre in Hainaut

Colruyt Group has inaugurated a new distribution centre in Hainaut, which plays a strategic role in supplying Colruyt and Okay stores with non-food items throughout Belgium.

15,000 non-food items

Colruyt Group’s new distribution centre stands along the A8-E429 motorway (Brussels-Lille), measures 22,000 sqm and represents an investment of 51 million euros. It will employ 250 people and will take care of the storage and shipment of 15,000 non-food items to the Colruyt Lowest Prices and Okay stores. These include regular items like stationery, cosmetics and textiles, but also seasonal assortments for events like back-to-school, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Halloween.

“These items are very important to us as they mainly make shopping easier for consumers. Customers can get their daily fresh produce and non-food items in one place”, Commercial Director Fabrice Gobbato explains.

Automation and sustainability

Colruyt Group deploys robots for stock management and product picking in the site in Ollignies (Lessines), aiming to enable employees to concentrate on tasks with higher added value and quality control by automating repetitive and physical tasks. Sustainability is also a priority: 5,200 solar panels produce more than 2.6 million kWh a year, reducing carbon emissions by 1.2 million kilos a year. Intelligent LED lighting, 53 domes that let in natural light and evaporative cooling increase the site’s energy efficiency.

This is already the third distribution centre for the retailer in the region: it is adjacent to the warehouse for FMCG products to optimise logistics efficiency. In a press release, the retailer stated it wants to contribute to the socio-economic development of the Walloon region. With 7,300 employees (including more than 3,400 in the province of Hainaut) and 287 branches in Wallonia, the group is the second largest private employer in the region.