Supermarket chain Coles Group has inaugurated its second Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

The Wetherill Park CFC, 40km west of Sydney, was officially opened by Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, alongside Coles Group chairman James Graham and CEO Leah Weckert.

The facility, a product of a $400m partnership with Ocado, follows the opening of the first CFC in Truganina, Victoria in September 2024

At full scale, the facility will improve the shopping experience while delivering better availability, fewer substitutions, an increased range of products and other improvements.

Coles CEO Leah Weckert said: "Today's launch marks a significant transformation of our online grocery delivery service for New South Wales. Across Victoria and New South Wales, we have already delivered more than 120,000 orders, the equivalent of 5.5 million products, with our customers getting near-perfect orders with zero substitutions. This is an incredible result for our customers, and a testament to the world-class Ocado technology.

"The launch of our CFCs in Victoria and New South Wales comes just in time for the busiest trading period – Christmas. With greater choice, better availability, improved freshness and more flexible delivery options, our CFCs are making it easier for our customers to shop this Christmas.”

The Wetherill Park CFC is named Duraway Ngurra, which means 'grass country' in the Dharug language, and offers an on-site bakery, a fresh produce area, and extended delivery windows, utilising advanced Ocado technology for efficient order processing.

Spanning more than 87,000m2, the CFC can process more than 10,000 orders daily at full capacity.

A fleet of more than 700 bots, managed by an AI 'air traffic' control system, can fulfil a 50-item order in just five minutes in the centralised hub.

The site will employ 1,000 team members and utilise a fleet of environmentally friendly delivery vans.

The Wetherill Park CFC is designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating a two-megawatt solar installation, sensor lighting, water recycling and full cardboard recycling.

Its name and artwork were developed in consultation with the local Dharug community and artist Leanne Watson, honouring the site's location in Dharug Ngurra country.

"Coles launches new automated fulfilment centre in NSW, Australia " was originally created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.

 

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