$80 million Tasmanian grocery hub opens

The Statewide Independent Wholesalers (SIW) Distribution Centre was opened in Launceston on 31 May, with guest of honour Lara Giddings, Premier of Tasmania, in attendance. The $80 million centre has been designed to ensure faster, fresher grocery delivery to 29 Woolworths stores, 25 BWS stores and 180 independent retailers across Tasmania.

Housing more than $40 million of stock from around 900 suppliers at any one time, the centre will employ 300 staff, with 110 truck movements a day and 410,000 cartons picked per week. Best practice systems such as voice pick technology and radiofrequency receiving and despatch have been installed. Specialist areas have been designed for ambient and temperature-controlled products, as well as a produce quality inspection station - and even rooms built to enable the optimum ripening of bananas and avocados.

“We are thrilled to finally open this amazing facility,” said SIW chairperson Michael Kent. “It represents a substantial investment in the future of Tasmania and will help service the needs of supermarket customers in the state for many years to come.”

Woolworths CEO Grant O’Brien said the centre will enable the company to further expand and improve its Tasmanian operations.

The SIW is a collaboration between Woolworths and Tasmanian Independent Retailers.