Waitrose has announced a “multi-million” investment in a 360,000sq ft distribution centre in Bristol to serve customers in the Southwest.

The site, which will be the supermarket’s first in the region, will be operational towards the end of 2026.

Waitrose will use the distribution centre to make deliveries to around 50 existing supermarkets, with capacity to support further stores.

The centre will be located in Mountpark’s Bristol 360, a modern logistics site with many energy efficient and sustainable features, including over 1,200 solar panels.

Waitrose said it estimates that the new centre will enable it to reduce annual mileage within its supply chain by 2,225 tonnes of CO2 per year, helping it meet its target of being net zero by 2035 and fossil fuel free by 2030.

Currently Waitrose uses four regional distribution sites across the UK in Aylesford, Bracknell, Brinklow and Leyland to fulfil shop orders, and three national distribution centres in Milton Keynes, Greenford in London, and Reading.

It also has two fulfilment centres in Greater London based in Greenford and Coulsdon, from where it delivers online customer orders purchased through its website.

The company added that it is working on plans to open new convenience and full-line stores throughout the UK.

Last month, the retailer announced that a shop will be built at Brabazon in north Bristol, which is expected to open in 2027, and later this year a new convenience store will open in The Arches, Bristol.

“This multi-million pound investment is an important step in modernising our supply chain and setting us up to build the capacity needed for our growth plans,” said Alison Maffin, Waitrose’s supply chain director. “It will enable us to better serve our customers in the region, more efficiently supply our existing shops and reduce our operating costs and carbon emissions.”

---