Australia Milestone for Witron with Food Retail DCs Contract

Major Australian retail company Coles has selected Witron to deliver two new ambient distribution centres as part of a supply chain modernisation program that will improve availability for customers while lowering costs. The DCs will be located in the states of Queensland and New South Wales.

In seeking a partner for the project, Coles had regard to Witron’s track record of delivering 54 similar projects with global retailers including E. Leclerc, Kroger, Target (US), Supervalu, Sobeys, Edeka, Mercadona, Migros, Meijer, Inex and Coop Norway.

Coles operates more than 2,500 retail outlets across Australia including supermarkets, liquor stores and fuel and convenience stores. More than 21 million customers per week shop in-store or online at Coles, generating sales of more than 39 billion Australian dollars over the 12 months to the end of June 2018 (equivalent to approx. 24.5 billion euros).

The two distribution centres will respectively supply a full range of ambient grocery lines to more than 240 Coles supermarkets in New South Wales and more than 170 supermarkets in Queensland.

From each of the two approximately 70,000 square metre logistics locations, all stores are supplied with a full range of dry goods.

“The modernization of our supply chain will provide a safer working environment for our team members, lower supply chain costs, enhance our overall business competitiveness and make life easier for our customers by having the right offer in the right location,” said Coles CEO Steven Cain.”

Witron CEO, Helmut Prieschenk, said the company was very pleased to be working with Coles on the company’s first Australian project.

“We spent a lot of time working with Coles to make sure that the project was exactly what was needed, going right back to the most basic data before looking at logistics modules and technology, service and operator concepts, end-to-end supply chain intelligence, and finally to ways that the centres could make use of existing and future technology.”

In what Witron owner and company founder Walter Winkler proudly describes as “a milestone in the almost 50-year-history of the company,” Witron has already registered an Australian subsidiary company, Witron Australia Pty Ltd, which will be based in Sydney, to manage the project.

Pictured: Coles CEO Steven Cain (right) and Witron CEO Helmut Prieschenk sign the contracts