Supermarket giant Woolworths has opened a new multi-million dollar online Customer Fulfilment Centre in Lidcombe, New South Wales.
Woolworths’ online fulfilment centre will offer customers spanning from Parramatta to Newtown and Bankstown to Lane Cove access to more than 20,000 extra delivery windows each week.
Sized at 15,000 square metres, the site is Woolworths’ largest online hub in Australia and will create up to 900 new jobs for personal shoppers.
In a statement, Woolworths said its online sales increased by 100 per cent year on year between July and September 2020 and now account for eight per cent of total supermarket sales.
“We’re seeing more and more of our customers turn to the ease and convenience of online grocery delivery in western Sydney,” said Annette Karantoni, Director of eCommerce, Woolworths.
“To keep pace with demand, we’re investing in new online infrastructure to offer our customers more delivery windows and an even more reliable service. This is particularly important as we head into Christmas, when customers are busy and looking for ways to reclaim time with their loved ones,” Karantoni said.
“We’re delighted to welcome hundreds of new personal shoppers to Woolworths at our Lidcombe CFC. It’s a great example of retail innovation driving jobs growth in New South Wales.”
The Lidcombe fitout was completed by Australia’s retail specialists, Mainbrace Constructions and created around 300 jobs during construction. The purpose-built facility has wider aisles and more shelf space than a standard supermarket, allowing personal shoppers to handpick orders from a range of around 20,000 products quickly, accurately and efficiently.
In a statement, New South Wales Minister for Western Sydney, Stuart Ayres expressed his delight that Woolworths has chosen to locate its largest online grocery hub in the country right here in western Sydney.
“The NSW Government is focused on driving private sector job creation as a critical part of our COVID-19 recovery strategy. This site is a terrific example, which will deliver a welcome boost to local employment with 900 new jobs in the heart of western Sydney,” Minister Ayres said.
“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for supermarkets amid the global pandemic. As a government, we’ve focused on providing flexibility with curfews and trading hours to help supermarkets meet the essential needs of the community.”