Jumbo fired the starting gun yesterday afternoon for the construction of a mechanised national distribution centre in Nieuwegein. The megadc will have a size of 45,000 square metres and should support the supermarket chain in its growth ambitions. Its central location will reduce the number of kilometres to shops and regional DCs.
In the presence of mayor and aldermen, construction partners and other stakeholders, Kitty van Eerd, wife of Karel van Eerd (founder of Jumbo Supermarkets), symbolically struck the first pile. The future distribution centre will appear on a site the size of over 200,000 square metres at De Liesbosch business park, initially covering an area of 45,000 square metres, but the location offers expansion possibilities for the future.
Medium and slow movers
Jumbo expects the number of shops to increase substantially in the near future. The distribution centre should facilitate that growth. Ceo Frits van Eerd: "In addition, expansion of the range and the high demand for online shopping facilities also play a significant role. To manage this growth, our NDC (national distribution centre, ed.) in Nieuwegein will focus on a faster and more efficient supply of longer shelf-life products."
Jumbo's so-called medium and slow move products will be processed in the DC. The number of items in this longer shelf-life category will rise to over 14,000 in the coming years.
Mechanisation system from Witron
Jumbo is working with Witron for the mechanisation. In Nieuwegein, there will be fully automated systems that move pallets to so-called storage locations.The mechanisation system consists of three subsystems in which the order is picked manually or mechanised, depending on the article characteristics. The Order Picking Machine (OPM) ensures that around 75 per cent of items are placed on the roll cage mechanically. In the Dynamic Picking Ssyteem (DPS), crates are picked using a Pick by Light system and also automatically placed in a roll cage. The remaining items are picked manually. The order of stacking the roll container matches how the products are placed on the shelves. This makes it easier to process the products in the shop.
Sustainability measures
The distribution centre is expected to open its doors at the end of 2020. Jumbo is aiming for the highest BREEAM certification during construction. Sustainable and energy-saving building materials and lighting will be used. In addition, the new building will be equipped with solar panels and an installation that provides so much heat that no traditional heating will be needed.
