Ocado is to open a sixth customer fulfilment centre in Bristol.
The online supermarket said the new base will be its first mini-CFC and will support the growth plans of its Ocado Retail arm.
The facility will have the capacity for over 30,000 orders per week compared to approximately 85,000 orders per week expected from its fifth CFC, currently under construction at Purfleet.
The facility is being built in an existing warehouse and is expected to go live at the end of 2020 or early 2021, bringing same-day deliveries to customers in Bristol and the surrounding area.
“The Ocado Smart Platform is constantly evolving as we innovate to adapt to changing customer needs,” said Ocado Group CEO Tim Steiner.
“We can now deliver the best customer experience across a whole range of customer missions, through CFCs, mini-CFCs, and micro fulfilment centres.
“Ocado’s technology is dynamic and constantly improving, delivered through tried and tested solutions with proven and attractive economics.
“Our mission is to deliver the future of online shopping today, and we believe we are succeeding.”
Ocado said mini-sized CFCs can complement standard-sized facilities to build a fulfilment network in areas not suitable for larger CFCs.
The Bristol mini-CFC, consisting of a 150,000 sq ft warehouse in Avonmouth delivered by St. Modwen, is expected to support around 815 jobs in the local area.
Peter Davies, development director at St. Modwen Industrial & Logistics, said: “Securing a customer of this nature is testament to the quality of our scheme, its prime location and confirms our commitment to speculatively build-out sites where appropriate.
“Across our parks, we’re able to cater to both leading national occupiers as well as small-to-medium-sized industrial and logistics businesses.
“Ocado Retail is a strong addition to our growing list of high-quality customers and the company’s developing offering in the South West will bring significant investment in the regional economy and support hundreds of new jobs.”