John Lewis has revealed plans for a 638,000ft² DC in Milton Keynes, its third in the area.

The DC will provide capacity for growth in the retailer’s in-store and online operations. It will also support its existing DC at Milton Keynes’ Magna Park, which opened in 2009, and a second Magna Park facility currently under development.

The planned DC will be used for furniture and electrical items. The existing Magna Park site will be responsible for smaller products such as tablets and accessories, while the second Magna Park development will be used for home furnishings.

It will replace developments in Carlisle, Stevenage and three other Milton Keynes sites. Almost 300 staff will be affected and will be offered alternative roles at the planned development, or at the two other sites in Milton Keynes.

Operations director Dino Rocos said: “As customers shopping habits evolve so too does our operational business model. The new DC will enable us to better respond, react and fulfil omnichannel shopping experiences be it via phone, tablet, desktop or visiting a shop. For the supply chain this means improving availability.”

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