Greggs is planning to open a new national distribution centre at Symmetry Park, Kettering, in partnership with commercial and industrial property developer Tritax Symmetry.
The move is part of the bakery retailer’s ambitious strategic growth plans, announced in 2021, to expand its supply chain capacity to meet the needs of its gowing portfolio of 2,500 UK stores.
This latest investment will allow the company, which operates its own in-house fleet to bolster its capacity to directly supply ambient and chilled products to its shops.
The new centre is expected to be operational in the first half of 2027 and will cover 311,551sq ft of logistics space on a 25.1-acre plot.
Designed to a BREEAM Very Good standard and achieving an EPC A rating, the facility will meet Net Zero Carbon in Construction requirements, aligning with Greggs’ sustainability goals.
Tritax Symmetry is also seeking planning permission for an additional 100,000sq ft for future expansion. Symmetry Park, Kettering, spans 136 acres with outline planning permission for 2,310,000sq ft of logistics space.
Announcing the site, the company said: ”This investment is part of our ongoing investment into our supply chain as we continue to expand the Greggs estate from 2,500 to over 3,000 stores.
”The new distribution centre will enhance our ability to deliver ambient and chilled products directly to our store portfolio.”
Greggs operates over 250 18-tonne, temperature-controlled rigid vehicles that provide 3,500 store deliveries every day, with around 25 tractor units also used for line haul between regional distribution centers.
The retailer employs a team of around 600 drivers working across two shifts, so each store receives a delivery overnight and during the day.
This latest news closely follows Greggs’ announcement that it has entered into a lease agreement for a new frozen production and logistics facility at SmartParc SERGO Derby in Spondon.
The new site, which is currently being developed, is expected to open in late 2026. The purpose-built facility will provide additional manufacturing capacity for a range of products, as well as provide logistics for frozen storage and fully automated robotic order picking and distribution.
The site’s sustainable features include an onsite shared centralised heating and cooling system that recycles heat from refrigeration plants across the estate, a rainwater harvesting system, PV panels and EV charging points.
