Wincanton strengthens ties with Sainsbury's

Wincanton Logistics has strengthened its ties with Sainsbury's following the award of a major warehousing and distribution deal with the supermarket giant.

The three-year contract to handle the majority of business for Sainsbury's Local convenience stores across London is a welcome boost for the South-west operator following the recent loss of a £100m contract with electrical retailer Comet.

Sainsbury's will be building a new distribution centre in Thameside, south east London to handle the work, which is due to start in early 2013.

Wincanton currently manages Sainsbury's DCs in Greenford, West London, Northampton and Sherburn, as well as being the sole provider of its port-to-DC container movements in the UK.

Wincanton plans to service the Sainsbury's Local stores through a single transport fleet, maximising efficiency and reducing environmental impact. A spokesperson said it was too early to say how many new jobs would be created at the Thameside DC.

Chris Marrow, director of logistics operations at Sainsbury's, says: "[Wincanton's] strategy for our Thameside DC builds on our shared experiences at Greenford, but goes much further by seeking to maximise synergies through a collaborative and innovative transport approach and shared resources across the management and administrative teams."