Barely a year after opening its distribution centre in Waalwijk, bol.com is forced to add extra square metres to the property. The e-commerce giant wants to double the capacity of the fulfilment centre.
Last September, bol.com opened its long-awaited distribution centre. The sustainable building, with an area of 50,000 square metres, accommodates 7 million products. At peak times, some 35,000 parcels per hour are sorted there.
Doubling floor space
Back then, bol.com announced that it would possibly expand the location in case of strong growth. The online retailer now states that it has now realised that growth. In the first half of 2019, it will therefore start expanding the distribution centre. After the renovation, the distribution centre will have a land area of 100,000 square metres.
One hundred extra jobs
Construction will take place in phases, allowing employees of fulfilment partner Ingram Micro to work undisturbed as much as possible. Bol.com expects to create at least 100 extra jobs with the expansion, both in the fulfilment centre and at bol.com's headquarters in Utrecht.
Additional storage capacity for partners
The extra square metres will enable bol.com to offer a wider assortment and deliver products faster. It also wants to create additional storage capacity for partners. Over 21,000 Dutch and Belgian entrepreneurs sell their items via bol.com. Some of them also outsource logistics to the online giant.
Room for innovation
"This expansion, less than a year after the opening of our first in-house fulfilment centre, enables us to continue to provide good service for our customers and for our partners who sell via bol.com, even with increasing volumes," says managing director Huub Vermeulen. "In addition to providing room for further growth, it also allows us to continue to innovate."
The additional area is expected to be officially commissioned during 2021.
