Picnic continues to announce new logistics locations. An automated fulfilment centre is springing up in Ridderkerk with which it plans to supply groceries to over 200,000 families every week. The online supermarket opened several DCs ahead of schedule last year and is meanwhile working hard on the fully robotised location in Utrecht.
Construction of the building in Ridderkerk, which will have an area of 42,000 square metres, will start after the summer. Picnic will install its own mechanisation. Among other things, automated sorting, packing and distribution machines will be installed, developed by Picnic itself. In early 2023, the supermarket plans to occupy the site.
Divided over three temperature zones, there is room for more than 200,000 crates to store products. "By using smart technology, the employees no longer have to collect the groceries with a trolley, but they come to their packing station," says Frederik Nieuwenhuys, co-founder of Picnic and responsible for the fulfilment centres. "This way, they can put the product in the right crate as they are presented."
Picnic says it has been working with a team of robotics specialists for years on technology using software with artificial intelligence. With this, it hopes to reduce food waste, as well as packaging material consumption.
800 jobs
Despite robotisation and automation, the grocery delivery service expects to need 800 workers in Ridderkerk. To do so, it will work closely with the municipality of Rotterdam. "We are committed to sustainable employability of Rotterdammers at Picnic. Especially for jobseekers in Rotterdam-Zuid, this is a great opportunity," says Rotterdam alderman Roos Vermeij.
Extra capacity
Over the past year, Picnic opened several logistics locations ahead of schedule; in Zaandam and in Apeldoorn, DCs were accelerated as extra capacity was needed due to a spike in demand for online groceries. The app-only supermarket saw sales double to 500 million euros in 2020. That turnover should double again in 2021 to 1 billion euros.
In a few months, a fully robotised distribution centre is scheduled to open at the Lage Weide business park in Utrecht. This building, in which Picnic is investing 250 million euros, will cover 42,000 square metres and will also accommodate more than 200,000 crates.
Expansion into France
Picnic, which has also been active in Germany since 2018, announced expansion into France earlier this month. Ten electric delivery vans are now running in the Valenciennes region, departing from a hub in Anzin. Currently, Picnic employs around 20 runners in France. By the end of 2021, there should be 50. Picnic plans to expand in France - as in the Netherlands and Germany - step by step.
Image at top: Impression of the yet-to-be-built location in Ridderkerk
Image in article: The robotised DC in Utrecht, which will become operational in a few months' time.
