A dismountable steel construction and a floor made of partly recycled material: Søstrene Grene is getting a largely circular distribution centre in Venlo. The new 45,000-square-metre building is being developed by logistics property specialist Prologis. The Danish retailer will occupy the distribution centre in autumn 2025.
Søstrene Grene opened its first Dutch shop 12 years ago with a diverse range of home accessories, kitchenware, hobby articles and toys. Since then, the Danish family-run business has 19 shops and a web shop in the Netherlands. To make deliveries to shops and consumers more efficient, Søstrene Grene is having a distribution centre built outside the Netherlands for the first time.
"The Netherlands is a very important market for us. With this central location, we can shorten the route to our Dutch customers, as well as to other customers in Central and Southern Europe. This results in direct savings on transport emissions," explains CEO Mikkel Grene. "Many of our containers arrive in Rotterdam, after which we can transport them to Venlo by barge or rail. That helps to further reduce ourCO2 emissions."
Recycled materials
In cooperation with property developer Prologis, Søstrene Grene opted for a sustainable and circular design. For example, the steel beams and facade panels are made of recycled steel. Moreover, the beams are connected to each other with screws and bolts, enabling reuse of the steel structure. Using special and partly recycled materials, the floor has a lower environmental impact than a conventional concrete floor.Solar panels will be installed on the roof of the 45,000-square-metre gas-free building.
Together with other measures, this should ensure that the building meets the BREEAM Excellent standard. The intention to build the building according to the WELL Gold standard shows that a good working environment is also considered. The building will be completed in the third quarter of 2025. "Our new distribution centre in Venlo was built to improve our logistics, reduce environmental impact and create local jobs in a space designed with employee welfare and ecological responsibility in mind," Grene explains.
Robotic technology
The new warehouse will be equipped with an order picking system based on robot technology. In addition, the packaging process will be largely automated, leading to smaller packaging with less padding material. Søstrene Grene is expected to be able to occupy the premises in autumn 2025.
