Wehkamp will start construction of a second distribution centre on Hessenpoort business park in Zwolle in early 2018. The new building will be next to the current premises and should support the e-tailer in further growth.
In a press release, Wehkamp states that the number of orders and customers is currently on the rise considerably. To facilitate this accelerated growth, the online department store has decided to expand its current distribution centre. To the current building of 35,000 square metres, 25,000 square metres will be added in the form of a new building to be built. This building will be linked to the current distribution centre, eventually creating "a multifunctional and flexible distribution centre" totalling 60,000 square metres.
Completion in several phases
The realisation of the new distribution centre consists of several phases. Phase 1, expanding capacity within the walls of the current distribution centre, has already started. The current automated warehouse will grow from 450,000 to 525,000 storage locations. The number of pick stations, where customer orders are packed, from 24 to 28. This will allow Wehkamp to process more than 200,000 customer orders per day.
Phase 2 will start in early 2018. Then, the new building will be built, which will be linked to the current distribution centre. The new building is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year. Besides Zwolle, wehkamp also has a distribution centre in Maurik. After the realisation, wehkamp will have a total of over 135,000 m2 of warehouse capacity in the Netherlands.
As with the current building, the realisation of the construction will be done in collaboration with real estate partner WDP, with Wehkamp and WDP jointly investing over 40 million euros in the construction.
Sustainability: solar panels and heat and cold storage
Wehkamp and WDP will take sustainable measures during the construction of the new building. Sustainable materials, 100 percent LED lighting and heat and cold storage will be used for both buildings. In addition, charging stations will be installed for electric cars. Also, 7,000 solar panels will be installed on the roof, creating a total solar panel field of over 17,000 panels.
