Marks & Spencer (M&S) has committed £340m ($459.69m) to enhance its food supply chain through the creation of an automated distribution centre in Northamptonshire, England.
The investment will span multiple years and is aimed at constructing a 1.3 million square foot National Distribution Centre (NDC) equipped with advanced automation technology.
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The company believes that the centre will help boost efficiency, ensure better availability of products on shelves, and cater to the customer demand.
According to the company, it experienced a strong year with 2024/25 food sales surpassing targets by approximately 20%.
Located at the Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, the facility is slated to commence operations in 2029.
This announcement comes on the heels of earlier plans to open a new 390,000ft2 distribution centre in Avonmouth, Bristol, which will serve outlets across the Midlands, South-west England, and South Wales.
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By GlobalDataThe NDC’s construction is expected to generate over 2,000 jobs and provide approximately 1,000 permanent positions once operational. These roles will range from driving and logistics positions to more jobs such as automation technicians.
Prologis has been selected as the development partner for this project, while TGW Logistics will handle the automation aspects.
In addition, M&S Beauty has expanded its partnership with Estée Lauder to introduce more than 400 new Estée Lauder skincare and make-up products to its stores and online platform.
This move is an advancement in the collaboration between the two brands, which began with Estée Lauder Fragrance at M&S in 2023.
The expansion is part of M&S’s strategic focus on the beauty category.
The collaboration aligns with the broader ‘Brands at M&S’ strategy. It will increase M&S’s assortment of third-party beauty brands, both offline and online, to 53.
The company stated that third-party brands account for over 40% of the total sales in the M&S Beauty category.
M&S Beauty head James Mugford said: “We’re delighted to build on the strength of our partnership with Estée Lauder, by offering make-up and skincare. As we continue to reshape for growth, our focus is on combining the strength of our core beauty offer with carefully selected third-party partners as we seek to become the trusted editor for Beauty.
“We’re confident that the addition of Estée Lauder make-up and skincare will complement our existing beauty offer and support us as we continue to broaden our appeal, helping us become more relevant, more often, to our customers.”
The products will be available online and in 17 select M&S stores, including locations such as Bluewater, Cribbs Causeway, and Fosse Park. Each participating store will feature a dedicated Estée Lauder counter and staff to assist customers.
Nine additional stores will be added later this year, stated the company.
