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For decades, there were two top dogs in the battle for Australia’s best supermarket: Coles and Woolworths. But 25 years ago, a new bombshell entered the villa.
Aldi officially launched in Australia back in 2001, opening 22 stores across NSW. Over the next two decades, it expanded into the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia – and now boasts more than 600 stores nationwide. Now, the budget supermarket is stretching its middle aisle even further thanks to a massive $2.5 billion investment.
The German discount chain has revealed plans for a $1 billion automated distribution centre in Western Sydney. Set to open in 2030, the high-tech facility will replace Aldi’s existing sites at Minchinbury, Prestons and Eastern Creek – doubling its warehouse capacity across NSW.
Work is already underway on the 22-hectare site in Bradfield, spanning a massive 108,000 square metres of floor space – enough to fit more than 18 Sydney Opera Houses. Operating 24/7 with 80 per cent automation, the high-tech hub will shift a staggering 680,000 product cases a day – or 2.5 million pallets annually – powering store deliveries across NSW and the ACT well into the mid-2040s.
Aldi is also building a similar distribution hub in Tarneit – around 25km west of Melbourne’s CBD – bringing its total investment in automated distribution centres to more than $2.5 billion.
Aldi Australia’s CEO Anna McGrath says: “Aldi has always taken a long-term view of our investment in Australia. The automated distribution centre in Bradfield will support our growth ambitions for the future, as we add approximately 100 additional Aldi stores nationally. This will help us bring our great-quality, low-price offer to more Australian communities.”
Here’s to hoping all that extra automation translates to double the Special Buys, because you can never have too many inflatable stand-up paddle boards, pizza ovens and heated dog beds, right?
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