METRO Inc. announced Tuesday the inauguration of its automated distribution centre for fresh products in Toronto which marks the completion of nearly a billion-dollar investment in the modernization of its supply chain.
With the new Toronto Fresh distribution centre now fully in operation, the final milestone of the company’s seven-year modernization project has been reached. Initiated in 2017, the project has included investments in a new automated fresh and frozen distribution centre in Terrebonne, Quebec, that opened in 2023, the expansion of the fresh produce distribution centre in Laval, Quebec, and the construction of two new automated distribution centres in Toronto – a frozen facility that opened in 2022, and the opening of the fresh facility, the company said in a news release.
“Our new automated distribution centres as well as the expansion of one of our facilities represent a substantial investment in METRO’s future,” said Eric La Flèche, President and Chief Executive Officer of METRO Inc. “The transformation of our supply chain will provide capacity for future growth and efficiency, strengthen our market position and generate new opportunities for our employees.”
The company said its automated distribution centres feature state-of-the-art technology provided by its automation partner, Witron, a German Company and an international leader in automation in the food distribution sector, with whom the brand has been working since 2017.
“The opening of METRO’s Toronto Fresh DC represents a major milestone,” said Dan Gabbard, Vice President of Logistics and Distribution, METRO Inc. “This facility incorporates modern technology that boosts our efficiency as a retailer, ensuring we can deliver high-quality food products to our stores more efficiently, thereby enhancing freshness and quality.”
METRO said its modernized supply chain will:
- Improve service to METRO’s store network with greater precision and reduced handling time;
- Provide efficiency gains throughout the supply chain that will enable METRO to be more competitive;
- Offer greater precision in order fulfillment, which will improve our in-stock position in store;
- Improve customer experience through greater variety and freshness;
- Sustain anticipated growth.
With annual sales of more than $20 billion, METRO Inc. is a food and pharmacy leader in Québec and Ontario, providing employment to more than 97,000 people. As a retailer, franchisor, distributor, manufacturer, and provider of eCommerce services, the company operates or services a network of some 980 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, Food Basics, Adonis and Première Moisson, and 640 pharmacies primarily under the Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Food Basics Pharmacy banners.
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