Lululemon has opened a distribution centre spanning more than one million square feet in Brampton, Ontario, creating a major new fulfillment hub for the Vancouver-founded retailer’s e-commerce operations across Eastern Canada and the eastern United States.
The facility became fully operational in June and was formally unveiled at a July 8 opening ceremony attended by company executives, government representatives and members of Brampton City Council.
It contains one of the largest AutoStore-enabled operations in North America, bringing together 525 robots, 292,000 storage bins and eight kilometres of conveyors. The investment places Brampton at the centre of a large cross-border fulfillment territory while significantly expanding Lululemon’s Canadian supply-chain infrastructure.
“Since breaking ground in 2023, our new Brampton DC marks a significant milestone in the continued evolution of Lululemon’s global supply chain,” said Ted Dagnese, chief supply chain officer at Lululemon.
“This facility expands our fulfillment capabilities in Canada and the U.S., enabling us to better serve our guests and operate with greater speed and agility. The opening represents collaboration across our operations, engineering, technology, facilities, and supply chain teams and reflects our commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and creating new opportunities for our people as we build the future of our distribution network.”
Hundreds of Robots Power the Brampton Facility
Developed in partnership with warehouse-automation company Element Logic, the Brampton distribution centre features an AutoStore system containing 292,000 storage bins and 525 R5 Pro robots.
The robots move across the top of a tightly configured storage grid, retrieving bins of merchandise and delivering them to workstations for order processing. The system allows a large volume of inventory to be stored vertically within a dense footprint while reducing the time employees spend travelling through conventional warehouse aisles to locate products.
Lululemon said the integrated automation system is designed to improve fulfillment speed, flexibility and scalability while supporting a seamless customer experience. Approximately eight kilometres of conveyors move products through different stages of the operation.
The scale of the building is considerable. Lululemon said approximately 57 NHL hockey rinks could fit within its footprint, while the mezzanine alone covers an area comparable to two European football pitches.
The City of Brampton described the AutoStore system as the largest installation of its kind in Canada. The municipality also said the one-million-square-foot campus is one of the largest distribution facilities in North America.
Those descriptions refer to separate measures of the operation. Lululemon identifies the Brampton site as one of North America’s largest AutoStore-enabled facilities, while the city describes its AutoStore installation as the largest in Canada.
Supporting Fulfillment Across Eastern North America
The distribution centre will support Lululemon’s growing online business across Eastern Canada and the eastern United States, giving the Brampton operation a role extending beyond the Greater Toronto Area.
The site is located in northeast Brampton, a city with a significant concentration of logistics, distribution and advanced-manufacturing activity. Its position within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area gives Lululemon access to one of Canada’s largest consumer and labour markets, along with transportation connections serving Ontario and neighbouring regions.
For Lululemon, the facility provides additional capacity close to major population centres while expanding the company’s ability to move inventory and fulfill online orders across two countries.
“The development of the Brampton Distribution Centre is a testament to the partnership we built with the City of Brampton,” Dagnese said in a statement issued by the municipality. “We are proud of our Canadian roots and with this facility, our capabilities are reaching new heights and further enhancing our distribution network in Canada and the U.S.”
The investment also reinforces the Canadian foundation of a company that has grown from Vancouver into a global athleticwear retailer. While Lululemon now operates an international network of stores and digital platforms, Canada remains home to important corporate, retail and supply-chain operations.
Project Began Several Years Ago
The opening follows several years of planning, construction and systems integration. Lululemon disclosed in its 2022 annual report that it had entered into a lease for an approximately 980,000-square-foot distribution centre in Brampton. The company broke ground on the project in 2023, with the completed facility becoming fully operational in June 2026.
The approximately 980,000 square feet cited in the earlier lease disclosure is lower than the more than one million square feet of operational space announced at opening. The larger figure may include the mezzanine and other internal operational areas, although Lululemon has not publicly explained the difference.
The development timeline reflects the complexity of establishing a distribution centre built around extensive robotics and automation. Along with preparing the building, the project involved installing hundreds of robots, nearly 300,000 storage bins, conveyor infrastructure and the technology required to coordinate inventory movement throughout the operation.
Lululemon said the facility represents collaboration across its operations, engineering, technology, facilities and supply-chain teams.
The Brampton centre was planned several years before its opening and represents a long-term infrastructure investment designed to support the company’s future digital and North American fulfillment requirements.
Automation Reshapes Distribution Work
The Brampton facility also illustrates how employment inside large retail distribution centres is becoming increasingly technical.
Employees interact with inventory delivered through automated systems, while operational and technical teams oversee equipment, software and product flows. Lululemon said the facility is creating opportunities for employees to develop specialized operational and technical skills as new systems are introduced.
The company did not disclose a current workforce total for the centre in its opening announcement. Earlier public estimates for the project varied, making it difficult to establish a reliable employment figure without confirmation from Lululemon.
The company has emphasized training, employee development and new career pathways within its distribution network.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the investment reflects the city’s ability to support major global operations.
“Lululemon’s continued investment in Brampton is a strong endorsement of our city’s economic strength, skilled workforce and ability to support major global operations,” Brown said. “This transformed facility supports the current workforce, drives innovation and reinforces Brampton’s position as a leader in logistics and advanced manufacturing.”
The City of Brampton said its economic development and planning teams worked with Lululemon during the site application and review process. Municipal staff also connected the company with transit services, community partnerships and other local resources as it established the operation.
Expanding Lululemon’s Fulfillment Capacity
The centre opens as large retailers continue to invest in distribution technology capable of moving inventory efficiently between suppliers, warehouses, stores and online customers.
For Lululemon, the Brampton operation provides additional capacity to manage seasonal demand, product launches, returns and changing order volumes across a large geographic area. Its dense storage grid allows substantial quantities of merchandise to be held within the facility, while the robotic system retrieves and directs products as orders are received.
The automated configuration also provides room for the operation to handle greater volumes within its existing footprint. Lululemon said the system was designed to offer the speed, flexibility and scalability required as its e-commerce business develops.
The official opening was attended by Dagnese, Brown and the Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade and Member of Parliament for Brampton East. Other attendees included municipal councillors and senior members of Lululemon’s global fulfillment and distribution teams.
With the operation now fully active, Brampton has become an important link between Lululemon’s inventory, digital customers and distribution network across Eastern North America.
