Driving value for the future: ALDI’s state-of-the-art Western Sydney Automated Distribution Centre

Twenty-five years after opening its first Australian stores in Sydney, ALDI is building for its next generation of shoppers with a new automated distribution centre representing a combined investment of more than $1 billion in Western Sydney.

Now under construction at Bradfield, the Sydney Automated Distribution Centre will double ALDI’s warehouse capacity in NSW, allow it to handle more than 680,000 product cases a day at peak and 2.5 million pallets a year, up to 30% more than today.

Scheduled to open in 2030, the centre will replace ALDI’s existing distribution facilities at Minchinbury, Prestons and Eastern Creek. Once operational, it will supply ALDI stores across NSW and the ACT, with capacity designed to meet forecast demand through to at least the mid-2040s.

A similar facility is also under construction in Tarneit in Victoria, to service the state and taking ALDI’s total investment in Automated Distribution Centres to more than $2.5 billion.

For shoppers, the investment will help ALDI deliver great-quality products at the lowest possible prices to more Australians.

Investing in the next 25 years
The state-of-the-art distribution centre is an integral step in ALDI’s ongoing investment in logistics and supply chain capability.

The facility has been designed to improve supply chain efficiency, support future store network expansion and enable more efficient distribution across NSW. It will also help maintain the low-cost operating model that drives ALDI’s Price Promise to shoppers.

The Bradfield ADC is the only supermarket distribution centre to feature a dedicated automation sub-system across multiple temperature-controlled environments.

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.

Our enduring commitment to our customers, is that we will not be beaten on the cost of their weekly shop. We are investing in technology, automation and more sustainable infrastructure that will enable us to keep delivering on that promise in the future.”

A distribution centre built for scale
ALDI is partnering with Richard Crookes Constructions to deliver the facility. At more than half a kilometre long, the distribution centre will be built on a 22-hectare site with 108,000 square metres of floor space, spanning the equivalent of more than 18 Sydney Opera Houses combined.

Jamie Crookes, Managing Director of Richard Crookes Constructions says: “This project reflects the scale, innovation and complexity of the industrial facilities shaping Australia’s future. We’re proud to be partnering with ALDI to deliver a distribution centre which will support their operations and the NSW community.”

Bradfield: a burgeoning hub in Sydney
The centre will also mark first major development within Ingham Property Group’s broader 182-hectare industrial estate and is one of the first major logistics projects associated with the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, expecting to add over 3,000 construction jobs and more than 500 ongoing operational roles once its running.

Matthew Ramaley, Chief Executive Officer of Ingham Property Group says: “We are pleased to be partnering with a forward-thinking business like ALDI, who opened the door to city-shaping private investment in the Aerotropolis as a firm response to the Federal and State government’s upfront investment in infrastructure.”

Automation designed to keep products moving
The new centre will incorporate advanced robotics technology, with 80 per cent of operations expected to be automated, including storage and retrieval systems that will help manage inventory and move products through the facility.

Automation will run 24 hours per day, seven days a week to distribute products more efficiently from suppliers to stores. This will not only support future store growth and operational efficiency, but it will ensure that we can continue to deliver everyday low prices and quality products to customers.

Building value for the future
For 25 years, ALDI’s investment in Australia has been guided by a simple vision: to provide shoppers with high quality products and great value. The Western Sydney Automated Distribution Centre is the next step in that journey.

By investing in automation, logistics and distribution infrastructure, ALDI is building the capability to support more stores, improve efficiency across NSW and maintain the low-cost model that makes its Price Promise possible.