Key points
- Marks & Spencer has begun construction on a £340 million automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Daventry, Northamptonshire.
- The 1.3 million square foot (around 120,773 m²) facility at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) will handle food distribution for more than 200 M&S Food stores.
- M&S describes the project as the largest investment in its supply‑chain history and a cornerstone of its plan to double the size of its Food business.
- The development is being built by Winvic Construction for developer Prologis UK on a long‑term leasehold arrangement with M&S.
- The site is designed to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating and an EPC A+ profile, with large‑scale rooftop photovoltaic arrays, EV charging, and energy‑saving technologies.
- The project is expected to generate around 1,000 permanent jobs once operational and create several hundred temporary construction roles.
- The facility is scheduled to open in 2029, with distribution operations planned to be fully automated, including advanced automation and temperature‑controlled storage.
Construction starts on M&S Daventry logistics hub
Construction has begun on a £340 million automated National Distribution Centre (NDC) for Marks & Spencer in Daventry, Northamptonshire, marking the retailer’s largest ever investment in its supply chain. The move forms a central pillar of M&S’s strategy to modernise food‑distribution operations and double the size of its Food business over the coming years.
As flagged in M&S’s official press release, the 1.3 million square foot facility at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) will handle food distribution for more than 200 M&S Food stores once operational. The project is being developed by Prologis UK on a long‑term leasehold basis, with Winvic Construction appointed by the developer to deliver the scheme.
What is the scale of the Daventry logistics hub?
The Daventry NDC is designed to span approximately 120,773 square metres, making it one of the largest logistics‑distribution developments of its kind in the UK. According to Construction Digital, the investment of £340 million (about £460 million in US dollars) represents M&S’s single biggest supply‑chain infrastructure project to date.
Reporting for The Grocer, journalist Alex Lawson noted that the 1.3 million square foot automated food depot will replace and consolidate existing food‑distribution assets, allowing M&S to centralise and streamline its supply chain. An M&S spokesperson, quoted in the company’s own newsroom release, stated that the new facility “will support long‑term growth, modernise operations and future‑proof the food supply chain”.
How will the project support M&S’s food business?
M&S has repeatedly framed the Daventry hub as a strategic enabler of its ambition to double the size of its Food business, a target first outlined in the company’s medium‑term plan. The NDC will combine temperature‑controlled storage, advanced automated fulfilment, returns and recycling operations, and dedicated office space under one roof.
Writing in Construction Digital, reporter Harry McConnell reported that the automation will increase throughput and reduce manual handling, which M&S hopes will lower long‑term operating costs and improve product availability. The Express, in its coverage of the scheme, cited M&S as saying that the facility will enhance capacity, cut costs and improve product availability for shoppers.
Who is delivering the project and how is it structured?
The development is being delivered by Prologis UK, which has appointed Winvic Construction as the main contractor at the DIRFT site. According to a feature in New Steel Construction, Winvic will build two low‑carbon, single‑storey warehouse buildings with multi‑storey office accommodation, a security hub linked by a pedestrian bridge, and a vehicle‑maintenance unit over a 52‑week construction programme.
New Steel Construction’s reporter, Chris Bennett, explained that the “build‑to‑lease” model allows Prologis to construct the facility and then lease it to M&S on a long‑term basis, giving the retailer dedicated, purpose‑built infrastructure without full balance‑sheet ownership risk. An M&S spokesperson, quoted in the corporate newsroom, said the partnership with Prologis and Winvic “brings together specialist expertise in logistics development and construction with our own operational requirements”.
What are the environmental and sustainability features?
The project is being designed to achieve a BREEAM Outstanding rating, which, according to New Steel Construction, would make it one of the largest buildings in the world to reach that standard. The scheme also targets an EPC A+ rating, signalling very high energy‑performance levels.
Construction Digital quoted Prologis as highlighting “large‑scale rooftop photovoltaic arrays, EV charging, energy‑saving technologies and extensive use of recycled materials”, all aimed at reducing the facility’s annual operational emissions. Echoing that, M&S’s corporate release described the new NDC as M&S’ “leading Plan A warehouse”, tying it to the company’s broader sustainability and decarbonisation targets.
How many jobs will the Daventry hub create?
The project is forecast to generate around 1,000 permanent jobs on site once the facility is fully operational, according to M&S’s own figures. The Express reported that the retailer expects the centre to “create over 1,000 permanent positions” once distribution operations are live.
In addition, the construction phase will create several hundred temporary roles, with Winvic leading the on‑site works. Construction Digital’s coverage cited industry sources as noting that the project “will be a significant local employer, both in the build phase and once operational, supporting the wider retail‑supply ecosystem around Northamptonshire”.
When will the hub open and what is the broader strategy?
The facility is scheduled to open in 2029, with M&S indicating that the NDC will underpin the retailer’s food‑supply strategy for the next two decades. The company’s press release described the opening date as a “major milestone” in its plan to “double the size of the Food business by the end of the decade”.
The Grocer’s Alex Lawson observed that the start of construction signals that M&S is moving decisively from planning to execution on its supply‑chain modernisation, with the Daventry hub “at the heart of that shift”. The Express, in a piece summarising the project, quoted an M&S spokesperson as saying that the investment will “enhance capacity, lower long‑term costs and improve product availability for our customers”.
Professionals in supply‑chain management and logistics, including those engaged in corporate training and CPD, may see this project as a real‑world case study in how large retailers reshape their distribution networks while integrating automation, sustainability and workforce planning. For those seeking to understand the evolving landscape of warehousing and last‑mile logistics, development of this kind of hub offers a compelling example of how organisations can align long‑term strategy with operational capability, and underscores the value of structured learning in Supply Chain Management and Logistics & Operations.