The French unit of consumer goods giant Unilever has signed a multi-year deal with GXO Logistics for a new automated logistics center in the country.
THE partnership I will see Unilever bringing together all its product ranges in a single, automated 60,000 m² facility in Ferrières-en-Gatinais, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, which is scheduled to open in June 2027.
GXO will be in charge of logistics and repackaging activities, processing approximately 50 million packages per year under this ten-year contract.
Once fully operational, the site will employ around 200 people.
The installation will integrate up to eight automation technologies including automated unloading, multi-depth storage and robotic order picking.
GXO added that it would also provide value-added services with automated co-packing operations.
The company is seeking BREEAM “Excellent” certification for logistics center focusing on building materials, waste management capabilities, and water and energy consumption.
“Strategic partnership”
“This strategic partnership with Unilever in France demonstrates how GXO is redefining logistics for the FMCG sector, leveraging the power of automation, scale and its deep industry expertise to deliver smarter, faster solutions,” said Vincent Ricci, Managing Director of GXO’s French unit.
“Our ability to deliver customized, technology-integrated solutions helps the world’s largest companies achieve new levels of efficiency and redefine what’s possible in their supply chains,” added Ricci.
GXO operates more than 35 FMCG facilities around the world, shipping nearly a billion packages annually and handling thousands of in-store deliveries each week.
In June this year, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) authorized Acquisition of Wincanton by GXO Logisticssubject to the divestment of a small number of Wincanton’s UK grocery contracts.