DHL invests in new ecommerce hub near UK’s Coventry Airport
DHL eCommerce Solutions will invest in a new e-commerce hub near Coventry Airport in the UK.
The company has announced plans to invest €560m across its UK ecommerce operation, DHL Parcel UK.
Nearly half of the investment will be in a new 25,000 m2 hub in SEGRO Park Coventry Gateway, located south of Coventry Airport.
The new facility will have the capacity to handle over 500,000 items per day. It will feature secure bonded storage and customs capabilities to support international e-commerce, a 48-door cross dock facility and state of the art mechanization, allowing automatic sortation of mixed sized and weight items through high-speed sortation equipment.
The building has been designed to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ status to minimize its environmental impact through design features such as 7,000m2 of solar panels, LED lighting and landscaping to protect the natural biodiversity of the area. As well as incorporating EV charging points for cars, the site will also be equipped with LGV electric charging points throughout and sustainable fuel capabilities to pre-empt technology developments in larger vehicles over the coming years.
Pablo Ciano, executive vice president corporate development at Deutsche Post DHL Group and designated chief executive DHL eCommerce Solutions, said: “The Covid pandemic has not only driven digitalization, but also significantly changed consumer behavior, rapidly accelerating the growth of e-commerce and shifting shopping habits. At Deutsche Post DHL Group we believe this shift to online shopping will remain intact and, as e-commerce is one of the important pillars in our Group Strategy 2025, we’ll continue to invest in the sector. This investment in the UK is a key part of that, supporting the expansion and modernization of our European network. I’m really looking forward to supporting the business on its growth path in my new role as CEO DHL eCommerce Solutions starting August 1.”
Peter Fuller, chief executive of DHL Parcel UK, said: “This investment is a real demonstration of the excellent work our people and partners have delivered over the past two years to get us to the level of growth where major expansion is required to meet customer demand. E-commerce is going to continue to shape the world around us, this investment, along with the strength of the DHL brand
and our leading approach to digitalization and sustainability will put us in a strong position to take advantage of market growth.”
