Metro investing $303m to build distribution centre in Quebec

Canadian retailer Metro Inc is investing $CAD420 million ($303.9 million) over the next five years to build a new automated distribution centre in Terrebonne, Quebec, and expand its existing dairy distribution centre in Laval.

The new 600,000 square-foot distribution centre will handle fresh and frozen products for Metro’s network of retail stores, and is projected to open in 2023.

Meanwhile, the company’s produce and dairy products distribution centre in Laval will be expanded by 50,000 square-feet to handle an increased volume of fruit and vegetables, while the distribution of dairy products will be moved to the Terrebonne facility once it has been constructed. Metro estimates that the expansion of the Laval facility will be completed in 2024.

According to a statement from the company, employees working in Metro’s existing meat and frozen food distribution centre in Montreal North and fish and seafood distribution centre in Rivière-des-Prairies/Pointe-aux-Trembles will also be transferred to the new distribution centre in Terrebonne.

Eric La Flèche, president and CEO of Metro, said: “Our new distribution centre of more than 600,000 square feet in Terrebonne will feature state of the art technologies, allowing us to make significant efficiency gains. We will improve service to our store network with increased accuracy and reduced handling time, in both the distribution centres and the stores.

“For consumers, these new facilities will result in even more variety and freshness. We will be in an excellent position to pursue our growth in Quebec.

“This $CAD420 million investment in Quebec is in addition to the $CAD400 million investment in Ontario announced in October 2017 for the modernisation of our Toronto distribution centres.

“We are investing in order to remain at the forefront and better meet the expectations of our customers and our merchants, now and in the future.”