Woolworths is Amplifying its Online Offering Ahead of Xmas

The supermarket is opening a multi-million dollar online Customer Fulfilment Centre in Lidcombe to better support the ‘fast-growing demand’ for home delivery in the Australian postcodes.

“We’re seeing more and more of our customers turn to the ease and convenience of online grocery delivery in western Sydney,” explained Annette Karantoni, the Director of E-Commerce at Woolworths.

Woolies’ e-commerce sales increased by 100 percent YoY between July and September this year, now accounting for eight percent of total sales.

“To keep pace with demand, we’re investing in new online infrastructure to offer our customers more delivery windows and an even more reliable service. This is particularly important as we head into Christmas, when customers are busy and looking for ways to reclaim time with their loved ones,” Karatoni said.

The Fulfilment Centre is the size of 12 Olympic swimming poos and is now the supermarket’s largest online hub in Australia. Furthermore, this new entre aims to create up to 900 new jobs for personal shoppers.

“We’re delighted to welcome hundreds of new personal shoppers to Woolworths at our Lidcombe CFC. It’s a great example of retail innovation driving jobs growth in New South Wales,” Karatoni explained.

The new CFC was created and completed by Mainbrace Constructions, with wider aisles and more shelf space than a standard supermarket fitout. This allows the personal shoppers to easily pick orders ‘quickly, accurately and efficiently’.

“It’s been an incredibly challenging year for supermarkets amid the global pandemic. As a government, we’ve focused on providing flexibility with curfews and trading hours to help supermarkets meet the essential needs of the community,” explained Stuart Ayres, the NSW Minister for Western Sydney.

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