Coles is sprucing up its supply chain with the development of two new automated ambient distribution centres in Queensland and New South Wales.

"The modernisation of our supply chain will provide a safer working environment for our team members, lower supply chain costs, enhance our overall business competitiveness and make life easier for our customers by having the right offer in the right location," said Coles CEO Steven Cain.

The company has picked German automation specialist WITRON to develop the new distribution centers that will supply a full range of ambient grocery lines to more than 240 Coles supermarkets in New South Wales and more than 170 supermarkets in Queensland.  WITRON went ahead and registered an Australian subsidiary company - WITRON Australia Pty Ltd - to manage the project out of its home base in Sydney.

WITRON CEO Helmut Prieschenk said, "We spent a lot of time working with Coles to make sure that the project was exactly what was needed, going right back to the most basic data before looking at logistics modules and technology, service and operator concepts, end-to-end supply chain intelligence, and finally to ways that the centres could make use of existing and future technology."

WITRON Owner and Founder Walter Winkler, "We believe that by the end of 2023 when the projects are finished, these two new Coles distribution centres will be the most modern logistics infrastructure assets in Australia."