METRO Inc. inaugurates its automated distribution centre

METRO Toronto Fresh DC (CNW Group/METRO INC.)

TORONTO — METRO Inc. announced the inauguration of its automated distribution centre for fresh products in Toronto which marks the completion of a nearly billion-dollar investment in the modernization of its supply chain.

With the new Toronto Fresh distribution centre now fully in operation, the final milestone of METRO’s seven-year modernization project has reportedly been reached. Initiated in 2017, the project has included investments in a new automated fresh and frozen distribution centre in Terrebonne, Quebec, that opened in 2023, the expansion of the fresh produce distribution centre in Laval, Quebec, and the construction of two new automated distribution centres in Toronto – a frozen facility that opened in 2022, and the opening of the fresh facility.

“Our new automated distribution centres as well as the expansion of one of our facilities represent a substantial investment in METRO’s future,” said Eric La Flèche, President and Chief Executive Officer of METRO Inc. “The transformation of our supply chain will provide capacity for future growth and efficiency, strengthen our market position and generate new opportunities for our employees.”

The automated distribution centres feature technology provided by METRO’s automation partner, Witron, a German Company with whom METRO has been working since 2017.

“The opening of METRO’s Toronto Fresh DC represents a major milestone,” said Dan Gabbard, Vice President of Logistics and Distribution, METRO Inc. “This facility incorporates modern technology that boosts our efficiency as a retailer, ensuring we can deliver high-quality food products to our stores more efficiently, thereby enhancing freshness and quality.”

METRO’s improved supply chain will try to:

• Improve service to METRO’s store network with greater precision and reduced handling time;
• Provide efficiency gains throughout the supply chain that will enable METRO to be more competitive;
• Offer greater precision in order fulfillment, which will improve in-stock position in store