M&S Food to open new national distribution centre near Rugby, creating around 1,000 permanent jobs

Spanning 1.3 million square feet, the huge distribution centre will be built at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) and represents a £340 million investment in M&S’s food supply chain, as the company is working to double the size of its food business.

The scheme is expected to support more than 2,000 jobs during the year long build, with approximately 1,000 permanent roles once operational, covering driving, logistics and technical roles such as automation technicians.

On site, there will two warehouses and office space. There will also be a security hub linked via a pedestrian bridge and vehicle maintenance unit. Once complete, the facility will be fully electric. Winvic Construction Ltd has been appointed to design and deliver the site.

Danny Nelson, managing director of industrial, logistics and data centres at Winvic, said: “Winvic is well placed to deliver large-scale projects that expand our temperature controlled and cold store portfolio. Being selected by our long-standing client Prologis as the construction partner on this landmark distribution facility is a significant achievement for the Winvic team.

Paul Weston, regional head at Prologis UK – the firm behind DRIFT - added: "This development enables a future-fit supply chain for M&S and brings lasting economic value to the Midlands — through skilled jobs, resilient infrastructure and investment in one of the UK’s most important logistics locations.”

This latest milestone takes Prologis’ leased or committed space at DIRFT to more than 75 percent.