Technology

Aldi processing tons of produce at its UK automated warehouse

Photo: Aldi

September 28, 2026

Summarize with

Supermarket chain Aldi is now processing more than 1.5 million kilos of fresh produce in its stores each day at its Bardon Distribution Center in Leicestershire, the U.K.'s largest automated warehouse. The first pallets of produce, including ginger and avocados, were delivered to the site on Sept. 16, with the first outbound pallet the following day.

Aldi, the U.K.'s biggest discounter, has invested more than $660.84 million in the site, which forms part of Aldi's $1.8 billion investment in Britain during 2026 and 2027.

Once fully operational in 2027, Aldi's 1.3 million-square-foot Bardon Distribution Centre will handle more than 1.5 million kilograms of fruit and vegetables during peak periods, with more than 6,000 pallets of fresh produce shipped to stores across the U.K. each day. The automated technology is delivered by Aldi partner Cimcorp.

As the U.K.'s third biggest retailer of fresh produce, Aldi sells an average of 2.2 billion fruit and vegetables every year, including over 300 million bananas, 80 million apples and 160 million potatoes.

"The start of fresh produce operations at Bardon is a proud moment for everyone involved in this project and marks a step change in how we serve our customers. Fresh produce is a vital part of our customers' shopping, yet it presents one of the most complex challenges in grocery logistics, with products needing to move quickly and efficiently from suppliers to stores to maintain freshness. The technology we've implemented with Cimcorp allows us to handle enormous volumes while maintaining the precision and care that fresh products demand," Jonathan Heaton, regional managing director for Bardon, at Aldi UK, said in the release.