Panattoni builds an AI controlled distribution centre for Auchan near Warsaw

Panattoni, the leader in Europe’s commercial real estate market, is constructing a fully robotic BTS (built-to-suit) distribution centre for Auchan Polska. The centre in Wilcza Góra near Warsaw is to service Auchan’s customers from its updated internet platform. Within the centre, all operations are to be automated using proprietary systems from Ocado based on artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

This year in April, Auchan Polska unveiled its new internet store, which prioritises greater convenience and more personalised shopping for its customers. This represented the first stage of a partnership between Auchan and British based Ocado – a leader in logistics automation and robotics for the e-grocery business. The next stage will involve the opening of an automated distribution centre to support customers with artificial intelligence and machine learning. Such systems will broaden the range of goods on offer to as many as 40,000 products and enable deliveries – including same day deliveries – to be improved with more flexible timings, thus increasing the convenience of shopping online.

“We can confidently say that our hi-tech distribution centre is going to be a real game-changer for the Polish market – particularly when it comes to our innovative solutions to streamline the picking and packing of orders and to manage last mile logistics,” comments Piotr Dopierała, the Supply Chain & Logistics director at Auchan Retail Polska.

“It is an honour and a mark of Auchan Polska’s confidence to have been entrusted with the development of such a strategically important project. The new distribution centre will enable our client to scale up its e-commerce operations, which is a particularly promising part of its business. Because of the extensive automation and customisation to meet the demands of the e-grocery business, this project is exceptionally innovative. Being the leading developer, we can draw on our experience of building logistics centres for the biggest players on the market and this experience is crucial when undertaking such ambitious projects,” says Marek Dobrzycki, a Partner at Panattoni.

A special mezzanine is to be fitted in the 18,000 sqm centre for the installation of the Ocado system. Due to the specific nature of the goods to be stored, separate zones are to be created including chilled areas and freezer areas with a temperature control system to ensure the highest quality and safety of the food. The control system will maintain a temperature of between 2°C and 5°C in the refrigerated section and between -20°C and -22°C in the freezer area. The client’s requirements also specify roofing above the external loading dock gates for trucks and courier vans, a sprinkler system that meets the FM Global standard and reinforced flooring with a load bearing capacity of 165 kN per foot, and zoned up to even 210 kN.

Construction work on the new distribution centre was launched in the third quarter of this year with the work scheduled for completion in June 2025. The client is to be granted early access to the centre in March but operations are to begin in the fourth quarter of next year after the installation of Ocado’s technology. As a result of process streamlining and the increased scalability of the centre, it will be possible to handle a larger number of orders more effectively even during the peak season and this will improve the convenience of shopping for customers.

The distribution centre is to be environmentally certified under BREEAM for a rating of Excellent, which will result in lower operating costs for the tenant.  The roof of the building is to be reinforced ready for the future installation of solar panelling and the building’s energy efficient lighting is to be controlled by motion and dusk sensors. As part of the green measures to be taken, delivery routes are to be optimised to limit CO₂ emissions and the automated packing systems will reduce the use of packaging materials. 

Wilcza Góra (in the Piaseczyński district) was chosen as a location due to its easy access to the S7 expressway, ensuring effective logistics. Furthermore, Auchan has a shopping centre nearby in Piaseczno, which opened in 1996 as the first centre of its type in Poland.