DPD is investing £75 million in 15 new depots in the UK including three new “super-depots” which will be capable of acting as mini-hubs handling 25,000 parcels a day each.
The depots will replace or extend the capacity of DPD’s existing sites, with nine new facilities.
CEO Dwain McDonald said: “As well as helping to future-proof our network in terms of being able to handle the anticipated increase in e-commerce parcel volumes, this investment in new depots will also create hundreds of new jobs.”
The new Edinburgh, Cardiff and Exeter developments will be based on a new concept for DPD called “super-depots” on seven acre sites (double the size of DPD’s current new-build depot sites), and will have the capacity to handle 7,000 packages an hour.
The super-depots will be fitted with automated sorting conveyers.
“In effect they will be ‘mini hubs’ capable of handling 25,000 parcels a day,” said McDonald.
Work on these sites is due to start this year with Edinburgh due for completion in 2014, while Cardiff and Exeter should be completed in early 2015.
Radlett, Liverpool, Brighton and Lincoln – will get a DPD depot for the first time. Other depots will be at Bridgwater, Bristol, Cardiff, Carlisle, Dartford, Edinburgh, Exeter, Feltham, Peterborough, Reading and Swansea.
Last year DPD got planning permission to build a new £100m parcel hub in the East Midlands.
