Walmart Inc. recently announced plans to build two massive, automated warehouses in the Dallas area to support the retailer’s growing supply chain network.
A 1.5 million-square-foot fulfillment center is set to open in 2023, and a 730,000-square-foot grocery distribution center is expected to open in 2024. Both facilities will be in Lancaster, Texas, around 15.5 miles south of Dallas.
The two facilities will create up to 1,000 full-time jobs and will be among the largest high-tech distribution and fulfillment centers in the company’s supply chain, Walmart officials said.
“These high-tech facilities will include game-changing innovations that are radically disrupting the supply chain, getting products onto store shelves and items shipped to our customers even faster, while saving time for our associates,” said Joe Metzger executive vice president, supply chain operations at Walmart U.S., in a statement.
The facilities will use automation technology to move more than two times the volume of traditional fulfillment and grocery distribution centers, Walmart said.
Walmart (NYSE: WMT) currently operates 19 distribution centers and 593 stores in Texas, employing more than 171,000 people. During fiscal year 2021, Walmart sourced more than $13 billion in goods and services from 2,899 suppliers.
“We are glad that this new facility will anchor in the Dallas County Inland Port area. This investment is a boon for both southern Dallas County and northern Ellis County,” said John Wiley Price, Dallas County commissioner, in a statement.
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