DP World will open the United Kingdom’s largest distribution warehouse for physical music and video in August.
The facility is located in Bicester, Oxfordshire, and is being launched in partnership with Utopia Distribution Services, who entered into a GB£100 million (US$128 million) deal with DP World to provide warehousing and logistics for physical music goods in the UK earlier this year.
The 25,000 m² site will now become the centre for music and home entertainment distribution in the UK, handling 70% of physical music and 35% of home entertainment products sold in the UK annually – approximately 30 million units, including vinyl records, DVDs and CDs, according to a statement.
It will service retailers across the UK, including Amazon, HMV, industry wholesalers and over 400 independent record stores.
The warehouse will have a daily handling capacity of over 100,000 units, increasing to over 250,000 during peak periods, driven by 80+ state-of-the-art pick robots designed by US manufacturer Locus Robotics. The warehouse will employ 240 workers, and is expected to expand DP World’s unit handling capacity across its UK operations.
Jonathan Himsworth, vice president of Sales at DP World Logistics, commented, “DP World brings together an unparalleled combination of assets and expertise to build creative solutions to the hardest problems in logistics, and this is why so many of the world’s largest and most recognisable brands trust us to deliver on their supply chain needs. To this end, we are very excited about working with Utopia Music to support the renaissance of physical music in the UK.”
