Building the supply chain of tomorrow

Most customers never see what happens between a product leaving a supplier and arriving on a store shelf. Behind that journey is a network of distribution centres, transportation teams and technology working together every day.

Customer needs are constantly changing, and the supply chain team plays an important role in helping us respond, from anticipating demand to keeping products moving where they need to go.

Today, that network is evolving.

The goal is not simply to move products faster. It’s to build a supply chain that is more capable, resilient and ready to respond when conditions change, helping stores get the products they need to serve customers.

One of the biggest pieces taking shape is Tullamore, ON, a new automated distribution centre expected to go live in early 2028. As construction progresses, the facility offers a glimpse of where our network is headed.

At the East Gwillimbury distribution centre, automation is already operating at significant scale, with the facility shipping more than two million cases each week. Autonomous guided vehicles are also being deployed within the network to help improve warehouse efficiency, accuracy and safety.

But the future of supply chain is about more than physical automation.

AI and digital tools are helping teams anticipate disruptions and identify opportunities to address them before they impact customers. AI-enabled demand forecasting is also helping teams better understand customer demand, anticipate which products are needed and position inventory more effectively.

AI is also helping automate inbound scheduling, reducing manual effort and making it easier to coordinate products entering the network. Digital tools are changing how teams collaborate with vendors, helping them deliver inventory efficiently.

Technology is also streamlining driver check-in at distribution centres. Automated gatehouses, optical recognition and document processing are helping reduce manual steps and move vehicles through more efficiently.

Transportation is evolving too. Loblaw operates Canada’s largest Class 8 electric fleet and is piloting hydrogen fuel-cell technology. The fleet also includes autonomous trucks as we continue to explore new ways to move products safely and efficiently through the network.

At East Gwillimbury, 100% electric shunt trucks are in operation, and the facility is home to a 435,000-square-foot solar rooftop, roughly the size of seven-and-a-half football fields. It generates more than 8.5 million kWh of clean electricity annually, which is fed back into the grid.

Together, these investments are building the capabilities our supply chain will need for the future, from smarter planning and automated facilities to new ways of moving products across the network.

As customer needs continue to change, so will our supply chain. By investing in our network today, we’re building greater flexibility to respond to what stores and customers need tomorrow.