Woolworths announces plans for online orders pick-up and distribution centre on former Toyota site

The proposed centre will be the supermarket giant's first purpose-built facility catering for collection of online orders, with dedicated pick-up lanes for "direct to boot" service.

At present, customers can pick up from supermarkets.

The company said in a statement, subject to approval, a total of more than 15,000 extra home delivery and boot pick up windows will be provided each week for shire customers, many on a same day basis.

The centre will provide up to 400 full-time equivalent jobs and about 250 during construction, the statement said.

A development application (DA) for the 7200sqm customer fulfilment centre (CFC) has been lodged with Sutherland Shire Council.

Subject to planning approval, construction is expected to commence in early 2022 and be operating by the end of the year.

Woolworths has CFCs at Mascot, Brookvale and Lidcombe, but none has a customer pick-up service.

Woolworths said the Caringbah centre would have wider aisles and more shelf space than a supermarket, allowing staff to "handpick orders from a range of around 20,000 products quickly, accurately and efficiently".

The statement said Woolworths Group employed 1300 team members in Sutherland Shire and had invested more than $55 million in new shopping centres, stores and renewals across the local government area over the past two years.

The Woolworths Group reported eCommerce sales growth of 92 per cent from July-December 2020, with eCommerce sales accounting for about eight percent of total sales.