Maersk has committed to strengthening its omnichannel-fulfilment capabilities in Australia, opening seven new facilities across the country.
The seven new facilities are being delivered over the 12 months to Q1 2024. This will bring the company’s total number of sites in Australia to eight, serviced by 550 full-time employees.
Four sites opened earlier this year and three more are coming between now and Q1 2024. Two of these facilities were integrated into the Maersk network as part of its acquisition of LF Logistics.
Maersk boasts five gateway ports and owned warehouse services in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, with additional co-owned warehouse services in Perth and Adelaide. Maersk’s addition of seven facilities in Australia brings its footprint from 15,900 square metres in Q1 2023 to 142,500 square metres by end of Q1 2024, adding a total of 126,600 square metres in 12 months.
Six of the seven new sites will be omnichannel facilities, harnessing a variety of channels to interact with customers to fulfil orders. Omnichannel capabilities reportedly provide Maersk with better levels of availability and service, reduced working capital and better efficiency. It allows for an improved focus on sustainability by utilising renewable energy sources such as solar panels, smart power management systems, and low energy consumption equipment, according to Maersk.
The recent opening of Maersk’s Derrimut facility in Melbourne harnesses progressive AI technology to automate current warehousing processes. The facility caters to booming e-commerce fulfilment needs, as well as offering logistics solutions for different industries.
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“Our expansion throughout Australia is giving our customers a more efficient and sustainable service right throughout the supply chain,” said Kylie Fraser, Maersk’s Managing Director of Oceania.
“Australia imports a high volume of consumer goods, and we are excited to be able to continue to efficiently deliver goods while growing our business and contributing significantly to regional economic growth.”
In October 2023, Inditex, parent to fashion brands Zara and Massimo Dutti, partnered with Maersk to cut global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in seaborne logistics.
