The Grocer – 13 January 2018

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Get the full story at thegrocer.co.uk 13 January 2018 | The Grocer | 7

Small firms in the UK fear
robots will drive them
out of business, accord-
ing to new research.
One Poll quizzed
500 c-suite executives
from SMEs with 50-
employees and found
57% had concerns that
robotic process automa-
tion (RPA) would nega-
tively affect their firms
over the next five years.
Yet the survey also
found that 77% would
want to use RPA to auto-
mate mundane, trans-
actional tasks, with 56%
describing the freeing up
of staff time to focus on
more strategic work as a
key driver for robots.
“Using RPA will give
SMEs competitive advan-
tage and if they don’t
embrace it they will be
left behind,” said Scott
Dodds, CEO of Ultima,
which commissioned the
research.

SMEs urged

not to fear the

rise of robot

automation

Lidl preparing to open

largest RDC in the UK

RDC will support Lidl’s expansion plans for London area

Helen Gilbert

Lidl is planning to open

its largest UK regional

distribution centre after

exchanging contracts on

a 58-acre site in Luton.

Up to 1,000 jobs will be

created at the 1,000,

sq ft depot, which will be

double the size of any of

its other warehouses in

the UK.

The new RDC – the

16th in the UK for the

German discounter and

its fourth in Greater

London – will service

London stores and comes

as the retailer prepares to

open shops in Shepherd’s

Bush, Walthamstow

Central, South Ruislip,

Hornchurch and Rosehill

over the next two

months. It is not clear at

this stage when the DC

will open.

“As more London

households choose to

shop at Lidl, we are com-

mitted to the continued

investment in our opera-

tions and infrastructure

to support our growth,”

said Lidl UK expansion

and development direc-

tor Ingo Fischer.

“With five new stores

opening in the next two

months alone, and fur-

ther store expansion

and development plans

in place for the Greater

London across the

new financial year and

beyond, this warehouse

is vital in supporting our

ambitious plans in and

around the M25.”

The new DC follows

the opening of two new

RDCs in Exeter and

Wednesbury in 2017, and

the announcement of a

further three new ware-

houses in Doncaster,

Bolton and Peterborough.

Construction has also

begun on two new ware-

houses in Avonmouth

and Eurocentral,

Scotland, which will

replace Lidl’s exist-

ing warehouses in

Weston-super-Mare and

Livingston.

The Luton move forms

part of Lidl’s £1.45bn

expansion investment

in Great Britain in 2017-

18. This week Lidl also
    reported a bumper
    Christmas trading
    period, with sales up 16%
    in December compared
    with the previous year,
    while experiencing its
    highest-ever footfall.

Steve Rowe: “committed to

digital-first retailing”

Marks & Spencer will
spend £25m to implement
a technology programme
and outsource 250 jobs
as it pushes ahead with
plans to become a ‘digi-
tal-first’ retailer.
The chain unveiled the
plans this week, saying it
aimed to have one third
of its business online
by 2022. It includes the
creation of a technology
operating model to drive
efficiencies; appoint-
ing Tata Consultancy
Services (TCS) as its tech-
nology partner; and con-
solidating its technology
supplier base.

M&S to invest £25m in ‘digital

first’ tech programme changes

M&S said some 250

existing technology roles

would transfer to TCS,

and “individual conver-

sations will take place”

with about 30 members

of staff whose “functions

will be carried out differ-

ently in the future”.

A smaller, more tech-

nical and commercially

focused in-house tech-

nology team of about 170

staff will be retained.

Some roles may change

due to structure, location

or “they may decide to

leave the business”, said

M&S, which stressed this

was not a redundancy

programme.

It forms part of its five-

year transformation pro-

gramme, announced in

November. The invest-

ment would create a more

“agile, faster and com-

mercial technology func-

tion”, said M&S.

Ocado Technology is to

move to a new perma-

nent office in Barcelona

this spring as it seeks to

expand its workforce.

The Ocado Group divi-

sion first opened a tem-

porary office in the city in

2016. Staff at the new site
      will focus on expanding
      its mobile, web develop-
      ment, data science and
      retail systems capabili-
      ties for its UK operations,
      said Clifford Bailey, head
      of Ocado Technology.
      Bailey confirmed
      its software engineers
      would work on devel-
      oping the Ocado Smart

Ocado Technology to

remain in Barcelona

Platform, which it is

looking to offer to gro-

cery retailers around the

world to accelerate their

online presence, as well

as power Ocado.com.

“Barcelona’s vibrant

ecosystem of software-

minded communities

and an international rep-

utation for engineering

excellence makes it one

of the best places in the

world for a tech company

to start and grow a local

office,” Bailey said.

Opening in March

2018, the new office will

accommodate more than

100 employees.