John Lewis and IM Properties have marked the first stage in the development of a new 50,000 sq ft customer delivery hub at Solihull Business Park.
The ground breaking, which marks the official start of the construction period, took place at IM Properties’ 10 acre development site.
When completed, the building will act as John Lewis’s first new style regional Customer Delivery Hub, enabling all omni-channel orders to be delivered to customers’ homes across Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area.
Mark Robinson, Director of Customer Delivery Operations, John Lewis, said: “We are exceedingly pleased to have reached this significant milestone in the development of a landmark Customer Delivery concept for John Lewis.
“By opening the new facility we are continuing to support the growth seen in our selling branch and online business across Birmingham whilst simultaneously returning space in our stores to retail use. We are looking forward to working closely with IM Properties in the fulfilment of this exciting development.”
Sitting just off the A34 Stratford Road, Solihull Business Park is located at the heart of the national transport network, with junction 4 of the M42 just a mile away and Birmingham Airport and railway station both within easy reach.
Lewis Payne, IM Properties, said: “We are naturally delighted that John Lewis selected Solihull Business Park as the first location for their Customer Delivery Hub project. The site’s proximity to the UK motorway network made our site the natural choice for John Lewis, allowing them to expand their operations in the Solihull area.
The first-of-its-kind distribution centre will be designed to achieve an EPC rating of A and BREEAM Excellent status, with Grade A standard offices. John Lewis is expected to be operational by Autumn 2014, ready to fulfil online orders ahead of Christmas.
Solihull Business Park is fully serviced with infrastructure, including estate roads and key utilities in place, enabling buildings to be delivered quickly on a design and build basis to suit specific occupation requirements.