Wiltshire-based Wincanton has started operations at a new customer fulfilment centre (CFC also known as a “dark store”) for Waitrose.com in Greenford, West London, making it the first supply chain partner to create a dark store for grocery home deliveries in the UK.

Waitrose.com selected Wincanton as its supply chain partner in order to fast-track the development of the CFC and respond to continuing demand for online shopping slots - especially from elderly, disabled and vulnerable customers.

The dark store will create some 800 new jobs when it is fully running, with staff picking and packing some 1.25m products a week for delivery in 150 new vans.