US-based department store Macy’s plans to expand its online order fulfilment centre near Portland, in Robertson County, TN, to accommodate continued growth in sales at macys.com.
The Portland facility, with 6,00,000 sq.ft of space, was built by Macy’s Inc and opened in the spring of 2007. The expansion will add 3,74,000 sq.ft of space. Construction is expected to begin this fall so the expanded facility, with a total of 9,74,000 sq.ft, can be operational in the fall of 2011.
“Our online sales at Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s have grown rapidly in recent years – by 19.6 per cent in 2009, followed by another 31 per cent in the first half of 2010,” said Tom Cole, Macy’s chief administrative officer. “It is important that our systems and support facilities also continue to develop, so we can drive growth in the online business and serve customers effectively and efficiently. Portland already is a state-of-the-art fulfilment centre, and this expansion will allow us to scale up its capabilities to handle the higher level of volume expected in the years ahead.”
The Portland fulfilment centre currently employs about 570 year-round associates. The expansion is expected to require another 250 full- and part-time associates when it opens in 2011.
In addition, about 600 seasonal associates are hired at the facility each year to handle a significantly higher level of online orders from customers during the holiday shopping season.
In addition to Portland, the company’s online orders also are supported by major fulfilment centres located in Goodyear, AZ, and Cheshire, CT.
Macy’s Inc, with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the premier retailers in the US, with fiscal 2009 sales of $23.5 billion.
— IndiaRetailing Bureau
