Yusen Logistics UK has opened a 1.1 million sq ft distribution centre near Northampton that uses an advanced robotics and four‑way conveyor system previously seen only in China. The site currently employs about 150 people, with plans to expand to 500–900 as operations grow, and shifts the workforce toward more technical and engineering roles. Around 25% of the warehouse will be temperature‑controlled for pharmaceuticals, and the facility includes sustainability features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting. Yusen also hopes to connect the site to the delayed Northampton Gateway rail interchange in future.
Yusen Opens 1.1M sq ft Northampton Warehouse Featuring Robotics and Four‑Way Conveyor — First Deployment of System Outside China
Brian Luck says the Northampton warehouse is a "pioneering site" with its robotic system [Kate Bradbrook/BBC]
Yusen Logistics UK has opened a 1.1 million sq ft (102,193 sq m) distribution centre on the edge of Northampton that introduces an advanced robotics and four‑way conveyor system previously used only in China. The facility, located on the Segro Logistics Park between Milton Malsor and Collingtree, will initially employ around 150 staff, with headcount expected to grow to between 500 and 900 as operations scale up.
Yusen Logistics UK will use a robotics and four-way conveyor system at its new warehouse [Yusen Logistics]
Technology and Layout
The new site combines autonomous robots with a four‑way conveyor network to move pallets and deliver goods‑to‑person picking across the warehouse footprint. Yusen says this layout increases efficiency by bringing items directly to staff workstations, allowing pickers to manage multiple orders simultaneously.
Robots are used to move pallets of goods around the enormous warehouse [Yusen Logistics]
Human And Machine Collaboration
David Evans, managing director of Yusen Logistics UK, emphasised that automation complements rather than replaces people.
“There are some roles that robots can do better than people, but fundamentally robots don't work without people,” he said.
Japanese singers provided entertainment during an opening ceremony at the warehouse [BBC]
Brian Luck, the warehouse general manager, described the system as designed for close cooperation between staff and machines, adding that it can allow workers to pick up to eight orders at a time. He also said this is the first time the particular system has been deployed in Europe outside China, making the Northampton site a pioneering installation.
Yusen Logistics' warehouse is on the Segro Logistics Park where a new Amazon distribution centre also recently opened [Yusen Logistics]
Operations, Customers And Storage
The centre will focus primarily on business‑to‑business deliveries, serving electronics manufacturers, while also offering home delivery services. Approximately a quarter of the facility will be dedicated to pharmaceutical storage, with temperature‑controlled zones to meet regulatory and safety requirements.
Sustainability And Transport Links
Adjacent to the M1 motorway, Yusen describes the site as a sustainable distribution centre, fitted with solar panels and rainwater harvesting to reduce its environmental footprint. The company also hopes to use the nearby Northampton Gateway Rail Freight Interchange in future, although that rail hub has faced delays in becoming fully operational.
Planning And Local Response
Planning permission for the Segro Logistics Park was granted in 2019 for rail‑served warehousing and ancillary buildings. Local residents in nearby villages campaigned against the development, citing concerns about additional traffic, loss of green space and impacts on wildlife habitats.
The Segro estate already hosts other large distribution centres, including a recently opened Amazon facility. Yusen said the location was chosen for its position within the UK logistics "golden triangle"—a central distribution area roughly stretching from Leicester to Milton Keynes—and because the company already operates nearby sites in Grange Park, Wellingborough and Malton.
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