German discount retailer Lidl extended its local portfolio with a new logistics center opened in the commune of Fundeni, Calarasi county, close to the A2 motorway. The new warehouse, which the company said is the largest in its portfolio, will supply more than 55 stores in the southern and southeast areas of Romania.

"The sixth regional headquarters covers a total built area of over 56,000 sqm and a land area of over 173,000 sqm, thus being the largest warehouse in the Lidl portfolio," reads the company's press release.

To streamline the process of storing and distributing products in stores, the retailer implemented a series of solutions and systems in the new warehouse, such as the ALMA system - a tool that allows efficient management of the truck loading and unloading process, the PDR gravity racking system - a solution that optimizes storage space, and an LPV system for rotating pallets – a solution for managing stocks of products that have a short shelf life, a measure that also allows the reduction of food waste in the warehouse.

Also, the new regional headquarters is equipped with 2,650 solar panels, which can produce around 30% of the energy intended for the building's operation, and an electric charging station for trucks.

Alternatively, with the inauguration of this center, the retailer said it is building a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) filling station for the first time for part of the fleet of trucks that transport goods for Lidl stores.

In addition, a 6,000 sqm mural made by Irlo and The Institute covers two sides of the new building. The artist used the environmentally friendly paint Airlite for this project, which actively purifies the air near the building. This paint reduces air pollution when exposed to natural light, eliminating approximately 330 kg of nitrogen oxides annually. Moreover, Lidl said, it cancels the effect of 1294 Euro 6 petrol cars or 970 Euro 6 diesel cars and takes the place of 240 trees every day.

The new Lidl logistics center also created 250 new jobs.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Lidl Romania)