Company Shop Group, a leading UK redistributor and retailer of surplus products, has announced a multimillion-pound investment in a new redistribution centre in Yorkshire. The Barnsley-based business, owned by Biffa plc, will open the 73,007 sq ft facility in Darton, South Yorkshire, this summer, with full operations expected by October.
Expanding Frozen Surplus Operations
The new centre will handle frozen products, bringing the company's frozen operations entirely in-house. This move comes after Company Shop Group doubled the amount of frozen surplus handled over the past five years. The facility will process and redistribute millions of frozen food items across the UK through its network of 14 Surplus Supermarkets and its not-for-profit arm, Community Shop, which provides discounted food and household essentials to members.
The investment marks one of the organisation's biggest since moving to its headquarters in Tankersley, where it processes ambient and chilled products. The Tankersley site will continue to operate alongside the new Darton centre.
Job Creation and Operational Benefits
Existing staff have already moved to the new site, and at least five new roles will be created. The in-house frozen operations will increase operational capacity and efficiency, allowing Company Shop Group to handle more pallets per day and introduce new product interventions.
Chris Burns, group managing director, said: "Over the last five years we have doubled the amount of frozen surplus that we handle. This new redistribution centre is a major investment for the future, bringing significantly increased operational capacity. By bringing our frozen operations in-house, we will be better positioned to support our industry partners, creating a more efficient system and a platform for continued investment in our product interventions."
Industry-Leading Solutions
The investment follows Company Shop Group reaching the milestone of redistributing 1 billion surplus items since its inception. The company works with over 800 brands, retailers, and manufacturers to prevent surplus food, drink, and household products from becoming waste.
Martin Upton, operations director, added: "The new frozen redistribution centre will allow us to process far more pallets per day, reinforcing our unique ability to redistribute frozen surplus at a very large scale. This brings significant benefits, including the opportunity to introduce new product interventions that will enable us to provide even more support to our partners and redistribute more stock."
