Walmart opens new automated South Carolina-based DC for perishable goods
Summary
Walmart marked the grand opening of a 725,000 square-foot perishable distribution centre (PDC) in Wellford (Lyman area), South Carolina. The high-tech centre is built to receive and process fresh produce, eggs, dairy, meat and frozen goods for delivery to around 180 Walmart stores. Walmart says the site supports in-store replenishment, home delivery and faster restocking of customer fridges.
This PDC is the third of five automated perishable centres in Walmart’s nationwide roll-out. Earlier automated PDCs opened in Shafter, California (2021) and Lancaster, Texas (2023); two more are planned for Belvidere, Illinois and Pilesgrove, New Jersey. The sites use warehouse automation technology from Witron and are designed to handle more than double the volume of a traditional distribution centre, as part of Walmart’s broader supply-chain transformation.
Key Points
- The Wellford PDC is 725,000 sq ft and serves roughly 180 Walmart stores in the region.
- The facility handles fresh produce, eggs, dairy, meat and frozen goods, supporting both store replenishment and home delivery.
- It is the third in a five-site programme; previous openings were in Shafter, CA (2021) and Lancaster, TX (2023); forthcoming sites in Belvidere, IL and Pilesgrove, NJ.
- Walmart leverages Witron automation to boost throughput — the automated PDCs can process more than twice the volume of a traditional DC.
- Walmart frames the investment as part of a supply-chain transformation to get fresher products to customers faster.
Why should I read this?
Quick and casual: Walmart’s not just building bigger warehouses — it’s automating them for perishables, which are the trickiest bits of grocery logistics. If you work in retail supply chain, warehousing, or regional logistics, this signals faster turnover, different labour needs and pressure on competitors to match speed and freshness. We skimmed the press release and pulled the essentials so you can see the impact without wading through the corporate spin.