The centre's high-speed automatic sortation system can sort up to a rate of 7,200 cartons per hour, or two cartons per second, and can handle up to 20 kg per carton of grocery items in various sizes. -- ST PHOTO: NURIA LING
NTUC FairPrice Group posted annual sales of $2 billion for the financial year ended March 31 - a jump of 10% from the previous year's $1.81 billion.
The supermarket chain is also expanding and hiring. Its five new stores are opening this year and 300 new workers have been employed, with 200 positions to be filled in the coming months.
To deal with its expansion plans over the next five years, FairPrice had invested $41 million in developing the capabilities of its central distribution centre in Joo Koon, which handles 80 per cent of all its dry groceries.
FairPrice Group chief executive officer Tan Kian Chew said: 'FairPrice started our centralised distribution system in 1993, with the primary objective to eliminate inefficiencies, raise productivy so that cost savings can be passed on to our customers in terms of lower prices. We have since upgraded and improved our system.'
The centre's high-speed automatic sortation system on a conveyor belt was officially unveiled on Thursday.
The system can sort up to a rate of 7,200 cartons per hour, or two cartons per second, and can handle up to 20 kg per carton of grocery items in various sizes.
Mr Dickson Yeo, NTUC FairPrice's director of supply chain added that this is twice the speed of conventional sortation systems.
