SPAR Austria's central warehouse in Wels is a highly efficient and advanced logistics centre, considered a leading project both in Austria and internationally. It was established 25 years ago in 1998, when all 7,000 items had to be manually picked. Today, after completing its fourth expansion phase, the Wels warehouse has a capacity of about 18,000 items spread across 50,000m². The majority of these items are prepared for transport using a fully automated picking system.

Due to the continuous growth of the SPAR Austria Group and the resulting increase in goods flow, the logistics centre in Wels has undergone three expansions since its opening. Recently, the fourth expansion phase was completed, marking the full operational status of the central warehouse. It now serves as the hub for supplying all SPAR, EUROSPAR, and INTERSPAR Hypermarkets in Austria.

Distribution to Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia

The central warehouse in Wels serves as a logistics hub not only for SPAR stores in Austria but also for those in northern Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia.

“Efficient logistics is the backbone of any retail company. We are always working on the shortest possible transport routes and on the optimisation of logistics processes to secure the supply of our SPAR stores. The expansion of the central warehouse in Wels was a necessary and forward-thinking step to enhance our logistics capabilities”, said Marcus Wild, a member of SPAR Austria’s Executive Board.

Modern logistics platforms

SPAR Austria’s logistics network consists of eight large-scale warehouses and logistics centres in various regions. This extensive network ensures that fresh food from each respective region has a short distance to travel, minimising transportation time from producers to the warehouse and eventually to the stores.

“The central warehouse in Wels is a flagship project. It stands out as one of the most modern and efficient logistics centres of its kind, forming an integral part of the SPAR logistics chain. Despite its high level of automation, the site plays a significant role as an employer in the region, currently providing over 500 jobs. Over time, as the central warehouse has expanded, the number of jobs has steadily increased”, emphasised Jakob Leitner, Managing Director of SPAR Upper Austria.

Increased capacity

Every day, about 3,000 pallets from both regional and international manufacturing companies are delivered to the central warehouse in Wels. These deliveries are received through 20 goods receiving gates. The employees at the warehouse work in two shifts to pick the items. They are assisted by automated warehouse processes and storage systems.

“With the completion of this fourth construction stage, we have reached another milestone at the Wels DC and SPAR Austria’s overall logistics chain. We have been consistently increasing performance since last summer. The increased capacity provided contributes to relieving the workload of regional warehouses across Austria in a sustainable manner”, said Martin Gleiss, SPAR Austria’s Head of Logistics.

Source: SPAR Austria

Read more about SPAR Austria.

About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company.

With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has developed the brand in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy. SPAR Austria became the market leader in the Austrian grocery trade in 2020 and has maintained this leadership position in 2022.