Lego opens new European DC in Belgium

The Lego Group has added a new regional distribution centre (DC) in Tessenderlo, Belgium. According to the Danish toy manufacturer, the new DC provides more flexibility and resilience in the supply chain. As a result, customers benefit from delivery times shortened by a day or two.

The new DC serves customers in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the UK, Ireland and northern France, as well as Lego Brand Retail Stores. Products are delivered from the factories in Nyíregyháza, Hungary, and in Kladno, Czech Republic. Operation of the DC is in the hands of Kuehne+Nagel, the logistics service provider with which Lego has worked for more than 12 years.

The new distribution centre is the second in Lego’s European distribution network. The other is located in Jirny, Czech Republic. The DC in Tessenderlo provides storage space for 44,000 pallets and can handle around 32,000 orders annually. The DC also supplies Lego.com’s fulfilment centre, which is located on the same campus. For customers, this results in delivery time reductions of up to two days.

Important milestone

The opening of the DC in Tessenderlo is described as an important milestone in the company’s strategy to increase the flexibility and agility of its operations. The Lego Group has also invested more than US$1 billion in two new, state-of-the-art factories in Binh Duong, Vietnam, and in Virginia, US. These will open in 2025 and 2027, respectively.

The Lego Group is also expanding four of its existing factories in Nyíregyháza (Hungary), Billund (Denmark), Jiaxing (China) and Monterrey (Mexico), to meet future demand and drive long-term growth. All expansions are currently underway and will be completed in the coming years.

Sustainable design

The new DC was built to BREEAM Excellent environmental standards. As with all other Lego sites, it aims to reduce global carbon emissions, namely by 37% by 2032. The company also uses the European rail network to transport products from its factories. This results in an estimated saving of 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.