CILT Scottish Region visit to Sainsbury's Distribution Depot at Langlands Park, East Kilbride: Wednesday 22 October 2025.

East Kilbride operator GXO Logistics is a spinoff from XPO that manages outsourced supply chains and warehousing and reverse logistics for blue-chip customers in over thirty countries. GXO's corporate headquarters are located in Greenwich, Connecticut. Its customers include Apple, Nike, Boeing, Verizon, Whirlpool and Nestle.

In May 2022, GXO announced the acquisition of the UK-based retail logistics company, Clipper Logistics which distributes goods for Marks & Spencer and Morrisons, and specialises in life sciences and repairs. In April 2023, GXO declared a partnership with Sainsbury's to manage fresh and frozen shipments at warehouse sites across the UK. GXO's takeover offer of Wincanton PLC worth £762M was approved in April 2024. New technology in use at GXO sites includes collaborative robots, vision scanners, automated guided vehicles and goods-to-person robots.

GXO operates the Sainsbury's distribution contract in succession to DHL. Opened in 1997, the campus at Langlands Park in East Kilbride is a 24/7 operation spanning 488,000 square feet that comprises ambient and chilled stores, a resources recycling unit and a vehicle maintenance one.

The Depot services 144 Stores in Scotland and Northern Ireland with 580 warehouse colleagues and 150 core drivers operated by Wincanton.

GXO's core values among its 182,000 staff worldwide are to be safe, be inclusive, make an impact, change the game and deliver results. A notice-board at East Kilbride proudly recognises the achievements of staff in volunteering among their local communities.

The Scottish Region are grateful to Alan Brown, FCILT, Senior Manager for arranging the visit and to David Wilson CI Manager for hosting it. Supply-chain students who took part came from Glasgow Caledonian and Heriot-Watt Universities.

Report by John Yellowlees.