Booker has replaced its former depot in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with a bigger, state-of-the-art purpose-built unit.

The flagship 30,000sq ft depot boasts a new top-lit freezer section, wider aisles, a distinct delineation between catering and retail lines to speed customers’ shop, and energy efficient lighting. Booker has ditched its separate chilled room to offer fresh and chilled foods on open-deck chillers housed within the main selling space. A new serve-over butchery and fresh fish counter has been added and all trolleys are now kept under cover.

Booker regional director Andrew Muldoon, who oversees 84 Booker branches across the south, told C-Store: “We signed 24 new customers on the first day of opening. This depot has a bias towards catering customers but the plan is to push our retail turnover.” Salisbury is now offering customers next-day delivery on a multi-temperature van, provided orders are placed by noon. Customers can order online or by using Booker PDT guns that send data via phone lines.

The higher ceilings at Salisbury allow for palette racking within the depot to “boost efficiency and provide good availability,” said Muldoon. Change can also be seen in the wine section where cases are merchandised side by side with single bottles.