According to www.supplychaindive.com, Lululemon has opened a new 1-million-square-foot distribution center in Brampton, Ontario, Canada — a facility that broke ground in 2023 and became fully operational in June 2026.
Strategic expansion for North American e-commerce
The Brampton facility is designed to strengthen Lululemon’s e-commerce fulfillment across the Eastern United States and Eastern Canada. It replaces and supplements older infrastructure as the brand scales direct-to-consumer operations amid rising demand for speed and accuracy in order processing.
The site features an integrated AutoStore robotic storage and retrieval system — a key automation component enabling higher throughput and labor efficiency. According to the report, the AutoStore deployment supports “automated operations” and helps the retailer move product more efficiently across its North American logistics network.
Leadership and operational timeline
Ted Dagnese, Lululemon’s chief supply chain officer, emphasized the strategic role of the new hub during its launch event. He stated:
“This facility expands our fulfillment capabilities in Canada and the US, enabling us to better serve our guests and operate with greater speed and agility.” — Ted Dagnese, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Lululemon
The facility’s construction began in 2023, and after nearly three years of development and commissioning, it reached full operational status last month — confirming its June 2026 go-live date. The project reflects Lululemon’s multi-year investment in owned logistics infrastructure, following earlier expansions including its 700,000-square-foot distribution center in Phoenix, Arizona, which opened in 2022.
Geographic and functional scope
Located in Brampton, Ontario — a major logistics corridor within Canada’s Greater Toronto Area — the center serves as a dual-market node. It handles e-commerce orders destined for consumers in both Eastern Canada and the Eastern United States, reducing reliance on third-party fulfillment partners and cross-border handoffs.
This regional alignment supports Lululemon’s broader North American supply chain strategy, which prioritizes proximity to high-density population centers and leverages Canada’s trade agreements to streamline customs clearance. The facility also anchors the company’s growing footprint in North America, where it reported $4.2 billion in net revenue for fiscal year 2025 — up 12% year-over-year, per its latest earnings release.
Automation and scalability implications
Beyond capacity, the Brampton DC represents a deliberate shift toward automation-enabled scalability. The AutoStore system — deployed across over 20,000 bins — allows for rapid picking, real-time inventory visibility, and reduced manual handling errors. Industry benchmarks indicate such systems can increase order accuracy to >99.9% and boost picking productivity by up to 300% compared to traditional warehouse layouts.
For supply chain professionals, the implementation signals a maturing of apparel retail logistics: moving from outsourced, labor-intensive models toward capital-intensive, technology-embedded infrastructure. This mirrors trends at peers including Amazon, which operates over 200 robotics-enabled fulfillment centers globally, and Walmart, which added 15 automated distribution centers between 2023 and 2026.
Source: Supply Chain Dive
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
