Marley Spoon pre-commits to Charter Hall’s Wetherill Park Distribution Centre
Marley Spoon – which is part backed in Australia by Woolworths – has pre-committed to a 14,200 square metre space within Charter Hall’s Wetherill Park Distribution Centre, about 34 kilometres west of Sydney.
The meal kit provider has signed a 10-year deal with Charter Hall Prime Industrial Fund (CPIF) for the property to be known as 300 Victoria Street, Wetherill Park.
The tenancy will form part of a 26,400 sqm structure – the balance which the institution will now seek occupiers for.
With a 36 metre super-awning, the factory is due for completion early next year.
Marley Spoon will relocate from Smithfield, still west, but nine kilometres closer to the city.
Food delivery business booming even before COVID-19
Demand for more convenient food delivery options was growing in Australia even before being accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, a joint statement between the landlord and tenant, said.
Berlin-based Marley Spoon trades in eight countries.
Three years ago, it introduced a second brand here – Dinnerly, a more affordable alternative of the same concept.
Last year, Woolworths Group entered into a five year strategic partnership, offering operational expertise, scale and marketing, to the meal kit provider.
The Wetherill Park facility will allow for a more efficient supply chain, Marley Spoon Australia managing director Rolf Weber said.
“Fundamentally, we are seeing a change in people’s shopping habits, as more consumers look to online shopping for convenience and affordability,” the executive added (story continues below).
“Over recent years, we’ve been focused on expanding the Marley Spoon offering, as well as introducing Dinnerly, a second more affordable meal kit service; flexibility and choice have been at the heart of both brands, so a larger purpose-built facility will allow further automation and efficiency while also expanding our offering to customers”.
Charter Hall Industrial & Logistics’ head of development, Andrew Simons, added the landlord is seeking to increase its already substantial portfolio in the food logistics sector.
CBRE’s Raj Chaudhary negotiated the Marley Spoon deal.
Deal + development = $90m-plus asset: Charter Hall
Marley Spoon will join Toll Logistics Solutions (TLS) – which occupies all of the only other building at Wetherill Park Distribution Centre.
Upon completion of the new facility, Charter Hall said, the estate will include 37,400 sqm of lettable area and be worth more than $90m.
“Our ability to deliver high specification, modern logistics space in strategic locations across the eastern seaboard continues to attract quality tenant covenants for our real estate funds and their investors,” Charter Hall Industrial & Logistics chief executive officer, Richard Stacker, said.
The department’s development pipeline now exceeds $2 billion, the executive added.
CPIF holds 75 assets worth a total of $5.6b.
Following two recent pre-commitments to Coles (including one at another Wetherill Park address), the wholesale fund will from 2022 also have a weighted average lease expiry [WALE] of 11 years – which is sector leading.
