Picnic lands major funding for automated DC

Dutch online supermarket Picnic has raised €250 million to build a 42,000 square metre automated distribution centre in Utrecht.

It has secured a €50 million loan from ABN AMRO; the rest of the cash comes from the same four families that provided the better part of a €100 million round in 2017 – namely Fentener van Vlissingen (NPM Capital), Hoyer (Hoyberg), De Rijcke (Kruidvat) and Finci (from the supermarket chain Boni).

The startup currently has seven distribution centres, with the new one due to come online in two years’ time.

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