DP World has shipped over 10 million vinyl records from its Bicester facility, the UK’s largest distribution warehouse for music and video products, since August 2023, when the facility commenced operations.
Powered by semi-autonomous ‘picking’ robots, developed by Locus Robotics, the warehouse has become the epicentre of physical music distribution in the UK, playing a key role in the ongoing ‘vinyl revival’. Moving independently all across the warehouse following worker input, the robots ensure a seamless blend of automation and manual precision.
Handling more than 70% of all physical music and 35% of home entertainment products sold in the UK, the 270,000ft² (25,000m²) facility distributed upwards of 20 million units across all product lines in its first year. It supplies some of the world’s largest retailers, including Amazon and HMV, as well as more than 400 independent record stores.
The DP World facility at Bicester has also seen significant growth in e-commerce sales, distributing approximately 2 million units directly to customers in 2024.
Neil Lander, Business Development Director, EMEA – DP World Logistics, said: “The milestone shipment of Bicester’s 10-millionth vinyl record is testament to the work of our team to help support the revival of Britian’s physical music and home entertainment sector. With over 80 semi-autonomous ‘pick robots’, we have built a highly scalable and efficient operation, and we are very excited to continue supporting the UK’s thriving physical music industry, especially as we approach Record Store Day on 12 April.”
With vinyl sales continuing to grow year-on-year, DP World’s Bicester warehouse has become a key part of Britain’s physical music supply chain, facilitating the ongoing ‘vinyl revival’. Since opening in August 2023, it has distributed 10.5 million records, 13 million CDs, and 8 million DVDs, with further growth expected across all three product types in 2025.
