Waitrose is the latest major supermarket to announce plans to open a huge distribution centre in the UK.

The high-end grocery chain will launch a £35 million site in Leyland, Lancashire in September, which will consist of 360,000 sq ft of warehouse space and 50,000 sq ft of offices.

It will be used to service 42 of the company's stores across the north of England and Scotland and it could make a huge difference to the retailer's overall supply chain.

Waitrose chiefs are hoping the distribution centre will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to restock its outlets in Scotland in particular.

A number of supermarkets have unveiled plans to build major warehouses in recent months, including Morrisons, which will open a 150,000 sq ft site in Bury, Greater Manchester later this year.

Once it is up and running, the site will have the capacity to serve more than 100 Morrisons M local stores in the north of England.