Target has launched its ninth and largest food distribution center to date—a $367 million, 529,000-square-foot temperature-controlled facility in Thornton, Colorado. The center serves 129 stores across 11 states and shortens replenishment time by up to two days. It is Target’s fourth food DC in three years and the first with consolidation capabilities to combine vendor shipments for fully loaded outbound trucks. As part of its 'food-forward' strategy, Target added 3,000 new food and beverage items in Q1 2026 and is undertaking its largest grocery department transition in over a decade. Additional Colorado expansions include a new Firestone store, four remodels, and two more stores planned for 2027.
Target launches $367M food distribution center in Colorado
Thornton Facility Marks Ninth and Largest Food Distribution Center
The retailer’s newest and largest food facility to date replenishes the nearly 130 stores it serves up to two days faster than before.
As Target continues its “food-forward” strategy to make its grocery assortment a key reason people choose to shop at its stores, the retailer has opened its fourth food distribution center in three years.
During the retailer’s latest earnings call in late May, executives announced it had opened a food distribution center in Colorado as part of its efforts to keep up with in-store changes and expanded food offerings.
This facility in Thornton, Colorado, marks Target’s ninth and largest food distribution center to date, spanning 529,000 square feet of temperature-controlled warehouse space and serving 129 stores across 11 states, according to a Monday blog post by the company. Target added that the center replenishes stores it serves up to two days faster than before.
The site is also the first with consolidation capabilities, meaning it serves as a connector between vendors and other food distribution centers with a dedicated section to combine separate shipments into trucks that “go fully loaded” to select destinations, according to Target.
“We’re advancing and expanding our fresh supply chain capabilities so that guests can rely on us for all their high-quality meals, snacks and seasonal treats,” Amy Probst, the retailer’s senior vice president of food and beverage supply chain, trade and transportation, said in a statement.
The Thornton site marked a $367 million investment by Target.
Additional changes coming to Target’s Colorado footprint include a store opening in Firestone and the remodeling of four locations. In 2027, Target plans to open two more stores in the state.
Target’s “food-forward” strategy has also included adding 3,000 new food items to its assortment during its first quarter and continuing with the “largest transition in over a decade” to its grocery department, Target Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester told investors last month.
Source: Supply Chain Dive
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
