Key Highlights
- Target opens its largest food distribution center in Thornton, Colorado.
- Facility will serve 129 stores across 11 states, reducing delivery times by up to two days.
- New center includes fresh, frozen, produce storage and 12 banana-ripening rooms.
Target has officially opened its newest food distribution center in Thornton, Colorado, marking a major expansion of the retailer’s grocery supply chain network in the western United States.
Backed by a $367 million investment, the facility is now the largest food distribution center in Target’s network and is expected to improve how quickly groceries and fresh products reach stores.
Located at 15450 Washington St. in Thornton, the temperature-controlled facility spans nearly 529,000 square feet. Developed by Ryan Companies, the center will support 129 Target stores across 11 states, helping locations receive food and beverage shipments up to two days faster than before.
The new center also brings job opportunities to the region, with more than 380 employees expected to work at the facility. It marks Target’s ninth food distribution center nationwide and the fourth such facility the company has opened in the last three years as it continues investing in grocery operations.
Facility Designed to Strengthen Grocery Supply Chain
For Target, food and beverage categories have become an increasingly important part of business growth, and the Thornton facility is expected to play a key role in supporting that demand.
“This facility represents so much more than just a new building,” said Amy Probst, senior vice president of Food and Beverage Supply Chain, Trade and Transportation at 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.”
One of the biggest additions at the Thornton site is its shipment consolidation capability, making it the first food distribution center in Target’s network with this feature. Instead of moving products separately from different suppliers, the facility can combine shipments into fully loaded truck deliveries headed to stores and other distribution sites. The approach is expected to improve logistics efficiency and lower transportation costs.
The center has also been built to handle a wide range of grocery products, including fresh produce, frozen food, pantry essentials and refrigerated items. Among its specialized features are 12 banana-ripening rooms, designed to help stores receive fruit at the right stage of freshness.
Boost for Colorado’s Logistics Sector
The opening also adds to Colorado’s growing role as a logistics and transportation hub. With easy access to Interstate 25, Interstate 70 and major western shipping routes, Thornton has increasingly attracted large-scale industrial and distribution investments.
Target currently operates 48 stores across Colorado, along with several supply chain facilities, and has already outlined plans for further store growth and upgrades in the state. The Thornton center is expected to support those efforts while improving product freshness and availability for customers across the region.