The right fit: Cotton On to grow its Avalon distribution centre

THE Cotton On Group’s enormous distribution centre at Avalon is set to get even bigger, with the clothing brand announcing an expansion of the facility.

The overall space in the centre will grow from 35,000 sqm to 45,000 sqm, and will add as many as 100 extra jobs to the 250 workers already employed there.

The Geelong-born company moved into the $40 million purpose-built centre (which is the anchor tenant of the Avalon Airport Industrial Hub) in 2018, and the expansion will again be built in partnership with Avalon Airport owners LinFox.

Cotton On revealed the full details of the expansion on Monday this week, during a site visit by federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Victorian Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson.

“The Cotton On Group is driven by an obsession with giving our customers the best possible experience,” group chief financial officer Michael Hardwick said.

“This facility was designed with a growth footprint in mind, and we are delighted that now is the time to execute on that plan.”

During 2020, the group – comprised of eight brands including Cotton On, Factorie, Typo and Supre – saw considerable growth in its e-commerce operations, with 75 per cent growth across the Christmas period and spikes of up to 800 comparative growth year on year.

Nearly half of Cotton On Group’s 1,300 stores are in Australia, with an Australian workforce of 9,500 and 20,000 globally.

Senator Henderson said the expansion was “a great sign that Australia’s economic recovery is under way”.

“This is a great example of homegrown manufacturing and innovation and, of course, of a company that has really invested so heavily in Victoria and in the great city of Geelong,” she said.