Gap Inc. to build new DC in Longview, Texas to meet demand for digital shopping

Gap Inc., today announced plans to open a new state-of-the-art DC or what it calls a “Customer Experience Center” in Longview, Texas.

By delivering inventory faster and more efficiently to customers across the country, the $140 million investment will help Gap Inc. meet the rising customer demand for online shopping and reach its future plans for digital growth. Gap Inc. anticipates the new campus will create more than 500 full-time jobs in Longview by the end of 2023 and will grow to more than 1,000 full-time jobs in the city over the next five years. Additionally, the company expects to create more than 1,000 part-time and seasonal jobs by 2026.

The new campus will become Gap Inc.’s latest facility to feature industry-leading technology that has been tested and optimized in other campuses across the Gap Inc. network. Upon completion, the new facility will be able to process up to one million units per day.

“As we look to deliver on our three-year strategy and double our online business, we needed to expand our fulfillment network to provide a great experience for our customers today and ensure we have the ability to grow in the future,” said Shawn Curran, Chief Operating Officer, Gap Inc. “We are thrilled to join the Longview community and look forward to developing a facility that will provide employment opportunities and job training to work alongside cutting-edge technology.”

Prior to the pandemic, Gap Inc. set out on a journey to transform its fulfillment network by piloting and implementing some of the world’s most advanced fulfillment technology and robotics. The result has transformed our traditional distribution centers into highly automated, cross-channel Customer Experience Centers, intended to serve customers wherever they are shopping. While the Longview facility will initially serve Old Navy’s growing online business, many of the company’s Customer Experience Centers have the capability to seamlessly serve both online and retail orders in one facility.

The new facility in Longview is expected to total approximately 850,000 square feet. Construction will begin in April 2021 with plans to be fully operational by August 2022. This campus will supplement our six existing campuses in North America, including those in Fresno, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Groveport, OH; Gallatin, TN; Fishkill, NY; and Brampton, Ontario. While Gap Inc. had plans in place to open a new facility beforehand, as a result of changing customer needs during the pandemic the timeline has been accelerated to create more capacity for online growth. Modern Materials Handling‘s January 2021 cover story looks at the systems in one of these campuses in depth, and provides insight into the resilience considerations involved with their DC network.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Gap Inc. to Longview,” said Mayor, Dr. Andy Mack. “This significant investment by Gap Inc. will provide a large number of jobs for East Texans and is a continued diversification of our economy. We believe Gap Inc. will play a tremendous role in supporting economic growth and opportunity in our city and we look forward to working together to deliver a lasting, positive impact on our community.”