Americold and Ahold Delhaize scrapped two automated frozen warehouses: a $305–320M charge

Ahold Delhaize USA (ADUSA) and the cold-storage company Americold Realty Trust first partnered in 2020 on two fully automated frozen warehouses, part of the grocer's supply chain transformation and its multi-year move to self-distribution. On 21 July 2026, according to an Americold filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the companies agreed to wind down the distribution centre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania by 31 December and to halt plans for one in Plainville, Connecticut, which 'will be idled immediately'.

Americold said in the filing that it expects to record a non-cash impairment charge of about $305 million to $320 million for the two facilities, which it expects to sell. ADUSA and Americold also agreed to expand and renew business in other parts of Americold's network. Supply Chain Dive, reporting on 10 August 2026, said ADUSA told Grocery Dive that it would stay in the Lancaster facility through the end of the year, that facility operations had not changed yet, and that it would share more about its transition soon.

The retreat did not end ADUSA's automation plans. In October 2025 the grocer committed $860 million to build an automated distribution centre in Burlington, North Carolina, and at the start of 2026 Blackstone Credit & Insurance invested $475 million in that project, which is expected to begin serving stores in 2029.

The report does not give a reason: neither the filing nor ADUSA's statement, as quoted by Supply Chain Dive, explains why the two sites were cancelled.

The sites were built for ADUSA's self-distribution plan, so Americold's investment depended on the grocer using them as designed.

ADUSA is still pursuing automated distribution centres of its own, in Burlington, which suggests the change concerned these two partnership sites rather than automation as a whole.

Large automated sites built for one customer's distribution plan carry the risk that plan changes. When it does, the builder takes the write-down.

Americold plans to sell the two facilities. ADUSA planned to stay in Lancaster until the end of 2026 and had not detailed its transition. It continues to build the Burlington, North Carolina automated centre, backed by $860 million of its own investment and a $475 million Blackstone commitment.