Morrisons has triggered the expansion of its M Local network in the North of England with the opening of a new distribution centre in Bury.

The site has the potential to service over 100 M Local stores in the North and marks another step in delivering the grocery multiple’s plans for growth in the convenience sector.

Morrisons opened its first convenience distribution hub in Feltham, west London, in March, which will service M Locals in the South East. The two centres will support the opening of the 62 sites acquired from Blockbuster, HMV and Jessops earlier this year.

It is aiming to have over 100 M Local convenience stores open by the end of January 2014.

The new 150,000sq ft distribution centre will be leased for five years and run by supply chain specialists Wincanton on behalf of Morrisons.

Neal Austin, Morrisons group logistics and supply chain director, said: “This is a big year for M Local as we expand at pace. The convenience market is a fantastic opportunity for us and, as we expand our store offering, we’ve got to make sure we have the infrastructure to support it.

“We have spoken at length about the importance of us developing a presence in London and the South East, which will be our initial focus, but it’s crucial to us that we also bring our great M Local offering to our customers up here in our heartland as well.”