DHL Supply Chain has officially opened its largest fully-automated robotic fulfillment center in Germany for fashion retailer Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf. This state-of-the-art facility, located in the Lower Saxon municipality of Staufenberg in Germany, is equipped with the latest AutoStore system, made by robot specialist Element Logic. This advanced system covers 6,000 square meters and is one of the largest fully-automated storage and order fulfillment systems in Germany, offering unmatched efficiency and speed in the storage and retrieval of merchandise inventory.
This revolutionary new center not only handles inbound new merchandise and returns, but also the warehousing of 3.5 million fashion items, order picking, and packing. The center then ships the goods to end customers across Germany, as well as Austria, Poland, and the Netherlands. The fully-automated robotic system helps employees process orders and manage returns even faster, ensuring that customers receive their orders in a timely and reliable manner.
The AutoStore system used in the Staufenberg facility is a cutting-edge technology that allows for the monitoring and control of merchandise inventory, ensuring maximum efficiency in storage and retrieval. This enables customer orders to be processed and shipped with greater speed and reliability, reducing throughput times for individual customer orders, from order placement to dispatch from the warehouse. The system also simplifies operational processes for employees and increases operating efficiency.
The AutoStore system offers space-saving warehousing and fully-automated order fulfillment. The basis of the system is a 16-level high aluminum framework in which inventory is stacked and stored in 196,000 plastic bins. Above the bins, the aluminum framework forms a structure called the “grid.” The robots, 160 of them, use the grid to maneuver while picking the items for each individual order fully automatically. The goods are then further processed and prepared for shipping by their human counterparts at 21 “ports.”
The opening of this facility is a significant milestone for DHL Supply Chain and Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf, as it enhances their partnership and is an investment in the future success of both companies. The use of this advanced technology is a strategic growth sector for DHL Supply Chain and it facilitates the omnichannel growth of Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf by enabling them to efficiently process and ship customer orders with greater speed and reliability.
“We are thrilled to facilitate the omnichannel growth of a long-time customer like Peek & Cloppenburg Düsseldorf with the help of this automated solution,” says Rainer Haag, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Germany & Alps. “It enhances our partnership and is an investment in the future success of both our companies. E-commerce is one of DHL Supply Chain’s strategic growth sectors. The use of this system is another important building block in our efforts to provide customers with the highest level of service and support.”
Source: DHL
