PHILADELPHIA, PA - Retailers across the industry are taking the futuristic approach to their operations with the use of automation and robots. The latest retailer to hop onboard the tech train is The GIANT Company which recently revealed plans to introduce automation technology to its fulfillment center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
GIANT will be utilizing micro-fulfillment technology developed by Swisslog, according to an article from the Philadelphia Business Journal, that uses robots and bins to help process orders in its 124,000-square-foot facility.
The company is currently renovating the fulfillment center after announcing its leasing of the space in January 2020.
GIANT will reportedly use the robots to store and retrieve products across the center in tandem with human counterparts to fill online orders, as demand for the service has increased due to the pandemic. Together, the use of manual picking and automation will enable GIANT to handle approximately 15,000 online orders per week for delivery throughout the area, as explained by the company in a statement.
Through its Philadelphia fulfillment center, GIANT is planning on hiring upwards of 200 people to help run the facility.
This new partnership with Swisslog to use its automation technology comes in conjunction with Peapod Digital Labs, which is a digital and e-commerce platform from Ahold Delhaize USA.
Ahold USA and its banners are working to expand e-commerce fulfillment capabilities to create an omnichannel supply chain. It will have a total of 18 self-managed distribution centers and 28 e-commerce fulfillment centers by March 1, with plans to extend the number to 27 distribution centers by 2023.
How will automation continue to expand the retail sector? AndNowUKnow will keep a pulse on the newswire to bring you the answers.
