Picking efficiency and inventory management: how AutoStore supports retailers' warehouses

For large-scale retail, ensuring product availability on shelves means coordinating increasingly broad assortments, variable volumes and strict delivery times. This is where AutoStore comes in, a company that develops advanced robotics and software to automate and orchestrate order fulfilment.

AutoStore solutions help make warehouse operations more efficient and flexible by optimising storage and order picking.

Automation makes workflows more efficient

Managing store replenishment involves specific requirements: complex orders must be prepared, inventory must remain under control and warehouse flows must be made smoother, even when available space is limited. In this context, automation can help make business and retailer operations more efficient and flexible, as has happened for several chains that have begun working with AutoStore: Consum, Eroski and Benetton.

Consum, a logistics platform for improving picking efficiency

In Spain, Consum chose AutoStore, in collaboration with systems integration partner Smartlog, to build a new regional logistics platform in Murcia and bring replenishment operations closer to the region's stores. Previously, order preparation was centralised in Valencia. The new facility, dedicated to slow-moving dry goods, comprises 60 robots, 34.524 containers (Bins) and approximately 3.000 references (SKUs) and has made it possible to improve picking efficiency by 40%. Operating 18 hours a day, the system handles up to 1.251 items per hour and prepares orders for multiple stores simultaneously, with a sequence organised by department and category.

Eroski, picking efficiency and reduced space requirements

A second successful case involves another Spanish retailer, Eroski, which implemented an AutoStore system at its Son Morro distribution centre in Mallorca, also built with Smartlog: a storage grid covering 900 sq m, 36 robots, 21.275 containers and more than 4.000 references. The solution integrates Galys, the WMS developed by Smartlog, for warehouse management and real-time inventory monitoring. Published results show a fivefold increase in picking efficiency and a reduction of 25% in the space required.

Benetton, increased storage density and operational efficiency

In Italy, meanwhile, the Benetton case further illustrates the benefits of automation in the retail sector. Developed with systems integration partner Dematic, the AutoStore solution comprises 53 robots, 60.000 containers and 12 workstations (Ports). The system can manage more than 60.000 references and process up to 15.000 order lines per day for B2B and B2C activities. The company thus tripled its storage density and doubled its operational efficiency.

Tailored solutions for every requirement

The examples of Consum, Eroski and Benetton show customised applications for different specific requirements, formulated according to each company's needs. They are therefore not results that can automatically be replicated, but positive experiences demonstrating how more compact storage management and picking automation can help improve the flow of goods, support service to stores and create capacity for growth, without separating warehouse efficiency from the quality of replenishment.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.