Prag / CZ. (roh) Czech Rohlik Group will install AutoStore – an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) – in fulfilment centres around Europe, increasing picking efficiency and capacity utilization. Rohlik will launch its first automated solution with Knuspr.de in Munich, followed by a gradual roll-out across existing and new European markets. Approximately EUR 45 million will be invested in automation in the first phase with a total of upwards of EUR 400 million to be invested in further FCs in 2022-2025. This is a continuation of Rohlik’s investment trend as a tech company and part of a rolling improvement and innovation process to become Europe’s best and largest online grocery delivery service.
Threefold increase in picking productivity
The AutoStore system has storage bins stacked vertically in a grid and stored in a cubic structure, with the bins retrieved by robots that travel atop the structure on rails, complemented by efficient picking workstations. This core automation element will deliver Knuspr.de a threefold increase in picking productivity and over 30 percent more storage space in the Munich fulfilment centre.
Up to 10,000 products
To ensure the best product quality, Rohlik’s fulfilment centre is divided into several temperature zones: ambient, chilled and frozen. Automation at Knuspr.de will cover in the first phase the ambient zone and up to 10,000 products, thus covering 60 percent of the ordered volume.
«Rohlik Group dispatches hundreds of thousands of products every single day, which on some days can add up to over a million individual items,» adds Aleš Malucha, Rohlik Group Chief Automation Officer. «It is a mix of ambient and perishable products and, as part of our entire supply chain, they get processed in less than 60 minutes at our fulfilment centres. This automation provides efficiencies that give us an edge on delivering quickly and with the quality expected by our customers. We are now commencing the implementation of the AutoStore system in order to finetune operational efficiency in real world use given our unique operational environment, with the project scheduled for completion next year.»
At Knuspr, we are excited to be one of the first online grocers with a highly automated fulfilment system. Streamlining our logistics enables us to act even faster and more flexibly in the future, further accelerating our growth,” says Knuspr’s COO Björn Christian Wolf.
Rohlik Group and Element Logic
Rohlik founder Tomáš Čupr underscores the importance of this investment: «The robot-assisted fulfilment centre in Munich, in combination with our CNG cars and soon to be introduced electric delivery vehicles, is the foundation of our unique strategy where proprietary and sustainable Rohlik technology is used to deliver fresh and top quality products to customers at home. A challenging but also very exciting project is now becoming reality.»
According to Michael Kawalier, Managing Director Sales at Element Logic Germany: «The partnership with Rohlik Group, one of Europe’s leaders in online grocery delivery, brings together two teams with an appreciation for and knowledge of the latest technologies and software. Both companies have a similar mindset, which is a necessity for a successful partnership and customer satisfaction.»
