After more than two decades of pioneering cube storage automation, AutoStore is now moving beyond automation alone toward intelligent fulfillment systems that continuously sense, decide, and improve in real time. The announcement reflects a shift in the market from asset-centric automation to decision-centric fulfillment, as companies look to connect machines, software, data, and people into more intelligent, coordinated operations. With CubeVerse and AutoStore Intelligence, AutoStore enables better, faster decisions across design, deployment, operations, and optimization—working alongside existing WMS and WES solutions rather than replacing them.

For customers, this means unlocking hidden capacity in existing systems, simplifying operations, and accelerating the path to fully autonomous fulfillment, powered by learnings continuously drawn from AutoStore’s global community of thousands of live systems, enabling improvements that compound across the installed base.

“Fulfillment is becoming a real-time, intelligence-driven discipline. If systems can’t sense, decide, and adapt continuously, everything upstream breaks,” said Parth Joshi, Chief Product Officer at AutoStore. “With the launch of the CubeVerse platform and our AI-driven capabilities, we’re bringing intelligence across the entire lifecycle — from design to daily operations to advanced analytics to optimizations. This is a major first step in our AI strategy and reinforces our focus on innovation as the market leader in automated fulfillment.”

The Spring 2026 product announcement introduces a new CubeVerse cloud platform, designed to unify data, applications, and AI capabilities across the fulfillment lifecycle, alongside AI-powered software and analytics, and expanded automation capabilities. Together, these capabilities lower total cost of ownership, improve performance and predictability, reduce operational complexity, and support longer operating hours, including full 24/7 operation.

After a decade of rapid investment in warehouse automation, the industry is facing a new challenge:
seventy-five percent of companies say synchronizing their supply chain is difficult as logistics networks grow more complex. The question is no longer just how to automate, but how to coordinate machines, software, data, and people into systems that make better decisions and run reliably around the clock.
CubeVerse and AutoStore Intelligence provide the data, simulation, and analytics capabilities that enable this shift — helping customers orchestrate fulfillment decisions across the system lifecycle without replacing existing orchestration or control layers.

The Spring 2026 Product Portfolio

Built on the CubeVerse platform, this Spring’s announcements span the fulfillment lifecycle—from system design and AI-driven optimization to autonomous order preparation.

CubeVerse Platform
CubeVerse provides a single platform to design, deploy, and run AutoStore systems. It spans the full system lifecycle—from design and simulation to deployment, operations, analytics, and optimization.
CubeVerse simplifies integrations, keeps operations consistent across sites, and helps customers avoid overbuilding and keep costs under control.

AutoStore Intelligence
AutoStore Intelligence applies built-in AI to real operational data across the platform to orchestrate fulfillment in real time. It optimizes robot movement through CubeControl, reduces congestion, and clears traffic bottlenecks to deliver significantly higher throughput during peak periods, with
performance continuously improving over time, without requiring additional robots or grid
expansion. Embedded across CubeVerse, AutoStore Intelligence uses 20+ proprietary models to predict issues, optimize operations, and deliver measurable performance improvements across the automation lifecycle.

CubeAnalytics
CubeAnalytics, powered by AutoStore Intelligence, turns system data into clear, real-time insights and recommended actions. It helps teams identify issues earlier, reduce downtime, and rely less on specialized in-house expertise. With built-in AI, CubeAnalytics automatically surfaces key issues and patterns, evolving from reporting into an intelligent system that recommends action automatically.

CubeControl
CubeControl, powered by AutoStore Intelligence, uses AI to personalize routing parameters and create optimized robot highways for large, robot-dense grids. This improves traffic flow, reduces congestion, and boosts overall system throughput without additional hardware.

VersaAI
VersaAI delivers robotic piece picking powered by vision and AI, expanding AutoStore’s automation portfolio into autonomous order preparation. The system automates order preparation, consolidation, and staging, improving overall AutoStore utilization. It enables operations to run longer hours with consistent throughput and lower cost per order. This supports 24/7 operations without sacrificing performance.

CubeStudio
First major application added to the CubeVerse platform, CubeStudio is a shared, cloud-based environment for system design, simulation, and validation, enabling AutoStore and partners to make data-led decisions together. It serves as an early proof point of AutoStore’s modern app strategy powered by CubeVerse.

Cube Enhancements
New workstation layouts and expanded bin and case support give customers more flexibility as volumes, SKUs, and workflows change, without requiring grid rebuilds. Enhancements based on partner and customer feedback include expanded case support in AutoCase, simplified WMS integration through VersaPort, and upgraded industrial PCs for large, high-performance systems.

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From a logistics perspective, the data indicates that cross-border shipping to the UK is no longer treated as an unstable or experimental route. Instead, it operates as a predictable flow with measurable return ratios and defined cost structures.

Shipment structure reflects diversified parcel flows

The structure of shipments is distributed across multiple product categories:

Home & Interior – 24.10%
Beauty – 15.14%
Garden – 12.52%
Supplements & Vitamins – 7.82%
Clothing – 5.85%
Toys & Sports – 5.54%
Footwear – 5.09%

The distribution shows that parcel flows are not concentrated in high-return segments such as fashion. A significant share comes from categories typically associated with lower reverse logistics pressure and more predictable fulfilment processes.

Returns are not a barrier to entering the UK market

“There is still a persistent myth surrounding sales to the UK, particularly in the fashion segment, that return risk is high. Our data shows something different. Even in clothing and footwear, we are not talking about levels that could destabilise a business. It is not a barrier to entry. It is a parameter of the category that should be built into the business model.” says Paweł Zakielarz, CEO of Global24 & Shopreturns.
“Even in clothing and footwear we are not seeing levels that could destabilise a business. Returns are not a barrier to entry, they are simply a parameter of the category that should be incorporated into the business model.”

Zakielarz notes that the perception of the UK market has evolved in recent years:

“After Brexit, many sellers paused expansion plans. Today we see a clear shift. Cross-border has become part of long-term international strategy rather than a test market. The relatively low return rate suggests that sellers increasingly understand both customs requirements and the expectations of British consumers.”

Marketplace ecosystems raise the bar

International expansion increasingly takes place within marketplace ecosystems, where return rates influence seller performance indicators. In such environments, returns are not only a logistics cost but also a factor affecting offer visibility and sales performance. Lower return levels may indicate better product-market alignment and more accurate product communication.

Industry observers note that cross-border expansion is no longer limited to large enterprises. Specialised brands in sectors such as home, beauty and supplements are increasingly building international presence through selected marketplaces.

What are the biggest logistical challenges in the area of returns?

Returns in cross-border logistics are among the most operationally complex processes in the entire supply chain. They require coordination of multiple elements simultaneously – from organising reverse transport and handling customs clearance, to managing costs and delivery times, as well as efficient processing of returned goods in warehouses. An additional challenge is the unpredictability of volumes and regulatory differences between markets, which can impact both the time and cost of return handling. As a result, effective reverse logistics management is no longer just an operational issue, but a key factor influencing the profitability of international sales.

In the traditional returns model, the process remains costly, time-consuming, and difficult to control. Returns are often handled via expensive international shipments paid for by the customer, without full tracking capabilities or real-time status verification. There is also a lack of effective quantity and quality control mechanisms, which complicates further inventory management. An additional challenge is the inability to meet the requirements of marketplaces such as Amazon, Zalando, or eBay, where return handling standards are becoming increasingly stringent. Moreover, each individual return generates high CO₂ emissions due to the need for international transportation.

“The Shopreturns model changes this perspective by shifting return handling to the local level. Returns are processed by local couriers, with full tracking and scanning within 24 hours, significantly reducing operational time. Thanks to local return centres, costs are lower and the process becomes more predictable. Each return can undergo quantity and quality control, supported by photo documentation, enabling faster decision-making and improved process control. The solution has been designed in line with the requirements of major marketplaces, facilitating international sales. At the same time, localising returns reduces the need for long-distance transport, resulting in a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions,” adds Zakielarz.

From a logistics industry perspective, the growing importance of returns management indicates a clear shift in the role of operators within the supply chain. Reverse logistics is no longer a supplementary service but is becoming an integral element of cross-border process design – on par with first-mile delivery. Companies that are able to optimise return handling at the local level gain not only a cost advantage, but also greater operational control and compliance with marketplace requirements. In practice, this means that the efficiency of returns logistics is increasingly determining the scalability of the entire international sales model.

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OPO Oeschger is a Swiss family-owned company headquartered in Kloten, founded in 1926 and now employing around 300 people. With a range of more than 70,000 items, OPO Oeschger is one of the leading suppliers of fittings and components for carpenters, wood, glass, and metal construction, as well as for schools and resellers. In addition to furniture and kitchen fittings, the range also includes door and building fittings, machines, and tools. In its logistics, OPO Oeschger consistently relies on highly automated processes to deliver not only quickly but also reliably. Order picking is also being specifically developed with new technologies to meet increasing demands.

When standard solutions don’t help

Many processes in logistics at OPO Oeschger are already automated. Nevertheless, the goal was to identify new potential. There was a particular need for action in the area of order picking. Although an automated small parts warehouse was in place, items were still being picked manually. Since the warehouse building offers only limited space and the processes are precisely coordinated with the conveyor technology, the new solution had to be implementable without major interventions.

Adjustments to the conveyor technology or upstream control processes were out of the question. The solution had to integrate seamlessly into an existing workplace without imposing new processes. This is precisely where other providers who offered only standardized systems failed. OPO Oeschger, on the other hand, was specifically looking for a solution that would fit into the existing system and could realistically replicate the behavior of a human picker.

The robot picks what fits

Sereact impressed OPO Oeschger with its willingness to consistently adapt to the existing framework conditions. “The Sereact team came to our site, took a close look at our processes, and very quickly understood how they work,” explains Daniel Schütz, Operations Manager Logistics at OPO Oeschger.

“While other providers proposed standard solutions, we were able to implement individual requirements together with Sereact.”

The picking robot was integrated into an existing picking workstation. Instead of adapting the environment, the robot was designed to perform the tasks of a human employee as realistically as possible: it picks up target cartons and places them in two target locations. If requested to pick up a destination container, the robot first removes the anti-slip mat from the container. The robot then removes items from a source container and places them in the prepared destination carton or container. These are then sent on to the conveyor system for further processing.

A prerequisite for commissioning was a targeted adaptation of the interface in the warehouse management system, which was implemented without any problems in cooperation with TGW Logistics. This meant that only orders suitable for automated picking could be forwarded to the robot. The selection of suitable items is carried out directly by OPO in the item master. The actual picking and placement logic — i.e., the decision on how to place and stack items in the box—is entirely controlled by Sereact’s AI-supported control system. No product training was necessary. The AI solution takes care of product recognition, selection, and picking independently. The precision of the solution is particularly evident with items for which the cardboard packaging has been calculated exactly. Targeted preselection is crucial for the stability of the process.

An employee who doesn’t need a break

With the use of the picking robot, OPO Oeschger has taken an important step toward future-oriented logistics processes. The robot reliably performs standardized picking tasks that were previously covered by manual labour, thus creating a noticeable reduction in the daily workload. It works stably and reliably, especially with items that meet clearly defined criteria. Technically, the robot would be capable of significantly higher performance. At OPO, however, the speed was deliberately throttled in order not to overload the existing structural structure. In its current configuration, its performance is roughly equivalent to that of half a full-time employee. This deliberate limitation is part of a strategic approach.

OPO is using the project to learn specifically how AI-based robotics can be integrated into existing processes and what conditions need to be created for later scaling. At the same time, the expertise of the employees remains central: they now focus more on complex picking processes that involve handling flexible or sensitive products, for example. The combination of robot-assisted automation and human experience increases overall efficiency and process quality. Items that are not suitable for the robot are specifically excluded in the warehouse management system. For OPO Oeschger, the use of this technology was not a measure to reduce staff. Rather, the focus is on gaining knowledge. The aim is to further develop the system in a targeted manner and make it scalable.

What works today will continue to grow tomorrow

The experience gained from the project forms the basis for future automation projects at OPO Oeschger. The company is already working with Sereact and TGW Logistics to further develop the interface logic. The aim is to control even more precisely which items the robot can handle in the future, even for more complex orders with mixed items. In the medium term, the picking robot will interact intelligently with manual workstations and automate where it makes economic and procedural sense.

“We deliberately viewed the project as an investment in know-how,” explains Schütz. “We also wanted to learn at an early stage how picking robots can be meaningfully integrated into our processes, with a view to today’s operations and future logistics strategies.”

The aim is also to increase the utilization of the existing robot. The use of additional units is also planned for the future. Based on the knowledge gained, a scalable solution is to be developed that fits seamlessly into future infrastructures and consistently exploits the potential for automation. With the knowledge gained, OPO Oeschger and Sereact are working together to further optimize logistics processes in order to reap the full benefits of automation in the long term.

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At its National Distribution Centre in Nieuwegein, Jumbo and WITRON unveil a concept that redefines the role of modern logistics hubs. The focus: speed, availability, and agility. Covering 40,000 square meters, the facility supplies over 725 stores in the Netherlands and Belgium with nearly 3,000 different fresh and ultra-fresh items, including dairy products, a wide selection of cheese, meat products, tapas, salads, chilled beverages, and much more. At an ambient temperature of +2 degrees Celsius, more than one million units can be picked daily using OPM (30 COM machines), AIO, and CPS modules. A fully automated shipping buffer ensures just-in-time dispatch of store-friendly stacked roll containers to the markets.

The fresh distribution centre marks the second successful collaboration between Jumbo and WITRON, following a high-performance dry goods facility. Equipped with OPM (31 COM machines), DPS, and CPS, this site can pick up to 565,000 cases on a peak day from a range of 14,300 items.

DC Heart of Supply Chain

The Dutch retail group faced a series of challenges that necessitated the construction of one of Europe’s most ambitious logistics platforms. These challenges included expected labour shortages in the future, expanding assortments in both the dry and fresh food sectors, rising consumer expectations – especially for fresh products – and growing demand for speed in both stores and online channels. Today, the highly automated fresh logistics centre in Nieuwegein, designed and implemented by WITRON as a lifetime partner, serves as the strategic centrepiece of a supply chain that is seamlessly orchestrated, adaptive, and more customer-focused than ever before. Because the consumer is the true pacesetter.

Mechanics and IT

The central distribution centre for fresh products (CDC) is designed for a daily peak capacity of 1.06 million picking units. A modular expansion for future growth has already been considered in the overall concept. All logistics areas are connected by a conveyor network that includes more than 670,000 pallet, tray, and tote storage locations, as well as 120 stacker cranes. Everything is controlled by a highly functional WITRON warehouse management system. All IT and mechanical components have been designed, manufactured, and put into operation by WITRON.

Labour, Range, Freshness

When Jumbo began shaping the future of its supply chain a few years ago, it became clear that existing structures could not meet the challenges ahead. “We expected to face challenges in the labour market, anticipated a growing number of SKUs, and set out to fundamentally redesign our fresh logistics with a clear focus on maximum customer service, freshness and sustainability,” recalls Karel de Jong, Supply Chain Director at Jumbo. The company aimed to broaden its SKU portfolio, sharpen assortment differentiation, and drive greater agility across its fresh logistics operations. At the same time, regional warehouse space became increasingly constrained as the product range continued to expand. The solution developed focused on centralizing, automating, and streamlining processes.

Precise time management is of critical importance, especially in the ultra-fresh segment. Temperature, daily operations, and weather conditions immediately impact volume.

“For us, agility means being able to respond very quickly to changing demands. A shift in weather means a shift in demand, and we need to be ready to respond,” says de Jong. “Freshness must reach the consumer’s table without delay – and not remain in the warehouse.”

The project marked a significant shift in WITRON’s internal approach. The warehouse has evolved from a standalone entity into a seamlessly integrated organ within the supply chain orchestra. Johannes Meissner, WITRON’s Technical Managing Director describes the development as follows: “The DC is no longer an isolated system, but an integral part of our customer’s organism. Only then can supply chains truly be optimized.” This transformation turns the warehouse from a pure consolidation and buffering point into a key control instrument. de Jong adds: “However, the DC does not lead the orchestra. The customer does.” Symbolically, he portrays the warehouse as the ‘first violin’ in a finely tuned supply chain orchestra – vital, leading, and setting the tone, but always part of a greater harmony.

Technology in XXL

The Nieuwegein logistics hub, featuring both dry goods and fresh food distribution centres, ranks among WITRON’s largest projects worldwide. It is equipped with more than 60 COM machines, over 1.1 million pallet, tray, and tote storage locations, approximately 200 stacker cranes, and is designed for a maximum capacity of 1.6 million picks per day. With OPM, AIO, CPS, and the automated shipping buffer, the Upper Palatinate team leverages proven technology. It guarantees peak availability, since the DC is the core of supply for Jumbo customers in the Netherlands and Belgium. An onsite service team ensures seamless operation of all IT and mechanical processes.

Both partners emphasize that success is not a matter of machine count, but of the specific requirements within each area of use. How can the system be balanced? Since all items are delivered to the stores on roll containers, seamless coordination between the subsystems is crucial to achieve maximum consolidation and space utilization. According to de Jong: “Success is not about the next machine. It’s about a perfectly tuned overall concept, with a vital role for the operators and control room team.”

Result in the Store

Automation delivers measurable benefits for the stores:
• More SKUs – with an upward trend
• Automated stacking of goods onto roll containers, tailored to the store’s shelf layout
• Consolidation of cases (picked in OPM and CPS) with pieces and totes (picked in AIO)
• Highly efficient, route-optimized truck loading enabled by advanced optimization processes within the automated shipping buffer

As a result, shelves in the store are replenished more efficiently, faster, and with less handling effort. In addition: processes previously managed via direct delivery – such as fresh fish – are now consolidated via Nieuwegein. And thanks to advanced forecast and replenishment processes, Jumbo delivers exactly what the stores truly need. The outcome for customers is enhanced freshness, a perfectly tailored assortment, and faster availability.

Packaging is a Core Competence

Automated processes require standardization, and this is reflected in the way various types of packaging are managed. “That’s why we have trained colleagues who have developed extensive expertise in this area,” says de Jong. Carton design, adhesive properties, stretch film, as well as cardboard and pallet quality are critical for material flow and load stability. WITRON and Jumbo took early action to identify critical packaging and deliver transparency to suppliers. The outcome is enhanced inbound control, resulting in more stable processes within the DC.

Employees at Jumbo were able to adapt effectively to their new tasks, moving from manual operations to an automated production process. Employees were able to gain detailed insights into future tasks within operated systems and engage in extensive exchanges with experienced users. “With a wealth of experience from projects implemented across Europe, North America, and Australia, we can offer customers comprehensive support in this vital field of change management,” emphasizes Meissner.

Technology can be purchased – culture cannot. Jumbo adopted lean principles with the Jumbo Production System (JPS), including shopfloor transparency, shift stand-ups, and a high degree of autonomous problem-solving by employees. Once a day, a central control meeting is held at the very centre of operations – not in an office, but in the work area. “Here, the colleagues analyse the previous day and review the tasks and goals for the upcoming shift. If this half hour goes well, it will be a good day,” says de Jong with a smile.

What measures can be expected next? Jumbo considers the supply chain to be an end-to-end network structure rather than a set of separate warehouses. Integrating stores, connecting with suppliers, optimizing transport routes, and automating processes – including in e-commerce, which is still handled manually today – are key pillars of the future strategy.

“Automation is not a standalone objective, but a tool applied where needed. Variety in our product range continues to define our corporate philosophy – driven by a clear focus on efficiency and economic viability,” states de Jong. Meissner gets straight to the point: “Automation built the foundation. The next chapter is all about end-to-end optimization.”

The post High-performance Warehouse Automation appeared first on Logistics Business.

For InXpress, this challenge became critical as rapid global e-commerce growth fundamentally changed customer expectations – driving demand for same-day delivery, white glove services, and bespoke urgent shipments that traditional franchise networks couldn’t provide.

We were at risk of losing customers who needed same-day delivery, white glove handling, or urgent shipments that our network couldn’t provide… This partnership combines our customer relationships and local presence with TEG’s carrier network and technology. Together, we’re enabling same-day, white-glove and urgent services.

said Jon White, Chief Commercial Officer EMEA at InXpress.

Through TEG’s end-to-end platform, InXpress franchisees across 450 offices in 14 countries gained access to specialist carrier networks without building new infrastructure, enabling them to compete for business previously beyond their reach. The integration provides franchisees with improved service reliability, real-time tracking, and data-driven performance benchmarking.

Through the platform, InXpress franchisees have won contracts with e-commerce businesses and retailers demanding premium services. “The scale InXpress has achieved shows how the right platform gives distributed networks the same capabilities as centralised operations – without the infrastructure costs. Technology removes barriers to scale – enabling distributed networks to compete at any scale without capital investment,” added Sam Wilkinson, Chief Revenue Officer at TEG.

InXpress is now targeting 1,000 franchise locations in key markets as it capitalises on the e-commerce boom, supported by TEG as it accelerates plans to scale operations through 2030.

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The companies are collaborating to boost Evri’s nationwide OOH network by installing Bloq.it’s NEXT smart lockers with integrated returns functionality and its new standalone returns solution, drop, in hundreds of locations around the country. The first rollout is scheduled for March 2026, beginning in East of England Co-op locations.

As online shopping and returns volumes continue to grow, reverse logistics have become a major consideration for parcel carriers. The rate of returns more than doubled between 2019 and 2025, and UK consumers returned £4.2 billion in merchandise from ecommerce retailers in 2023 alone – highlighting the need for out-of-home infrastructure that supports faster and more convenient returns.

drop is Bloq.it’s dedicated returns solution, designed to operate either as a modular component within NEXT smart lockers or as a standalone unit in locations with high returns volumes. The locker compartment sizing is optimised for Evri’s parcel volume mix. Each drop device has a built-in label printer, a QR and barcode reader, and the same end-to-end maintenance and servicing support of the NEXT lockers.

Miha Jagodic, CEO of Bloq.it, said, “Our recently launched drop devices bridge the gap between consumers and locations for drop-offs, just as our NEXT lockers do for parcel pick-up. The drop promise is all about the user convenience. A major logistics company like Evri choosing to deploy these devices is an enormous vote of confidence in our technology and is part of our UK market consolidation efforts. Evri understands that dedicated returns infrastructure is essential to a modern and hybrid OOH network, whether as a standalone or part of a larger integrated parcel station. The combination of NEXT and drop is the basis of this network, and we’re proud to provide it.”

Liam Rogan, Head of Out of Home at Evri, said, “We have an ambitious plan to significantly expand our ParcelShop and Locker network, and are committed to offering greater delivery choices for the consumers, retail clients, and businesses that we serve. This major multi-million-pound investment will establish one of the UK’s largest pick-up, drop-off networks in the UK. Our expanding network of locations is shaping the future of parcel delivery in the UK with smart technology and greater accessibility, and Bloq.it is a great partner to help scale it.”

With drop, it takes just seconds to return a parcel, meaning users don’t need to wait in line to hand over return packages for manual processing. Evri couriers can then collect all the return parcels at once, consolidating dozens of pick-ups into a single stop. Bloq.it’s NEXT lockers simplify the other critical process in the parcel lifecycle: its pick-up. Retrieving a package takes fewer than 30 seconds using the touchscreen display and barcode reader. For business owners, this combination significantly declutters the physical pick-up/drop-off space and increases foot traffic while cutting lines.

Not all parcel pick-up and drop-off locations have the same level of foot traffic, parcel volume, and proportion of drop-offs versus pick-ups. This modular approach allows Evri to deploy the right infrastructure for each location, balancing deliveries and returns while scaling efficiently nationwide.

The Evri and Bloq.it partnership increases accessibility by enabling deployment across hundreds of locations previously considered out of reach, while optimising reverse logistics at each site. The rollout supports both companies’ long-term ambition to strengthen the UK’s out-of-home parcel infrastructure as consumer demand continues to grow.

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When Maersk set out to transform its e-commerce fulfilment operation for its Danish retailer customer Flying Tiger, it faced a familiar modern logistics dilemma: how to scale rapidly, cope with extreme seasonal peaks, and maintain service levels, all within the constraints of an existing warehouse footprint and with tight implementation timelines.

The answer at its Wrocław facility in southern Poland came in the form of autonomous mobile robotics from Locus Robotics. I was lucky enough to be invited for a tour of this impressive site which, albeit not one of Locus’ largest installations by far, nevertheless highlights in a nutshell what cutting-edge robotics can bring to a project to drive efficiency and cost savings. My visit just so happened to be during the Christmas peak, which gave me particular insight into how well things were going.

The site serves as the central European hub for all of Flying Tiger’s European online orders (retail fulfilment remains out of Copenhagen), shipping orders across the EU from a single 5,700 sqm operation. Since going live in May 2023, it has become a showcase for how robot-assisted picking can deliver speed, flexibility and cost control in a fast-growing retail environment.

High-Growth Under Pressure

Before automation, the pick process was struggling. Manual productivity was running at around 40 order lines per person per hour, well below the 120 lines per hour target. The operation was characterised by long walking distances (up to 20,000 steps per picker per day), aisle congestion, heavy trolleys, long onboarding times and a growing risk of errors and injuries.

With Q4 volumes peaking at five times the average and only 22 weeks before the next peak season, Maersk needed a solution that could be deployed quickly, scaled easily, and funded in a way that avoided heavy capital expenditure.

Bots to the Rescue

After analysing a range of goods-to-person and person-to-goods automation options, Maersk selected a
mobile robot ‘person-to-goods’ RaaS (Robots-as-a-Service) model offered by Locus Robotics. The decision was driven by several key criteria: flexibility, rapid deployment, low upfront cost, ease of integration and the ability to scale both labour and automation in line with demand.

The RaaS commercial model was particularly attractive, for instead of committing to a fixed fleet size,
Maersk can scale robots up and down according to volume. This was an important advantage for a business shaped by influencer-driven spikes and intense seasonal surges. Just as importantly, the solution could be implemented in the existing building, which has a height limit of 12.2 m and no scope for major structural changes.

From decision to go-live took just 16–18 weeks, a timeline that was later recognised by Locus as one of its fastest and best implementations in Europe.

How it Works

At the heart of the operation is a fleet of Locus Origin robots, a nimble autonomous mobile robot designed for collaborative picking. Associates remain in their aisles while robots travel between locations, presenting the next task and carrying multiple totes for batch and multi-order picking.

Orders are orchestrated by the LocusONE platform, which integrates with Maersk’s INFOR WMS and dynamically clusters tasks to optimise pick paths, balance workloads and maintain service level priorities. The system supports multiple workflows, including batch picking, pick-and-pass, and point-to-point transport, enabling Maersk to adapt processes as volumes and profiles change.

Each robot guides the associate through the pick with a clear, multilingual interface (important to have in this region of Europe, close to the Czech/Slovakian borders), product images, tote position indicators and
built-in scanning. Locus’s patented autoidentification technology recognises the worker based on proximity, automatically switching the screen language to the associate’s preferred setting, a major benefit in such a multicultural workforce.

Navigation and fleet management are handled by proprietary AI, which continuously optimises routes,
avoids obstacles and balances robot traffic across the floor. The result is a system that can be deployed in
brownfield environments with minimal infrastructure changes and no fixed conveyors.

Transformational Results

The impact at Wrocław has been dramatic. Pick productivity has increased from 40 to 140 order lines per hour – a 250% improvement, if my maths is right. Onboarding time for new staff has been reduced from three days to just 20 minutes. Average walking distance has dropped from 20,000 steps to around 8,000 per day, significantly reducing fatigue.

The number of active packing stations has been increased from 16 to 40, and despite a reduction in available aisles for picking, overall throughput has increased substantially. Service performance has improved too, with 60–100% of parcels now shipped within 24 hours, and the Christmas cut-off date brought forward by six days compared to 2023. As I stood there watching order pass by in front of me, Flying Tiger seemed to be doing a – pardon the pun – ‘roaring’ trade in seasonal wrapping paper.

From a financial perspective, the results are equally compelling. Maersk has said that the introduction of Locus has significantly reduced pick process costs, equating to a 33% saving even after including the robot service fees. Forecasts for full-year 2025 point to a further 24% cost reduction.

There have also been significant soft benefits. For example, the site has recorded zero push-and-pull
injuries, sick leave has fallen by 15%, and employee retention has improved by 8%, reflecting a more attractive, less physically demanding type of work. I love to hear about those sorts of benefits.

Flexibility and Scale

For Locus, the Wrocław project is a textbook example of its core value proposition, namely unmatched flexibility and unlimited throughput. Unlike fixed automation, the Locus approach allows Maersk to add or remove robots in minutes, introduce new workflows without disruption, scale from dozens to hundreds of robots as volumes grow, and operate across multiple shifts or 24/7 without physical reconfiguration.

The platform has already proven capable of supporting 25,000+ units per hour on a single site and handling 150,000 lines in a single day in other deployments. While the Wrocław operation does not yet operate at those extremes, the architecture ensures that throughput can grow well beyond current requirements.

Crucially for Maersk, this flexibility aligns perfectly with Flying Tiger’s volatile demand profile. Whether
reacting to a viral social media trend or preparing for a Q4 surge, capacity can be adjusted simply by deploying more robots.

European Blueprint

The Wrocław project was Locus’s first major automation deployment in Europe with Maersk and is already being viewed as a blueprint for other sites. The modular nature of the installation makes it easy to replicate in additional warehouses. From Maersk’s perspective, the collaboration has demonstrated that high levels of automation do not require long lead times, heavy CapEx or purpose-built facilities. Instead, robotics can be layered onto existing operations to deliver rapid, measurable improvements.

For Flying Tiger, it means faster order fulfilment, better service levels for customers across Europe, and the confidence that its logistics partner can keep pace with growth.

A Modern Model

As European ecommerce continues to grow, and as labour markets remain tight, the Maersk–Locus–Flying Tiger partnership offers a compelling model for other retailers and 3PLs. By choosing a flexible, rapidly deployable robotic solution, Maersk has transformed a struggling manual process into a highperformance
fulfilment engine capable of absorbing growth, coping with volatility, and delivering measurable financial returns.

For Locus Robotics, Wrocław stands as a high-profile demonstration of how its technology can support complex, high-growth operations in real-world conditions. And for Flying Tiger’s customers across Europe, it simply means their colourful household items, party accessories and impulse buys will arrive faster and more reliably than ever.

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Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) has never been shy about scale. But in my conversation with Andy Ingram-Tedd, VP of Advanced Technology, he makes the point that scale is not the story. The story is what you do with it. After nearly 25 years at Ocado, he has watched the company grow from a tight early team to a global organisation with thousands of people, and he is still struck by the same internal energy that drove the first deliveries.

“It just never slows down,” he says. “There’s always something happening, there’s always some new adventure, there’s always some new mission.”

That tempo matters because it shapes how OIA, the Ocado Group division that takes its technology to customers worldwide, thinks about automation deployment. Ingram-Tedd is candid about a familiar misconception: that robotics is simply the substitution of people with machines. His view is that a more accurate way to see it is as systems design, and the interplay between humans, software and hardware.
“A lot of people always ask me, you’re developing robots, you’re putting people out of business,” he says. “But we’ve got more people that we employ today than we ever had. We are doing more, and we’re becoming more efficient.”

Simulation, he adds, is the discipline that forces you to treat that interaction seriously.

Simulation vs. Digital Twins

If there is one thread Ingram-Tedd wants readers to take away, it is the distinction between simulation and digital twins, and why the two are often muddled. Simulation, in his definition, is a predictive model used before something exists in the physical world. A digital twin only becomes a digital twin once the warehouse is built and operating, because it is continuously aligned to reality using actual operational data.

Simulation is what you reach for when spreadsheets fail. Basic processes can be approximated with time and motion assumptions. But once you seek high throughput and high utilisation across many moving parts, you need discrete event simulation, modelling countless activities with start points, end points, process times and rules.

“We really do mean a discrete event simulation,” he says. “There are lots of things happening. They have a start point, they have an end point. You can’t just calculate that on a spreadsheet.”

Ocado’s own definitions are straightforward. Simulation is used before a system is built. You load assumptions, including orders, stock, layout, speeds and rules, then you run what-if scenarios to see outcomes and risks. The questions are practical: will this design work, what size should it be, where are the weak points. A digital twin, by contrast, is a digital representation of a real physical system that stays aligned to the live operation using operational data. Its value is decision support during operation, including testing changes safely and understanding what happens if you change something today or tomorrow.

Removing Guess-Work

Ingram-Tedd emphasises that simulation should not be about your best day. It should be about your worst day. That might mean modelling downtime, late inbound vehicles, or labour gaps, either individually or in combination. “We are operators of our own equipment,” he tells me. “We are not guessing. We know what the bad things can happen. They’ve happened to us in the last 25 years!”
Once a site is live, the inputs are no longer assumptions. They are measurements. You can take data from the real warehouse, feed it into the model, and test configuration changes, from item placement strategies to outload timing, pick speeds and resource utilisation. The goal is continuous improvement, driven by evidence rather than instinct.

I ask why does OIA build its own simulation tools. Ingram-Tedd argues that third-party packages are useful, but insufficient for modelling the complexity of Ocado’s grid-based system, where software determines where and when to store, retrieve and sequence stock, while bots navigate above dense storage. “We don’t use a third party and there’s a really important reason for that,” he says. “There isn’t an off-the-shelf simulation package that can do that.”

Ocado has developed its own simulation capability in-house since 2008. A key point, in his telling, is that the software powering simulation is identical to the software that powers the production site. That tighter link between model and reality, he says, supports better design decisions and more confidence before capital is committed.

Just as importantly, simulation is end to end. It does not stop at bot movement. It extends to conveyors, pallets, vehicles, people and robotic pick, because optimisation only makes sense at the level of the whole ecosystem.

“True optimisation only happens when you put all the subsystems and you model them all together,” he says. “Integration brings complexity, and simulation helps you understand the knock-on effect of every design choice.”

Infrastructural Optimisation

The practical value is that simulation turns design questions into testable scenarios. One slide example is the relationship between bot numbers and achievable throughput. Run a range of cases in parallel and you can plot where diminishing returns begin, identifying a sweet spot beyond which additional investment yields little benefit.

That same approach applies to pick stations. OIA’s stations are modular, and simulation can explore how layout changes affect both throughput and the way an operator performs. The aim is to avoid paying for human time while allowing the station to underfeed the operator with work.

In one demonstration clip discussed in the interview, Ingram-Tedd references a picking performance figure that he knows will sound implausible to many readers: 1,072 units per hour on a station. He is quick to caveat that it is not a sustained operating promise. Building a system around peak human performance risks waste if people cannot maintain it, and drives unnecessary investment in upstream resources. A more sensible operating target might be 600 to 700 units per hour, he suggests, still well beyond common industry expectations.

What often breaks automation is not the average case, but the exception: odd products, awkward presentations, or rare failure modes that still occur frequently at high volume. In robotics and automation engineering these are known as corner cases, unusual or extreme situations outside normal operating conditions that must still be handled safely and reliably. “You can’t have robots like this in a live site unless they can do corner cases,” believes Ingram-Tedd.

Future Looks Bright

Beyond grocery, OIA is applying its platform to other verticals. Ingram-Tedd highlights a major project with McKesson in Canada – not yet live at the time of the interview, but not far off – which he describes as a large system in Montreal designed to raise productivity while improving traceability, accountability and security. He argues that pharma distribution shares many traits with grocery, but with stricter compliance requirements, particularly around batch and lot traceability. He hints at significant productivity gains, while noting there are customer-specific adaptations that remain confidential.

He also brought to my attention that mutual exclusivity has ended in the majority of markets where Ocado operates its grocery technology with partners, opening the door for Ocado to bring its evolved product back to some of the world’s most developed e-commerce markets after a period of exclusivity agreements.

Towards the end of the interview, Ingram-Tedd briefly referenced a new picking technology planned for introduction in 2026, which he characterises as a significant step-change. Logistics Business was given an early look at the concept, but details remain under wraps ahead of public launch at MODEX in the Spring. We hope to return to this in a future edition, once OIA is ready to speak about it in full.

For now, his message is consistent. Whether the question is how many bots to deploy, how to design a pick station, or how to integrate the next wave of automation, the differentiator is not a single robot. It is the capability to model complex systems accurately, learn from real operations, and keep improving.

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Like most automation, sortation technology has always been about speed, efficiency and accuracy, enabling larger volumes to be processed cost-effectively to meet demanding customer needs.

Amsterdam-based EuroSort will this year celebrate 25 years of achievement in the arena. Its portfolio of Push Tray, Split Tray, Cross Tray and Push Bar sorters is established at over 500 global sites, and the company boasts a large North American presence and an office in Spain to add to its Dutch core, staffed by over 200 employees. Meanwhile, EuroSort’s in-house integrator DistriSort supplies solutions to end customers while EuroSort itself supplies many of the big European integrators.

EuroSort Technical Strategic Sales Manager Gerbrand van Schooneveld has a dual role, overseeing the Poland and Baltics region in addition to supporting the company’s other sales managers with technical aspects of the sales process. The duality assists the customer in making the right choices for their business and ensuring that the best EuroSort concepts to meet their needs are selected.

Quarter-century of delivery

“Our focus has always been consistent over 25 years,” he reflects. “It’s about high-throughput replenishment and sorting solutions to meet the customer’s needs as closely as possible.”

The dazzling growth of e-commerce has re-modelled the needs of logistics providers, motivating EuroSort engineers to seek innovative solutions to meet those needs.

“E-commerce sortation requires special handling because you are dealing with relatively small orders,” he explains. “To do this effectively, that means you need a large sorter with a high number of exits to enable cost-efficient wave picking – and in traditional sorting, if you have a lot of exits, you need a large footprint to accommodate those exits. So, our customers asked us to find ways to reduce that large and expensive footprint.”

To meet this need, EuroSort ingenuity first created the Chute Pitch Reducer, a simple yet effective idea which enabled narrower chutes thanks to the addition of doors which helped to control items at exit routes and ensure they were not mis-sorted. It reduced the width of the chute for push trays and cross tray sorters by 30%.

“But we wanted to create more exits on a smaller footprint, and still provide that vital increased throughput,” Gerbrand (pictured, below) continues.

LogiMAT launch

The result will be unveiled at LogiMAT at the end of March 2026. Called E-Sort, the company says it can increase the number of exits in a system by 70%, with the double wins of increasing throughput and a much-reduced footprint.

It achieves these aims by combining a put wall with a loop sorter.

“What we have now done is to connect a high-throughput loop sorter to a Smart Wall concept,” he explains. “And the number of exits can be multiplied within a small footprint – for example, on a 3m space we can create almost 100 exits.”

Crucially, the E-Sort concept is modular, which makes it both scalable and cost-effective. Versatility is built in, with the number of exits configurable to the customer. It’s for this reason that the product is squarely aimed at entry-level and medium-sized e-commerce customers as well as the traditional larger players. “We see a lot of growth for E-Sort with customers using semi-automated or fully manual put walls,” he reveals.

The modularity enables each system to be assimilated appropriately with the sortation process preferred by the customer.

“The customer might have a wide range of SKUs, from very small to much larger, and those bigger items would need correspondingly bigger pockets in the put wall,” he points out. “We therefore create the put wall based on those demands. For instance, a half-metre wall might accommodate eight exits, but one requiring larger parcels or items might reduce to four or five larger pockets.”

Another key deliverable for E-Sort is omnichannel suitability.

“The great thing is that we can combine the E-Sort with a conventional sorter for bricks-and-mortar store replenishment so that you can execute both e-commerce, shop replenishment and returns on the same machine. This is the first solution on the market that allows e‑commerce, store replenishment and returns to run on the same machine.”

Retail and e-commerce differences

As a sortation expert how would he describe the differences between e-commerce and ‘standard’ retail sorting procedures?

“There are two main areas to consider,” he replies. “The first is order size. With shop replenishment, you might be looking at 40 to 50 items per order, a big picking wave in a single order, and a fairly efficient process. With e-commerce you are likely to be looking at much smaller orders, perhaps one to five items for a single customer, all needing to be packaged and labelled.

“Then you will have different packaging and labelling needs to suit each order. So the sortation solution needs to provide for that. The E-Sort provides two ways of doing this: the first by packing directly at the sorter exit, with a packing table and packing materials adjacent to it. The second is via a mobile put wall, mounted on a trolley or a cart, kept away from the packing area and moved there when it is full. Different customers have different preferences – it’s their call on how they want to do it and we’re ready for both.”

The specifications of the E-Sort make it appropriate for both established large-scale needs as well as those of entry-level customers. Weight limit is 5kg, dimensions are 400mm x 600mm x 250mm.

Given the versatility, how does he work with a new customer to determine the right concept for them?

“I’d say to you, give me current figures, what’s your throughput, how many orders are you looking to process per day, how many operators do you need for your picking? If I know your annual volumes and the number of operators you have, I can explore ways for you to save costs on your picking, and move many more items, all in a small footprint.”

As well as the modularity and component standardisation of the technology, he also highlights its ease of use. “It is simple technology, made for easy and quick maintenance. Reliability and maintenance costs are very low, and almost everything can be done on site by the customer.”

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“Until now, the Hessenring region has relied exclusively on manual warehouse and picking processes”, explains Martin Steinmetz, Logistics Director at EDEKA Hessenring. “By leveraging innovative automated logistics technology, we will in future be able to supply our independent retailers more efficiently and cost-effectively – even as the variety of items continues to grow. At the same time, our employees throughout the entire supply chain will benefit from ergonomic and sustainable working processes.”

High-performance module mix

The 35,300 square metre facility, offering a total of 306,000 pallet, tray, and tote storage locations and equipped with 58 highly dynamic stacker cranes, is designed for a daily picking performance of 285,500 cases. Most of these cases are stacked fully automatically, error‑free, and store‑friendly onto pallets and roll containers by 18 COM machines. Small-volume fast- and slow-moving items are picked directly into the shipping tote at 10 workstations using the All-in-One (AIO) system. Bulky items are picked by logistics employees using pick-by-voice, supported by the semi-automated WITRON Car Picking System (CPS). Subsequent consolidation – and thus a high packing density on the load carriers – is achieved through the conveyor-based integration of all logistics areas within the material flow concept.

Half and quarter pallets are placed fully automatically onto pallets and roll containers by the WITRON Display Pallet Picking System (DPP). The dispatch process is optimized by a fully automated shipping buffer.

No more silos, but a true end-to-end approach

An intelligent IT platform ensures the seamless networking of all processes across the internal and external value added chain, providing high process flexibility in real time. The focus is on a holistic, end‑to‑end approach that encompasses all stakeholders within the supply chain – from supplier to end consumer – thereby eliminating isolated silos.

High in-house value-added share

Most of the mechanical, conveyor, racking, and mezzanine components are designed by WITRON and manufactured in-house at the company’s production facilities in Parkstein. The same applies to the IT, control, and AI tools used.

A partnership spanning decades

EDEKA and WITRON share a partnership that has grown over many decades. Automated solutions have already been successfully implemented in Hamm / Oberhausen (Rhine-Ruhr region), Landsberg (southern Bavaria region), Zarrentin / Neumünster (northern region), Berbersdorf / Marktredwitz (northern Bavariy, Saxony, Thuringia region), as well as in the NETTO distribution centres in Erharting and Henstedt.

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