Skypod robot at Auchan warehouse in Luxembourg;
on Thursday 24 October 2024, Auchan Luxembourg announced that it has deployed Skypod robots at is warehouse in Dudelange to help with its order picking, increasing its warehouse storage capacity by 17%.
As retailers continue to invest more each year in warehouse automation systems, Auchan Retail Luxembourg chose the Skypod system from Exotec - the global designer and supplier of robotic warehouse solutions - to strengthen its market leadership position.
This system of 37 robots, which roam the aisles of the Dudelange warehouse, simplifies and lightens the work of employees, is the first Exotec installation in the Grand Duchy.
The installation consists of twelve-metre-high racks in which the Skypod robots move autonomously in all directions to extract products from 15,300 bins. They then transport them to one of three preparation stations, where the orders are completed.
“By automating the warehouse activities, Auchan Retail Luxembourg has significantly increased the quality and reliability of the order preparation process. In addition, this saves employees from walking and lifting, thus significantly improving working conditions,” explained Rémy Malchirand, Senior Vice President Sales Western Europe at Exotec. “This fits perfectly with our ‘Human First’ philosophy – we constantly strive to make working in the warehouse as comfortable and safe as possible.”
Up to 915 orders are prepared per day. Given the popularity of e-commerce, where consumers typically expect delivery within 24 hours, this is a major asset for Auchan Luxembourg. A total of 160,000 orders are prepared each year from the Dudelange warehouse, which are delivered via distribution points throughout the Grand Duchy. The aim is to enable customers who live nearby to pick up their desired products just ten minutes after their purchase.
Thanks to the height of the shelves accessible to the Skypod robots, the footprint of the storage has been reduced, thus unlocking new opportunities.
“The Skypod system in Dudelange now only occupies 749m2 of floor space, whereas it previously occupied 2,200m2,” explained Nicolas Gueuzurian, Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Auchan Retail Luxembourg. "After a transition period of one and a half months, the number of references available in Auchan Drive increased by 17%, bringing the total to more than 13,000, while further improving the shopping experience of our customers. Thanks to this functional brick, we were able to open two new branches in September, thus serving the Luxembourg territory even better."
