We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
  • ::COVID-19 COVERAGE::
  • INDUSTRY PRESS ROOM
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • MEDIA FILE
  • Create Account
  • Sign In
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Newsletters
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Subscriptions
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • Best Practices
      • Change Me
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • The Logistics of Defense
      • Logistics Problem Solving
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Public Sector Logistics
      • Two Sides of the Logistics Coin
      • Submit your blog post
    • Events
    • White Papers
    • Industry Press Room
      • Upload Your News
    • New Products
      • Upload Your Product News
    • Conference Guides
    • Conference Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • DCV-TV
    • DCV-TV 1: News
    • DCV-TV 2: Case Studies
    • DCV-TV 3: Webcasts
    • DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
    • DCV-TV 5: Solution Profiles
    • MODEX 2020
    • Upload Your Video
Home » American Eagle DC spreads its wings
applications

American Eagle DC spreads its wings

April 7, 2016
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

As reported in the cover story of the February 2015 issue of DC Velocity, American Eagle Outfitters has opened a new distribution center in Hazle Township, Pa., which is located in the eastern end of the Keystone State. The facility introduced a new concept for the company, as it serves both store and Web orders from the one building and the same pool of inventory.

When it first opened (and at the time we wrote our story), the facility was only handling the e-commerce side of the business, as the process of transferring retail distribution from the previous DC near Pittsburgh had not yet occurred. But since that time, retail distribution has been added to the mix. We thought it would be interesting to check in with the company to see how operations at Hazle have been going since the changeover.

The first store shipments actually began last June from Hazle. Currently, some 416 stores are being served from there, with the remaining stores handled by AE's other main distribution center in Ottawa, Kan. Typically, Hazle handles store fulfillment east of the Mississippi, while Ottawa serves stores in the West. However, either distribution center can fill orders to any store as needed, which allows flexibility in the network.

A unique feature in Hazle is that products are not stored, but are immediately sent upon receipt to six fulfillment modules, where they are available for filling either store or Internet orders. The modules hold 250,000 cases of shared inventory. Vargo's COFE warehouse execution system directs picking wavelessly. Two different types of totes are used, depending on whether the orders are for retail replenishment or Internet orders. Full cases are also picked for stores. The cases and totes ride on Dematic conveyors that wind through the middle of the pick areas. The items are later sorted using put-to-light systems from Dematic. (For a full description of the process, see the original article, "Fashion forward.")

This past holiday season was the first in which the facility handled both the retail and e-commerce channels under one roof. During that season, AE experienced a high level of sales, including higher-than-expected e-commerce sales. "It was a good year to be omnichannel," says Christine Miller, director of operations. "We ended up using about 220,000 units of inventory that we had originally set aside for our stores for direct-to-consumer fulfillment." She adds that since the inventory is shared, the division of original assignments really just exists on paper.

That ability to share resources, though, proves the value of the concept from AE's perspective. "It increases our flexibility to service the customers wherever they are at," says Miller.

Material Handling Facility Maintenance & Design
KEYWORDS American Eagle Outfitters VARGO Adaptive Software
  • Related Articles

    American Eagle Outfitters Purchases Kindred SORT Robots to Meet Surge of Online Orders and Increase Worker Distancing During COVID-19

    Sponsored By
    Vargo Companies

    American Eagle Outfitters goes waveless

    Rick Froehlich, Founder & President of NextGen DC Systems announced this week that FastFetch North America (FFNA) has officially changed its name to NextGen DC Systems

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

Logistics gives back: April 2021

Watch that digital reef

Pandemic is just one threat to safety

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • A look into the future of robotics

  • A primer on warehouse robots

  • Roadrunner Freight bolsters LTL capabilities with $50 million in new backing

  • Truck driver availability tightens to three-year low, ACT says

  • Southeastern Freight Lines Promotes Marty Cox to Service Center Manager in Cincinnati, Ohio

Now Playing on DCV-TV

9cddf77b a6f2 40d3 b603 004e451106fb

Dealing with Rapidly Rising Freight Costs

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
I don’t know if it’s because of our Two Minute Warnings, or the fact that shippers are experiencing the conditions we warned about in our Code Red webcasts, but lately, I’ve heard the same message from several C-Level and supply chain executives: Their companies are experiencing supply chain challenges and their...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • Special Report: Supply Chain Trends in Retail & Consumer Goods

  • Fortify Your Operational Resilience

  • Cold Storage Automation: Leveraging Advanced Technologies to Meet Increasing Demand

  • The modern warehouse: Maximizing productivity and capacity

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

GET YOUR FREE SUBSCRIPTION
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSLETTERS
  • ADVERTISING
  • CUSTOMER CARE
  • CONTACT
  • ABOUT
  • STAFF
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing