Convenience store wholesaler goes high tech

When they hear that someone's building a state-of-the-art robotic warehouse or DC, people usually assume it's for a multinational consumer goods corporation or perhaps a mega-retailer. But the days when only the Amazons and Walmarts of the world invested in advanced fulfillment technology are over. Today, smaller companies are getting into the game as well.

A case in point is C-Store Master, a regional distributor of convenience store products that serves the U.S. Southeast. C-Store broke ground in October on an automated warehouse in Huntsville, Alabama, that will include not one, but three different types of robotic technologies. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2021, the $12 million warehouse, developed in partnership with Chinese robotics specialist Geek+, incorporates a multilevel shuttle system and more than 70 robots, the vendor says. The facility is designed to rev up throughput as well as boost operational accuracy to 99.99%.

"C-Store Master's robots will increase their productivity by three to four times," Rick DeFiesta, Geek+ director of business development and partnership, said in a release. "We're proud to partner with their team … to help provide even quicker service for their customers."