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.
  • 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
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • 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
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
  • MAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Digital Edition
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletters
    • Mobile Apps
  • TRANSPORTATION
  • MATERIAL HANDLING
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • LIFT TRUCKS
  • PODCAST ETC
    • Podcast
    • Webcasts
    • Blogs
      • One-Off Sound Off
      • Global Logistics and Risk
      • Empowering Your Performance Edge
      • Analytics & Big Data
      • 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
    • Parcel Forum 2022
    • MODEX 2022
    • Upload Your Video
Home » ProMatDX 2021: Micro-fulfillment centers answer need for fast fulfillment in urban settings

ProMatDX 2021: Micro-fulfillment centers answer need for fast fulfillment in urban settings

Building small-scale, automated warehouses in underperforming retail stores and stock rooms can balance demands for e-commerce and delivery, AHS says.

April 12, 2021
DC Velocity Staff
No Comments

Accelerated by soaring e-commerce volumes during the pandemic, micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs) are quickly becoming popular because they allow retailers to repurpose underperforming store space while improving customer service and trimming labor costs, experts said on a panel at the ProMatDX trade show today.

Under pressure to provide timely and accurate delivery, retailers and brands are creating MFCs by placing small-scale, automated warehouses in urban locations close to the end-customer, David Tavel, the chief research & development engineer at Advanced Handling Systems LLC (AHS) said in a session.

“That lets them offer speed and localized, in-store pickup, using the efficiencies we’ve all learned through large-scale implementation of automation in warehouses. We like to say it’s the traditional DC meets a vending machine,” Tavel said. “Certainly we know that the driver for micro fulfillment centers is e-commerce, but the nitrous oxide that’s pushing it forward is the pandemic.”

Companies are typically building MFCs in three types of spaces, including in-store retail space or back rooms, dark stores that provide curbside pickup and regional delivery, and online-only centers dedicated to shipping online orders in larger metro areas, he said. Other installations can sometimes be found in more unconventional locations such as central car parks, stock rooms at local shops, or the basements of office buildings.

To get the maximum benefit from a new installation, companies should also consider what type of inventory to stock in their MFC, said Zac Boehm, AHS’s director of innovative systems. While “A-mover SKUs” have enough value and velocity to make those stock-keeping units a good fit for a busy MFC installation, slower “D-movers” or delicate and chilled food items might be better stored elsewhere for the most efficient fulfillment, he said.

Material Handling
KEYWORDS Advanced Handling Systems, LLC
  • Related Articles

    Rapid delivery market to drive long-term demand for micro-fulfillment centers

    ProMatDX 2021: What to consider when redesigning your DC for e-commerce fulfillment

    PULSE Robotics and Technology is the Answer to Micro-Fulfillment.

Recent Articles by DC Velocity Staff

Air cargo demand slumped in 2022 after “extraordinary” levels in 2021

Logistics gives back: February 2023

Intermodal sector weathered a “challenging” year in 2022, IANA says

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

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular Articles

  • Schneider welcomes first battery-electric truck

  • Fred Smith is not worried about Amazon

  • RJW LOGISTICS GROUP EXPANDS RETAIL LOGISTICS OPERATION TO DALLAS

  • Maersk deploys indoor drones for warehouse inventory counts

  • Outlook 2023: What’s in store for logistics/supply chain?

Now Playing on DCV-TV

C8c3bc6b a91d 4181 a18f 35f288257630

ACPaQ: Fast and reliable automated mixed case palletizer

DCV-TV 4: Viewer Contributed
Fully Automated Mixed Case Palletizing ACPaQ is a universally applicable solution for fully automated order picking of mixed case pallets based on customers‘ requirements. Its software allows you to customize the palletizing order to increase efficiency during in-store replenishment. The mixed case palletizer...

FEATURED WHITE PAPERS

  • The five best applications for robotic lift trucks in warehouse environments

  • Fulfillment Facility Improved Efficiencies by 4x

  • 3PLs: Complete Orders Faster with Flexible Automation

  • Reusable Packaging for the New Wave of Supply Chain Automation

View More

Subscribe to DC Velocity Magazine

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

Copyright ©2023. All Rights ReservedDesign, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing