LPP Logistics has launched a highly robotised e-commerce warehouse in Romania
LPP Logistics has launched a highly automated e-commerce warehouse with an area of 65,000 m² near Bucharest. The combination of the scale of the facility and a fleet of nearly 1,100 robots will enable the handling of over 80,000 orders per day, strengthening the LPP Group’s logistics infrastructure in South-Eastern Europe. The centre has been operating since the end of October and will fulfil online orders to Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and Hungary, among others.
The LPP Group is strengthening its capacity to fulfil a growing number of online orders in the dynamically developing markets of South-Eastern Europe. The new facility of LPP Logistics, which is responsible for the logistics of Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito and Sinsay brands, increases the operational capacity of the e-commerce infrastructure in the region and the efficiency of picking and shipping processes. Its strategic location in the municipality of Bolintin-Deal near Bucharest shortens delivery routes and enables faster order fulfilment in the key markets of the region.
– The new investment in Romania is another important step in establishing the LPP Group’s strong presence in South-Eastern Europe. It is the most modern and automated logistics infrastructure in this part of Europe. Advanced robotisation and innovative technologies enable cost-effective service of the region’s markets and significantly faster deliveries to customers, while strengthening our operational potential. The project supports our long-term development strategy and allows us to scale our operations at a pace that matches the growing dynamics of the LPP Group’s online sales – says Sebastian Sołtys, President of LPP Logistics.
The centre was launched over a month ahead of schedule. The comprehensive adaptation of the facility, including the installation and implementation of automation, took less than 3.5 months, confirming the high efficiency and rapid mobilisation capabilities of the LPP Logistics teams. This agility proved particularly important in connection with the recent fire that caused the shutdown of one of the e-commerce warehouses. The accelerated opening of the new facility enabled a smooth return of logistics operations to Bolintin-Deal.
– Returning to full operational capacity in the Romanian market was a priority for us. We completed this ambitious project in a very short timeframe, adapting the building to our needs and launching operations using advanced automation. It took only 3.5 months from the takeover of the facility to the launch of fully automated operations, which confirms our ability to combine operational agility with the highest standards of technological implementation. This project shows that we can operate faster than the market standard and effectively mobilise resources and partners – emphasizes Kamil Kawałek, Logistics Network Development Manager, LPP Logistics.
Robots, sorters, 80,000 orders per day
The new warehouse can store up to 7.5 million items of clothing and accessories. It is equipped with 630,000 automatic high-bay storage spaces, operated by 766 autonomous robots, which are responsible for placing and moving containers with goods and transferring them to operators for product picking. The process is carried out using the goods-to-person model, thanks to which employees do not have to move along traditional picking paths, characteristic of e-commerce warehouses. This increases the efficiency of operations and improves work ergonomics.
The division of goods into individual orders is supported by robotic sorters, which are operated by a total of 328 autonomous units. The warehouse has many packing stations, and the length of the automatic conveyors supporting them reaches nearly one kilometre. Ultimately, a shipping sorter with a capacity of up to 14,000 parcels per hour, operating at a speed of 2 m/s, will be responsible for sorting parcels into individual destinations. This infrastructure configuration will enable the handling of over 80,000 orders per day.
– In today’s e-commerce logistics, it is not difficult to equip a warehouse with modern robotic solutions. The key to success is finding and skilfully adapting a specific solution to current and future operational needs, while implementing it in existing processes in a non-invasive manner. This is all the more true in an environment where product diversity, order variability and growing expectations for shorter lead times are a daily challenge. Therefore, during the design phase, our main goal was to equip the warehouse with flexible, scalable and cost-effective solutions in the shortest possible time. The technical and process optimisations introduced at the design stage, in cooperation with suppliers open to innovation, already allow us to record a threefold increase in productivity in key processes and to make more effective use of the potential of well-known robotic solutions, which we are convinced will set trends in intralogistics in the coming years – says Piotr Pawlak, Logistics Process Robotisation Leader at LPP Logistics.
Sustainable infrastructure and further investments
The facility features solutions that reduce its environmental impact, including a grey water recovery system, energy-efficient LED lighting, water and air treatment systems, and petroleum substance separation installations. The roof design provides natural lighting at a level of 3.5 per cent. The facility has an A-class energy certificate and is in the process of obtaining a BREEAM certificate at the Excellent level.
The new fulfilment centre, located in CTPark Bucharest West in the municipality of Bolintin-Deal near Bucharest, is currently the ninth facility in the entire LPP Logistics portfolio. The Polish clothing group’s planned expenditure on logistics next year may reach PLN 1 billion, which underlines the importance of investing in the development of the entire supply chain and increasing the efficiency of logistics operations.
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LPP Logistics is a logistics operator managing LPP Group’s procurement and distribution network comprising distribution centres and Fulfillment Centres with a total area of over 600,000 square metres. It operates on three continents providing a full range of logistics services – from sea, rail and road freight, through the operation of its own customs agency, to advanced warehouse logistics using modern systems such as WMS, warehouse automation and Warehouse Intelligence solutions based on artificial intelligence algorithms.
LPP is a Polish family business and one of the fastest growing clothing companies in the region of Central Europe. For 30 years, it has been successfully designing and selling the collections and accessories in Poland and abroad. LPP manages five fashion brands: Reserved, Cropp, House, Mohito, and Sinsay, whose offer is available today in stationary and online stores in 44 markets worldwide. The company has a chain of over 3200 stores with the total area of over 2.6 million m2 and distributes the products to 3 continents every year. LPP also plays an important role as it provides employment to 43 thousand people in its offices and sales structures in Poland, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The company is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange in the WIG20 index and belongs to the prestigious MSCI Poland index.