GXO deploys 500 robots at French DC

Contract warehousing provider GXO is deploying 500 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in a 130,000 square foot segment of a distribution center in France that serves an unnamed “major global sporting goods retailer.”

GXO said it manages a growing share of the unnamed retailer’s logistics in Europe, and recently began implementing automation in its solutions to enable the customer to meet demand. The solution was designed to speed order processing, increase agility to respond to seasonal volume changes, and deliver efficiency savings. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a video showed large fleets of what appeared to be AMRs from tech vendor Geek+ cruising through high-density storage racks and shifting plastic bins to new locations to support picking activities. The AMRs handle 70,000 bins which are held on 18-foot tall racks, and have already improved productivity, accuracy, and safety on site, the company said.

As another benefit, the lightweight robots are easy to transport and install, giving GXO the flexibility to quickly move them around the warehouse or deploy them to other facilities to meet seasonal changes. 

“This tote-to-person solution, integrated with high-density storage, enables high-volume picking, storage, and operating efficiency in our warehouse,” Rui Marques, Managing Director, France, for GXO, said in a release. “We’re always looking to leverage technologies that solve our customers’ increasingly complex global supply chain problems.”