Robots from Exotec process first orders at Auchan Luxembourg

Skypod System increases warehouse storage capacity by 17 percent 

Antwerp, Oct. 24, 2024 - Auchan Retail Luxembourg recently became the first company in the Grand Duchy to use Exotec's Skypod System in its Dudelange warehouse to automate order processing. Thanks to 37 robots, which whiz through the shelves at lightning speed to retrieve products from the racks, making the work of the warehouse staff considerably lighter and more pleasant.  

Retailers continue to ramp up their investments year after year in systems to automate warehouses. According to the U.S. research firm Grand View Research these will even reach as much as $51.12 billion (€46.31 billion) by 2030. Consequently, to protect their leading position in Luxembourg, the management of Auchan Retail Luxembourg decided last year to partner with Exotec, an innovative developer and manufacturer of robotic systems for warehouse automation.  

The first warehouse in Luxembourg with Exotec's Skypod System was recently inaugurated in Dudelange. The installation consists of meters-high racks in which the 37 Skypod robots can autonomously maneuver in all directions to extract products from the 15,300 totes as efficiently as possible. They then take these to one of three picking stations, where the order is further completed.  

"By automating the processes in the warehouse, Auchan has significantly increased the quality and reliability of order picking. This also saves the warehouse employees a lot of walking and lifting, which has significantly improved working conditions." says Rémy Malchirand, EVP Sales Western Europe at Exotec. "This fits completely within our Human First philosophy, where we make constant efforts to make working in the warehouse as comfortable and safe as possible."  

Such an automated system naturally also increases the throughput of the warehouse. Up to 915 orders can be picked per day. Given the popularity of e-commerce, where consumers generally expect delivery within 24 hours, this is an important asset for Auchan Luxembourg. In total, 160,000 orders are prepared annually from the Dudelange warehouse, which are delivered via distribution points throughout the Grand Duchy.  

Exotec's Skypod robots are not afraid of heights: they can even climb shelves up to 12 meters high to retrieve products from the bins. "As a result, the Skypod System in Dudelange occupies only 749 square meters of floor space, whereas it used to take 2,200 square meters," says Nicolas Gueuzurian, marketing and e-commerce director at Auchan Retail Luxembourg. "After a transition period of one and a half months, the number of references available in the Auchan Drive has now increased by 17 percent, bringing the total to more than 13,000, while further improving the shopping experience for customers. Thanks to this functional building block, we were also able to open two new branches in September, thereby serving the Luxembourg territory even better."