LPP Logistics has implemented robotic solutions in its fulfillment center near Bydgoszcz
LPP Logistics, the company responsible for the logistics operations of the LPP Group, has completed the first stage of robotization of its largest e-commerce warehouse near Bydgoszcz. The 100,000-square-meter facility, which was launched in July 2024, has been equipped with advanced automated technologies and artificial intelligence-based solutions that significantly increase its operational efficiency. Ultimately, it will be one of the most robotized warehouses in the fashion sector in Europe, with a fleet of over 1,400 robots and the capacity to store up to 16 million items.
The LPP Logistics fulfillment center, located in the municipality of Białe Błota in the Bydgoszcz district, is the largest e-commerce facility in the Polish clothing manufacturer’s network. From July 2024, orders have been shipped from here to customers in Poland and other Central European countries. From the very beginning of its operational launch, the facility was using artificial intelligence algorithms, and in the following months, work was underway to implement a pilot robotic automation solution. The decision to implement it was a response to the dynamics of e-commerce sales. From January to the end of December 2024, the company fulfilled over 54 million online orders, recording an increase of 35.4% YoY.
– The recently completed pilot phase of the robotization process is a milestone in the development of our supply and distribution network. The dynamic technological progress that has taken place in recent years in the area of e-commerce solutions has convinced us to increase our outlays on automation and robotics, which will enable us to effectively handle the growing number of online orders. This is our first such advanced investment in the automation of e-commerce processes, thanks to which we will not only secure the LPP Group’s ability for further strategic development, but also significantly increase the efficiency of operations carried out by LPP Logistics. The use of artificial intelligence and automation will allow us to optimize the flow of goods in the facility, and the increase in productivity in key processes can reach up to 60% – comments Sebastian Sołtys, president of LPP Logistics..
In the pilot phase, the facility was equipped with over 175,000 automated storage locations, which corresponds to the capacity of as many as 150 trucks. In turn, the picking and sorting processes were powered by 555 automatic robots, thanks to which the fulfillment center can handle up to 5,000 online orders per hour. The route of the products in the warehouse starts in the receiving area, where they are first placed in standardized containers. Then, using ACR unmanned cranes, they are transported to 10-meter high-bay shelves. The next stage is the order picking process, supported by autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). These robots move around the facility according to the guidelines generated by artificial intelligence algorithms, transporting mobile racks to the Shelf-to-Person stations. There, the robotic devices select the correct containers and hand them over to operators for picking.
– The solutions we have implemented are based on the Goods to Person model, which focuses on close cooperation between automated systems and employees. Unlike the traditional shelf system, the new solution eliminates the need for employees to move around the warehouse, which significantly increases the comfort of work and improves the order fulfilment process – comments Daniel Potoczniak, director of e-commerce logistics at LPP Logistics.
The picked products are sorted into individual orders on a sorter, and this process is supported by another type of robot. The use of automated solutions to optimize the flow of goods has increased the center’s daily shipping capacity to 500,000 items in a standard period and around 700,000 items during sales peaks.
– Thanks to the implemented solutions, we gained additional storage space, and thus expanded the availability of the product offer per square metre. The customers of LPP brands also benefit from this, as they can enjoy even faster delivery of their orders – adds Daniel Potoczniak.
After the successful completion of the robotic installation pilot, LPP Logistics plans to significantly expand the scope of the implemented automated solutions by the end of 2025, covering nearly 60% of the facility’s space. Ultimately, the center is to have around one million storage locations, enabling the unmanned storage of up to 16 million items, and its operation will be supported by over 1,400 robots. As a result, the warehouse capacity will increase to 1 million products shipped per day. At the same time, the company is developing infrastructure in other facilities – this year, it is also planned to implement robotic solutions in the fulfillment center in Bolintin-Deal, Romania. In 2025, the LPP Group will allocate PLN 1 billion to the development of warehouse infrastructure.
The effects of the first stage of robotization of the LPP Logistics fulfillment center near Bydgoszcz can be seen in the video available below:
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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 40 markets worldwide. The company has a chain of nearly 2400 stores with the total area of over 2 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.