Scaling warehouse performance through automation for a DIY retailer

Our customer

Our client is a pan-European retail chain specialising in home improvement, gardening and workshop products. The company operates across 19 European countries with more than 280 stores, alongside a rapidly growing e-commerce business. 

Context

As part of its international expansion, the retailer entered the Czech market and needed a dedicated fulfilment centre capable of supporting both B2C and B2B activities. The region offered strong cost efficiency and became a strategic logistics hub for the new market.

The retailer experienced rapid order growth, with year-on-year increases of:

• 50% in the first year
• 40% in the second year
• 20% in the third year

However, the diversity of the product range created operational challenges. Inventory ranged from small hardware items to large outdoor equipment, leading to fragmented storage and inefficient warehouse operations.

Key challenges included:

• Managing extreme product diversity across sizes and formats
• Inefficient storage due to multiple fragmented storage areas
• Long retrieval times when locating items
• Difficulties maintaining accurate stock visibility across zones
• Warehouse space that was not fully optimised

The objective was to modernise the warehouse with an automation solution capable of handling SKU diversity while increasing storage density and fulfilment performance.