Ahead of EuroShop 2017, which takes place in Düsseldorf from March 5 to 9, ESM spoke to Johan Sarazin, department manager Colruyt's distribution centre in Ghislenghien, Belgium, about the challenge of integrating technology into longstanding logistics operations.
ESM: In what ways have you integrated new technologies into your operations in recent years? How has this improved efficiency?
Johan Sarazin: The 'highbay' in the distribution centre in Ath/Lessines is a nice example - it is a technological marvel. The 33 metre tall high-rise is fully-automated. The cranes receive the pallets, store them, and collect them for supplies. The manual collection zone can handle approximately 240,000 orders a day - that is two per second. All in all, approximately 30,000 pallets can be stored and each day, 250 lorries leave for the stores.
It has a true impact, and we see a very clear evolution with regards to efficiency and the processing of pallet orders at the Colruyt stores.
When integrating new technologies, or updating your system, how big a factor is cost when making your decision?
Cost is an important parameter in the business of food distribution, and most definitely at a company like Colruyt - where low cost and efficiency are key. We correlate the costs with the possible benefit parameters in order to evaluate the economic feasibility of a project.
What do you think is the biggest new trend that is emerging in your industry, and how are your tailoring your business to meet this challenge?
A big trend in food retail is the online aspect, where we fully focus on our 'Collect & Go' brand. We have dedicated distribution centres that collect the goods that have been ordered by our customers.
How important is it for you to 'futureproof' your business against any further changes in the marketplace?
It is of crucial importance to continue monitoring the trends within the food retail business, but also to integrate them in our business. Moreover, we invest significantly in the development of new technologies that can improve our business and/or make it more sustainable, such as the recently-launched liquid ice container.
For further information, visit www.euroshop-tradefair.com.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
