Eroski officially inaugurated its new logistics base in Elorrio, Bizkaia, with an automated platform that incorporates state-of-the-art technology, putting the retailer in European supply chain's leading pack.
The plant was developed locally through an inter-cooperation project between Eroski and ULMA Handling Systems in which the LKS cooperative also took part.
With the modernisation of the facility into a logistics platform organised on 'lean' principles, 70 per cent by weight of the merchandise handled has been automated, representing a daily throughput of some 2,000 tonnes. By volume, the new logistics facility will process on an automated basis 50 per cent of the 140,000 daily order-picking crates that Eroski administers at its Elorrio facility – around 4,000 per hour.
Eroski’s chairperson, Agustín Markaide, spoke of the pioneering nature of the facility, which leads its sector in Europe, and emphasised "the importance of the logistical optimisation achieved with this new platform, since it represents a key stage in reaching our goal of improving the internal efficiency of the cooperative’s processes. It enables us to provide stores with the service they need, thereby creating greater advantages for customers, with wider ranges and better prices, thanks to the streamlining of processes, a more flexible operation and the lowering of operating overheads."
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Peter Donnelly.
