Finnish retailer S Group will open a robot-assisted collection centre for online grocery shopping in Pirkanmaa in August 2024.
Robots will ensure more efficient and faster picking and help the company speed up order fulfilment.
The collection centre, spanning approximately 1,400 square metres, will serve approximately 280,000 inhabitants and cater to home delivery orders from online food stores in Tampere and Kangasala.
For shoppers opting for store pick-up from Kangasa, the retailer is offering a drive-in option at the new centre so that they don't have to get out of their cars.
Shoppers can also pick up their purchases from the take-out box built in the centre's yard, with round-the-clock contactless transactions.
'Online Food Shopping'
Ville Jylhä, chief operating officer of Pirkanmaan Osuuskauppa, stated, "With the centre now being completed, we have the opportunity to even double the capacity of online food shopping compared to last year.
"In the entire retail group, we have purposefully invested in the development of online food shopping in recent years according to customer needs. I would see an order for at least a couple more collection centres in Pirkanmaa in the next few years. Buying food online is undeniably a simple way to make everyday life easier."
In 2023, online food sales at Pirkanmaan Osuuskaupa, a part of the S Group, increased by 27% compared to the previous year.
In the first half of 2024, the division saw sales growing by almost 30% compared to the same period last year.
Robot-Assisted Technology
The facility is scheduled to commence operations in August of this year with 40 robots assisting employees of the online food store in collecting orders.
S Group teamed up with Swisslog to implement automation technology at the facility.
The robots need a daily four-hour charging session and a weekly eight-hour deep charge, the company added.
